Mountain Biking in British Columbia
The new slogan for the Canadian province of British Columbia is “the best place on Earth”, and with its diverse array of terrain there is little doubt that it offers some of the greatest mountain biking around. From the rain forests of the Pacific Ocean to the trails in the arid interior, there are numerous places for the mountain biker to ride.
If you are planning on going on a mountain biking trip to British Columbia, check out the many skills the province has. Many of these ski hills offer excellent mountain biking trails in the summer, and the lifts are often open and sometimes for free although sometimes for a charge for a day. The lifts are equipped with bike racks in order to enable carrying your bike up the hill convenient, and all you need to do is enjoy the scenery and plan the trip back down. As far as the trip down goes, the grading system for mountain bike trails works along the same lines as it does for skiing.
Green circle runs are the easiest, and there are few stunts and no narrow paths. These trails are great for the casual or beginning mountain biker, and they do not require any kind of fancy bike or suspension system. These can be great trails to just get out with a family to enjoy the scenery while you do some mountain biking.
Blue squares are slightly harder than green circles, and they will contain steeper slopes. The trails will be narrower, and there are more stunts available. Suspension becomes more of an issue as the ride gets very bumpy and you might begin to feel it towards the end of the run.
Black diamonds offer an exponential increase in difficulty over the blue or greens. There are a lot of tricks, a lot of drops, and a lot of stunts. Jumps and ladders also abound, and the ride is really only for very experienced mountain bikers. Make sure your bike has a really good suspension system, preferably a dual system. Wear full protective gear, too, the ride can be a dangerous one occasionally depending on the level of experience and skill you possess.
Double black diamonds are not for the faint of heart. These runs are extremely narrow, which means that any stunts are mandatory, and the stunts are very difficult. There are pits everywhere that have to be jumped, and five foot ladders and drops. Strong suspension systems are required, and a dual 5” is recommended.
There are also triple black diamond runs. The triples are much like the doubles, dangerous runs set up in the trees on narrow paths with jaw-dropping and unavoidable stunts. These stunts are about ten feet higher (or lower) than the doubles. So the suspension on your bike should be increased to accommodate.
Don’t attempt the harder runs on any of British Columbia’s ski mountains until you have been biking for a long time. Even then, don’t hop from a blue square to a triple black. Swallow your pride and put safety ahead of impatience- you’ll get there eventually, but it will take a lot longer if you have to take several months off with a broken leg.
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