I'm a 230lb Hack Going On A Trip To Whistler, How Much Travel Do I Need?

draco… 922 posts, member since '03 and you are asking how much travel you need to street huck A-line…

fu#$ing rad

Get the biggest burliest bike you can and make sure it has monster T forks and double tracks. Im not being sarcastic either.

Us 200lbs plus riders almost brake a part everytime we mess up. Expecially in whistler where the terrain is so hard on equipment and your body.

The Monster T forks and double track / Mag 30 rims are the only things that have not failed me. Ive pretty much eventually broken everything else ive had on my bikes.

I'm deciding between 2 lengths of travel 6" or 8", which one determines if I pick up the BMW SR6 or SR8.

Is this the bike you're looking @?

For Whistler I'd definitely spring for the SR8. Not only longer travel to save your ass but also likely a more compliant geometry.

The Gravity camp can push you hard if you want and many of those riders will be on bigger DH rigs. I have always found it easier to push things on a bigger rig with more room for error and then go back to it with a smaller rig later.

It is easy to rent smaller bikes (6" or 7" travel) here if you want to try it, but big bikes are not as common.

Thanks guys ^^

Yeah Blazin, thats the rig I am lookign at. I've been lusting over BMWs so long it hard, and I finally have the finances to buy one.

Looks like I'll head for the SR8, TBH I suck as a rider and I am going to feel like a tit on such a wonderful piece of kit, but I am hoping to push myself at Whistler and really develop myself so I can do the bike justice.

Mante, I have a trailpimp on the front and a EX729 on the back, both on CKs, I hope they hold up. I'm gonna have to learn to be smooth, BMWs are pretty fucking bombproof, I can imagine me failing hard and snapping some 888s in half though. Haha.

dont forget to do your stretches :)

heres a big tip for whistler to improve your riding skills, or should i say not let them fade as much though the day, drink lots of water and save the beer for after the park closes, ive done days with 20 to 25 runs of whistler and still be ready for more to bad i never went on extended play days :(. every one alwasy seems to get hurt at the end of the day on whistler, most people dont drink enough water and start messing up left right and TREE!!!!!

Oh and remember,

Whistler is always still there the next day, so take it easy.

most riders in the park rock at least 7 n 7 but most are 8 and over, that beast should hold up, run DH tires and tubes too….

I am approaching 200lbs in all my gear and I run a 6x6 bike up there. Love it. I can keep up with just about anybody up there - ok, not everybody, but more than enough. I rock past lots of people on big bikes. The hill is BRUTAL on parts though. Be prepared to replace a d-hangar or two, and brake pads. Definitely run DH tubes, especially if you do any Garbo runs.

I am approaching 200lbs in all my gear and I run a 6x6 bike up there. Love it. I can keep up with just about anybody up there - ok, not everybody, but more than enough. I rock past lots of people on big bikes. The hill is BRUTAL on parts though. Be prepared to replace a d-hangar or two, and brake pads. Definitely run DH tubes, especially if you do any Garbo runs.

I honestly don't see DH tubes being necessary. I can't remember the last time I ran DH tubes at Whistler and I have no issues with flats. Run some proper DH tires, keep the pressure reasonable for the riding, and I think you should be fine.

heres a big tip for whistler to improve your riding skills, or should i say not let them fade as much though the day, drink lots of water and save the beer for after the park closes, ive done days with 20 to 25 runs of whistler and still be ready for more to bad i never went on extended play days :(. every one alwasy seems to get hurt at the end of the day on whistler, most people dont drink enough water and start messing up left right and TREE!!!!!

Best advice in the thread. And yep get the 8 inch bike. I'm 235 and switched from a 6" bike to a 8" bike last season and found it way better. Especially in battling fatigue towards towards the end of the day, as someone said above the extra couple inches have got me out of trouble on the odd cranial cramp.

Also, take your time working up to Aline and some of the stuff on Garbo, Whistler can punish you for over confidence in a split second.

I dunno what everyone is talking about. My brother cleaned every hit on A-Line on his first day ever mountain biking (no bmx experience either really, just the basic concept of how to ride a bike). I'm a pretty terrible rider, but I don't see how someone who has been on this site for 6 years and is about to buy a serious bike is going to have any trouble on A-Line.

I don't see how someone who has been on this site for 6 years and is about to buy a serious bike is going to have any trouble on A-Line.

Sounds like you need glasses. I'm not sure what 6 years of computer experience or a good disposable income have to do with biking. A-Line is a vicious trail. Both easy and brutal at the same time. It's one of the only trails at Whistler that scares me, even though I can ride pretty decent for a 'murcan. You wreck on Clown Shoes and you'll probably be ok. Wreck on A-Line and call the meat wagon. Speed + air + hard dirt = nasty crashes, especially for people who are starting to feel the joy of consistently hitting tranny. Gotta respect the mountain.