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Life in Whistler: Joe Patterson

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Jase

Joe Patterson is one of the few Canadians that I actually met in Whistler. In a town flooded by Aussies, Brits, Saffas and so on – sometimes it can feel as though the Canadians left Whistler a long time ago. Not Joe though – he’s made it abundantly clear that Whistler is the absolute best place to live in Canada and has vowed never to leave.

Plain and simple, Joe moved to Whistler to ride bikes. I met Joe while we were mountain bike guides for the Whistler Bike Park, and straight up – it is his dream job. Joe can ride bikes like a champ but is a gun on his snowboard too.

I hope you enjoy reading about Joe Patterson in this latest Life in Whistler Rider Profile.

Joe Patterson loving the Whistler mountain life

Name: Joe Patterson
Age: 23
Hometown: Sutton, Ontario, Canada
Time in Whistler: 2.5 Years
Job: Whistler Mountain Bike Park Guide and Coach
Bikes: Commencal Supreme DH V3, Commencal Meta AM, Commencal Absolute SX

What was your motivation for moving to Whistler? How did you hear about this place?
When I was 14, I bought the Drop-In Season 1 DVD and was blown away by all the towns and spots they rode, I knew immediately that I wanted to move to B.C. one day. The Whistler episode was unreal, I had no idea what a bike park was until then but I knew I wanted to check it out. Every year in high school I tried to plan trips for me and my buddies to shred there but being a kid, it was easier said then done.

After high school I felt like a fish out of water, all of my riding buddies went to school, got apprenticeships or just stopped riding, it was weird. I tried to drive to meet up with friends from other towns but I felt like I was driving more than riding. Then the guys from Dobermann Bikes had an open spot in their van to Crankworx in 2007 and I immediately jumped on the opportunity.

Long story short, instead of staying for Crankworx, I moved to Whistler for the rest of the 2007 season and it was a dream come true! After a short break (from having surgery on my wrist) I moved back on February 6, 2010 and I have no plans to ever leave.

Joe Patterson riding Samurai Pizza Cat in the Whistler Bike Park

How does your lifestyle in Whistler compare to your life at home?
My lifestyle here is so much better! The worst day here is better than the best day back home! Every day I wake up in a place that most people visit on vacation, I bike all summer and snowboard all winter, if you add in the Bungee jumping, frisbee golf, hiking, rafting, snowmobiling and just hanging out with friends there is never a shortage of things to keep you busy. The people I have met here have changed my life – truly some of the best people I have ever met.

The best part is that Whistler is one of the most beautiful and perfect places I have ever been – you can look towards the horizon in any direction and make a post card out of it. I have accepted that I will probably never be rich, however I LOVE every day of my life!

How long have you been riding bikes for? What type of riding did you do at home?
I have been riding for about 11 years off and on, I took a few breaks to concentrate on hockey but I always came back to riding my bike. Growing up in Ontario I rode a lot of street, skateparks and dirt jumps. As I got older I began to compete in a few 4x races.

Joe hitting a gap on the Sunshine Coast

Has riding in Whistler changed your style or ability?
Anyone that has been to Whistler will tell you they became a better rider, it is impossible not to with the variety of trails, terrain and features we have to ride. On top of that though, I am lucky enough to be a MTB Guide for Whistler Blackcomb. This may have been the best thing I could have ever done for my own riding, as it has allowed me to break down my riding and really concentrate on what I am doing on the trail and how I do it. It also introduced me to some of the best coaches in the industry who have helped me along the way.

I have grown more as a rider throughout these last 2 seasons than I have in all of my past seasons combined.

Joe getting steezy in the Whistler Bike Park

What is your favourite riding in Whistler?
I could not pick just one thing with the variety of riding we have here. Of course I love the Whistler Bike Park, all of it, there is not a single trail I don’t like.

The valley is full of riding that I am just starting to explore, then there is Alta Vista pump track, the dirt jumps that are built for us by the town for Whistler! No way could I choose just one thing I love about riding here!

If I had to pick one run to ride forever it would be: Original Sin > Goat’s Gully > Blue Velvet > In Deep > D1 > Angry Pirate > Crab Apple Hits > Samurai Pizza Cat > Crack Addict > Heart of Darkness or Canadian Open.

Like any good Whistler local, Joe still rides on the muddy days

Is there anything I have missed that you’d like to add about life or riding in Whistler? Anyone you would like to thank?
I want to thank my Mom and Dad, without them I would have never made it back here. They are my biggest supporters, biggest fans and are always helping me in anyway they can.

Anna Boyd and Tom Radke for giving me the opportunity to live a dream and ride my bike for a living, Joe Park from Park Freestyle Clothing for the fresh threads (I can finally retire some of the shirts I bought when I was 15), Sean and Dan from Commencal Canada (I love my bikes!) and James Barrett from The Fix Bicycle Products for being one hell of a guy, keeping my bikes running and getting it done with little to no notice – if your in Whistler and your bike explodes, take it to him!

IF YOU WANT TO MOVE HERE, JUST DO IT! YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE!

Big thanks to Logan Swayze from Bike Park Photos and Dom Wrapson for the photos in this post.

Posted in People | Tagged bike park, Canada, career, guide, Joe Patterson, Life, MTB, profile, rider, Whistler | 1 Comment

Sunshine Coast Cruise

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Jase

A few of my friends travelled the BC coast with their bikes last year in search of good times and fun trails. Whistler local Dom Wrapson has been featured on ride more bikes before – stay tuned for a post on Joe Patterson very soon!

Nice edit Dylan!

Posted in Passion | Tagged bikes, British Columbia, Dom Wrapson, edit, Joe Patterson, Pinkbike, Sunshine Coast, trails, video | 2 Comments

Queenstown Bike Park

Posted on May 6, 2012 by Jase

Queenstown Bike Park also known as Skyline Bike Park is a downhill mountain bikers dream. Having opened officially this year, the park features 10 official trails that vary from fast bermed and groomed trails to off-camber goat tracks, rock gardens, and natural single track. Trails are graded green, blue and black for beginners, intermediates and advanced. Not only is the terrain and difficulty different from trail to trail, but each manages to provide a different vibe to the next.

Skyline Gondola at Queenstown Bike Park

Having lived in Whistler and seen the biking masses lining up for the Whistler Bike Park, we weren’t sure what to expect from the Queenstown Bike Park. When we first arrived to line up for the gondola we were surprised to see 12 riders ahead of us. At the time we assumed it was a quiet day, but after spending the next week or so riding in the park, we quickly realised that a 12 rider queue is about as bad as it gets! More often than not you are back on the gondola within 2 minutes or so.

The Queenstown Bike Park is part of the Ben Lomond Recreational Reserve, and is built on a steep forest covered hill providing some spectacular views. It is 790 vertical metres above sea level with 500 vertical metres of uplift from the bottom to the top of the Skyline Gondola.

Hammy's Track at Queenstown Bike Park

So, the trails? Let me start with the beginner trail – Hammy’s Track. Back in the Whistler Bike Park, the beginner trail Easy Does It is pretty damn boring. Why? Because it’s for the beginners. Many of the far more confident and lets face it, often impatient riders do not give beginner mountain bikers enough space on the trails. As a result, Easy Does It was designed to show beginners what the sport is about, while being boring enough for the faster riders, encouraging them to ride elsewhere. Given the small amount of traffic in the Queenstown Bike Park, it’s really not a problem. Hammy’s Track is actually a contender for my favourite trail in the park! There are so many jib lines, skinnies and other cool trail features that make riding Hammy’s Track super fun.

Queenstown Bike Park Map

Our most common lap was Vertigo to Original. After talking with a few of the locals, this is certainly the route that you boost your lap count with. Straight through the middle of the park, the majority of this lap is super fast flow trail – lots of berms, lots of smallish jumps with the odd steep or slightly technical section thrown in. Original was pretty blown out when we were in town – to be expected since it was the end of the season. Lots of braking bumps destroyed my girly, “haven’t been riding downhill enough” hands.

Amazing views from the Queenstown Bike Park trails

A more technical lap in the Queenstown Bike Park was Armageddon to Thingamajig to Single Track Sandwich. For some reason I’d always ride this lap when it was almost dark. I’m not sure if it was the lack of vision or if there are some sketchy sections of trail in there, but it was a good rush – every time I’d let my guard down the trail would try and throw me to the ground. Following onto Thingamajig gives you some nice steep declines and the option of the “Thingamajig” itself – about 40m of elevated north shore. As the trail opens up to the Halfway Hub there is a super nice table top for you to whip it, whip it good.

Single Track Sandwich really reminded me of British Columbia. About as close to loam as you can get on this side of the world, with lots of roots, lots of speed, and the odd loose corner to keep you on your toes. If jumping off of roots puts a dirty grin on your face like it does mine, this is your trail.

Queenstown Bike Park Gondola goes straight up!

Queenstown Bike Park really is a rad place to ride. We both took our downhill bikes on this trip, and while we didn’t really have any other bikes that were suitable, I feel that a long travel trail bike would be perfect for this park. My one gripe with the park was it’s long and often uphill pedal out at the base. There are no alternatives – if you want to get back to the gondola you have to put the hard yards in. If you’re training to race it’s probably a good thing but if you’re just in town to ride yourself haggard, it really sucks the energy out of you. Minor gripe though – there’s no gondola serviced trails in my home town so who am I to complain?

The view from the Skyline Gondola is as good as it gets!

This year full day tickets for the Skyline Gondola with a bike were $60, with half day tickets at $45. If you play your cards right and like to smash laps out non stop, the half day is a top option. The Queenstown Bike Park has closed for the 2011-2012 season – expect the park to re-open to mountain bikers around September this year.

For more information on the Queenstown Bike Park take a look at http://www.queenstownbikepark.co.nz.

For information on the Skyline Gondola Queenstown, head on over to http://www.skyline.co.nz/queenstown/mountain-biking/.

Posted in Trails and Parks | Tagged Ben Lomond Recreational Reserve, bike park, fun, gondola, New Zealand, Queenstown, review, Skyline, steep, technical | Leave a comment

Chromag Single Chainring

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Jase

Chromag’s Single Chainring is as good as it gets. If you’re looking for a non-ramped chainring for your singlespeed, downhill bike or otherwise 1×9 bike, they are an affordable option that is built to last. As an added bonus they are probably the sickest looking chainring I’ve ever seen, so they are a top option if you’re wanting to bling out your bike.

Chromag Single Chainring

Chromag Bikes are a bike component company located in Whistler, B.C., Canada. They are a small business run by mountain bikers who live to ride – this allows them to have first hand knowledge of components that “we the riders” need. As they say on their website, “Our goal is to bring the most relevant components to market with a heightened sense of detail and creativity.” Everything that I have seen them make has been exactly that. Respect.

I picked up my Single Chainring quite literally the day before I left Whistler. I needed a 36T ring for my Transition TR450 and their first run of the new model was so popular that they had sold out. I thought I’d end up missing out on one but a phone call from Chromag just before we left Canada allowed me to leave me with this special part.

CNC machined Chromag Single Chainring

Chromag have designed the Single Chainring for strength and reliability first and foremost. CNC machined from 7075 alloy, the Single ring uses a taller tooth profile than what is usually used on chainrings – the benefit is mainly for singlespeed riders, with positive engagement and less dropped chains. 4mm thick and CNC pocket details ensure the Single Chainring is super stiff yet light.

I have been running my Single ring for about 9 months now and it’s just one of those components that you don’t need to give any thought to. I’ve bent a few chainrings in the past, but this one still spins perfectly true. I know at the moment my current chain is long overdue for replacement, but my Chromag chainring still looks brand new – there is no wear that I can see, and the anodising hasn’t faded at all!

Chromag Single Ring in Blue

The Chromag Single Chainring is only available in the common 104mm BCD, from 32 to 38 tooth. Colours include black, pewter, red, gold, blue and green, but it’s always best to contact Chromag directly to see what they have in stock.

It’s a simple part, but sometimes the simplest can be the most overlooked. If you’re looking for a new non-ramped chainring, I highly recommend the Chromag Single Chainring.

For more information on Chromag Bikes, check out their website at http://www.chromagbikes.com.

Posted in Parts | Tagged chainring, Chromag, drivetrain, non-ramped, reliable, review, ring, single, singlespeed, strong | Leave a comment

Big Thanks, Big Things

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Jase

It’s been far too long between posts. For a while now life has been busy but with all the boring stuff. Work, tax, moving house and all that. The last few weeks however, things have changed. This post marks a big push from me to not only get this blog back on board, but my biggest passion – riding bikes!

So what’s been happening? A bit actually.

After months and months of working out the most cost effective way to get some new bikes to Australia, my buddy Carl from Transition Bikes has gone above and beyond and sorted us out with Transition Bandits. I can’t thank Carl enough – he and Transition Bikes may not think they are doing much when they help people like us out, but it really does make a huge difference.

Spank Bikes has also hooked us up with some sweet gear for our new Transition Bandits. We’ll be running their new Spike Race28 wheelsets, Oozy LTD bars, Spike Flat pedals for when we’re not riding with SPDs, and their Subrosa Lock-on grips. Jess will run one of Spanks new Spike Race 50mm stems while I will hold out for a redesigned Oozy LTD stem that should become available towards the end of this year. In addition to these parts I have been supplied some clothing, plenty of stickers and some promo gear too. Big thanks to Mike, Crystal, Angel and anyone else behind the scenes at Spank Bikes that made this happen and for taking care of me.

Boxes from Spank Bikes and Transition Bikes.

It’s amazing to have support from the bike industry like this – I really can’t wait to show both brands and the people within them how their products turned out. With any luck the bikes will be built sometime next week.

I have also been coaching and guiding locally here in Adelaide, South Australia with Escapegoat – offering tours, MTB guiding and coaching. Skills coaching here in Adelaide has certainly been different to what I was doing with Whistler Bike Park, but obviously this is just a result of our terrain and more specifically the fact that we don’t have a chairlift accessible MTB park. I’ll post more on coaching and guiding with Escapegoat later.

Finally, we are off to Queenstown, New Zealand on Easter Sunday. Jess is on work holidays for two weeks so we took the opportunity to head over and check the place out. We’ve been told that the South Island of New Zealand is the British Columbia of the Southern Hemisphere, and that Queenstown is the Whistler of the Southern Hemisphere, so I suspect we will both love the place. We’re flying into Christchurch and then driving down to Queenstown. From there we’ll be riding our bikes in the Skyline Bike Park as much as we can, and try to get to know the town as best we can in a short visit. I suspect that one day we might head over there for either a short or long living stint. Time will tell I guess.

Bike building, holidays and MTB coaching again. Life is busy, but it’s busy with all of the good stuff right now!

Posted in Just typing | Tagged Bandit, coaching, Escapegoat, guiding, New Zealand, Oozy LTD, Queenstown, Spank, Spike Race28, Transition | 2 Comments

Mount Stromlo MTB Trails

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Jase

Mount Stromlo Forest Park in the Australian Capital of Canberra is home to possibly the best mountain bike trail network in the country.

Stromlo Forest Park offers mountain bikers a huge variety of riding trails. Natural occurrences of hard packed clay, sand and rocks make the trails interesting and fun with many differing levels of technical challenge.

There are plenty of trail options from beginner to advanced at Mt Stromlo.

Mount Stromlo’s MTB trail network gains it’s professional image from it’s final presentation than many other trail networks lack. Aside from the actual trails themselves, the signage and facility in itself is world class. Trails are identified by the increasingly common trail difficulty rating system that is advocated by the IMBA – green circle (easy), blue square (intermediate) and black diamond (advanced).

In addition to the trail difficulty rating signs, the Stromlo MTB trail network also offers mountain bikers the option of choosing from one of six pre-defined “loops”. Each loop is different in length and technical challenge and was assigned a number. This number is then indicated on signs at intersections and forks in the trail, allowing riders to simply follow signs rather than having to remember a dozen trail names. For “mountain bike tourists” like ourselves, it was a great way to ride in the park. We usually come prepared with a printed trail map, but sometimes it’s nice to just get out and ride without having to think too much.

The Playground MTB skills area in Stromlo Forest Park

It was a fairly hot day and we still hadn’t re-acclimatised to the dry heat that Canberra experiences, so our goal was around an hour or so of riding. After a quick skill testing session in “The Playground” area, we began our climb to the summit of Mount Stromlo. Going up, I think we both agreed that Emu Run and City View were our favourite trails. Cockatoo Switchbacks certainly gives the rider plenty of switchback training, so definitely climb the southern side of the park if that’s what you’re looking for.

Jess riding between rocks at Mount Stromlo

Given our lack of fitness at the time and somewhat “gravity” based riding style, the highlights of Stromlo Forest Park were without a doubt the Skyline and Luge trails. I only brought my Transition Double on this trip, and while it wasn’t the best climber, it was an absolute blast on the downhills – I had some sketchy moments here and there, pushing my little dual suspension dirt jumper to it’s limits. Both of us finished the descent, spat out of Old Duffy Descent back to the MTB hub with big smiles and plenty of stoke.

Descending the Skyline trail Mount Stromlo

We checked out some of the DH trails while we were riding around and watched some kids hit up the 4x track while we ate lunch. Big bike or small, the Stromlo trail network will not fail to keep you entertained.

Stromlo Forest Park really is a sensational facility. Not only does it offer a world class MTB trail network, it hosts a criterium circuit for road cyclists (and I’m told this area is also used for teaching children how to ride safely on the roads), equestrian trails for horse riders, and a grass cross-country track for runners. The people of Canberra are extremely lucky to have this facility under their belt!

Excellent signage in the Stromlo MTB Trail Network

The Signage is excellent in the Stromlo MTB Trail Network

If you find yourself heading to Canberra for some mountain biking, remember to check out the Majura Pines MTB Trails too.

Although it’s not really necessary, if you’re looking for a map, take a look at the official Stromlo Forest Park map.

Posted in Trails and Parks | Tagged Australia, Canberra, facility, forest, Mount, MTB, network, skills, Stromlo, track | Leave a comment

Majura Pines in Canberra

Posted on November 1, 2011 by Jase

Majura Pines is located just 10 minutes North East of the Canberra CBD, and provides a number of trails that should cater to every type of mountain biker. From what I understand from Canberra locals, the trails at Majura Pines are some of the oldest and most well known trails in the Australian Capital.

Majura Pines MTB Trail Head

The Majura Pines trail network is clearly well thought out. Located in Majura Forest, a small pine plantation, the trails are built in a manner that take advantage of the available space along with the natural features of the area. For mountain bikers that enjoy nice and flowy trails, you’ll thoroughly enjoy the place – there is plenty of flow to be had! That said, there are plenty of technical single-track to go around. Gully crossings, bridges and obstacles kept us entertained, rather than simply “riding for fitness”. Kudos goes to CORC (Canberra Off Road Cyclists) volunteers for the trail building and maintenance in Majura Pines.

Riding a bridge at Majura Pines

We found Majura Pines very similar to Galbraith Mountain over in the USA – once you’re tired you can simply ride up the fire roads and descend down the fun stuff. I’d pass on what trails I found the most enjoyable, but to be perfectly honest we had a blast on just about all of the trails at Majura Pines. Telemark, Pitt Street, Dew Drop In, Mata Hari, The Damn Track and so on – it was all good! Even if we found a trail technically easy, we still really enjoyed riding it thanks to the flow – it’s just one of those places!

Jess in attack position, about to descend at Majura Pines

For the Majura Pines trailhead on Google Maps, click here.

If you’re looking for an excellent map of Majura Pines, take a look at the Majura Pines page of the Ride Canberra website – http://ridecanberra.com.au/trail-info/majura-pines/.

I’ll be the first to admit that we could have taken more photos while riding at Majura Pines, but we were just having too much fun riding our bikes!

Posted in Trails and Parks | Tagged ACT, Australia, Canberra, flow, forest, fun, network, single-track, technical | 1 Comment

Life and Bikes in Australia

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Jase

I haven’t posted much lately, whether it is for good or bad reason it’s hard to say. My wife and I have recently moved back to Australia – time to catch up with the great friends and family that we left over 18 months ago in search of good times in Europe and Canada.

Our time overseas really allowed us to explore not only the world but ourselves. We were able to open our eyes and see what is truly important to the both of us both as individuals and as a couple.

So we are back in Australia, catching up with friends and family Both of us have been lucky enough to return to our old jobs, myself working in IT, while Jess teaches at a primary school. One thing remains lacking however – bikes! Mountain Biking, while growing in popularly in Australia just doesn’t have the acceptance and industry behind it as it does elsewhere in the world. While there are trails around the place, it is nothing like what we have seen in other countries.

We are still young and flexible in where we want to live. It is very tempting to plan a return to Whistler in Canada at this stage, but obviously we don’t want to rush these decisions, and are very keen to explore our options first, both within Australia and in other countries.

I’ve always read a lot on the “best place for a mountain biker to live“, both in Australia and around the globe. Having lived in Whistler, I can safely say that it doesn’t disappoint, nor will just about anywhere else in British Columbia. Queenstown in New Zealand is another decent option, and with both of us being Australia there wouldn’t be any issues with visas.

Within Australia however, everything I have read has pointed in the direction of Canberra. There is without a doubt sensational riding all around Australia, but what we both really crave is the “close to home” riding that Whistler offered us. Canberra could satisfy that need and allow us to get out for a trail ride after work, with downhill laps on the weekend.

Whatever the outcome, we’re both just trying to stay positive and stay happy while the rest of our bikes arrive. Thanks for reading, and I hope that I’ll be bringing plenty of new posts to you in the near future!

Posted in Just typing | Tagged Australia, bikes, Canada, Canberra, job, Life, mountain biking, Queenstown, Whistler | 2 Comments

Life in Whistler: Dom Wrapson

Posted on July 31, 2011 by Jase

Dom Wrapson is the perfect example of someone that has moved to Whistler for a “mountain change” – a change in outlook for life. Living in Whistler, BC has really seen Dom excel in his ability on a bike, and undoubtedly his confidence while riding.

When faced with job options last Winter, I couldn’t believe that he was planning to be a lifty when there were other more comfortable and better paid positions on the go, but then I realised that it wasn’t about the job – it was about the socialising and lifestyle.

Dom will never live it down, but if there’s someone stealing your waffle fries at the GLC after a long day of riding, it’ll be him. I hope you enjoy reading about Dom Wrapson in this Life in Whistler Rider Profile!

Dom Wrapson riding Fade to Black in Whistler

Name: Dom Wrapson
Age: 29
Hometown: Camberley, England
Time in Whistler: Summer 09, June 2010 to Present
Job: Mountain Bike Instructor, Airdome Attendant, Lift Operator (winter)
Bikes: Transition TR450, Transition BottleRocket, Evil DOC

What was your motivation for moving to Whistler? How did you hear about this place?
I’m a mountain biker, isn’t it obvious? The biggest and best bike-park in the world, surrounded with the best shuttle and pedal accessed riding you can get. Chuck in things like Crankworx and it’s an easy choice.

In reality, I was made redundant in early 2009 and was looking to take a break from my career to enjoy myself and explore a new country. I’d been getting in to downhill mountain biking and Whistler came to my attention pretty quickly, even more so when I went to see the Seasons premiere in London which has a large Whistler segment and I was pretty set on the place already. Fortunately a severance payout allowed me to come here and ride for kicks from June through September whilst at the same time partaking in the Instructor Development Programme. Going back to the real-world after four-months of that meant I was never going to last very long so I saved for 9-months over winter and was back in Whistler June 4th 2010 and have been here since.

Dom Wrapson stylin' the corners on Easy Does It

How does your lifestyle in Whistler compare to your life at home?
Veeeeeeeeery different. In England I had a good career but I was mostly focussed around my biking so going to work Monday to Friday just meant I could afford the bikes, and to ride them in the places I wanted. Even during my working week I would commute between 50 and 100km a day just to get time on two wheels.

Here in Whistler, however, my bikes are my career – if you can call it that. I get to sleep in till 08:30 and up on the mountain by 10:00 to show people around this wonderful mountain on my bike, in the sun (sometimes), give them some coaching, and get paid for doing it. There’s plenty of time afterward to get in some fun or fast laps if I want to, and it’s always there on my days off.

Whereas in England I’d be earning as much as possible to afford this ridiculously expensive habit, here I get paid a lot less but disposable income is offset as I have access to great deals and offers on any thing I need bike-wise, as well as help from some of the best mechanics in the industry.

Dom Wrapson racing in the Crankworx Garbanzo DH event

How long have you been riding bikes for? What type of riding did you do at home?
I’ve been riding bikes on and off most of my life but mostly casually. When my older brother started triathlon racing I used to travel to races with him to take photos, and eventually decided to give it a go. That’s when I started cycling seriously as I was racing myself, but that was stunted when I was knocked down by a hit-and-run driver in 2004. Recovering from that I continued to road-cycle but, again through my brother, re-discovered mountain biking which took over as my main passion.

It didn’t take long before my rides changed from proper XC to grinding up a fireroad to get to the top just so I could hammer down the descent. A friend of mine then took me out with a group of riders who were in to a bit of freeride and downhill and I was hooked. This was around summer 2008 so it wasn’t long between then and me coming to Whistler in June 2009. I even suffered a broken-knee in-between getting a little too cocky too early.

Dom Wrapson after a muddy day in the Whistler Bike Park

Has riding in Whistler changed your style or ability?
Heck yes. I came to Whistler thinking I was a reasonable rider… No, forget that, I though I was pretty decent. It didn’t take long to realise that I sucked… and my IDP coach regularly confirmed it (though not in so many words). Turns out, as I learnt through my coaching, I was doing everything wrong; weight in the wrong place, body position all wild, snappy movements. The coaching I got in that first season, however, has transformed my riding. I’m a loooong way off being pro (I’m too old for a start) but I like to think these days (when I’m not injured, again) I’m in the better bracket of riders here which, in this town, means you can certainly handle a bike.

Style-wise – I think any friends I ride with will agree here – I tend to be quite playful on my bike. I can be pretty quick when I want to but most of the time I’m just up there having fun and I’m a sucker for finding cheeky lines, off-trail jibs, and fun little double-ups, and drifting every single corner I hit. Just because I can.

Dom Wrapson on Dirt Merchant in the Whistler Bike Park

What is your favourite riding in Whistler?
I think my favourite thing about riding in Whistler is simply the quantity of it. I can literally do more riding here in one day than I’d get in an entire season of pushing, pedalling, and shuttling back in England. Furthermore of every variety: we have a world class bike park and Airdome facility, not to mention municipality and community built pump-tracks and dirt-jumps, and a huge network of XC and AM trails. As a biker, there really are few, if any, better places to live.

Specifically, I think one of my favourite things – and it’s a perk of the job – is getting access to places most can’t. For example taking my bike up Whistler’s Peak Chair to ride off the back and in to some quite incredible back-country / out-of-bounds riding, plus the views are phenomenal. Just this afternoon I got to take a group of industry pros (media, bike co owners) up to a closed Garbanzo Zone to ride down the Whiskey Jack ski-run (which is still 2m thick with snow), and then be the first to ride Freight Train this year.

Dom Wrapson with Steve Peat at Crankworx

Is there anything I have missed that you’d like to add about life or riding in Whistler?
If you’re going to move here and can’t bear the thought of not riding your bike for six months – because that’s what happens when that damn white stuff turns up – then buy a car as you can always drive yourself down to Vancouver or further to Seattle and ride year-round.

Apart from that, I’d just say that the bike park kills bikes. Trust me. It doesn’t matter how solid you think your bike is, or how well you think you maintain it, this place will destroy it. I’ve replaced, at some time or another, probably every single part on my bike throughout the course of a season – except for maybe my stem.

Big thanks to Logan Swayze from Bike Park Photos for the action photos in this post.

Posted in Passion, People | Tagged bike park, career, Dom Wrapson, downhill, Life, lifestyle, mountain biking, profile, rider, Whistler | 2 Comments

Mucky Nutz Bender Fender 2.0

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Jase

The Mucky Nutz Bender Fender 2.0 is about as simple as a bike mudguard can get. The fender’s clever design makes it super lightweight (16g) while incredibly effective, easy to install, cheap to post, and suitable for just about any type of fork.

Given the ridiculous amount of snow in the Whistler Bike Park during Spring, it was clear that we would be off to a muddy start to the season. I pulled the trigger on some Mucky Nutz Bender Fender 2.0′s for my Transition TR450, and my wife’s Transition Syren.

Mucky Nutz Bender Fender 2.0

The Mucky Nutz Bender Fender 2.0 mudguard comes with instructions and enough velcro to mount the fender to your fork. Mucky Nutz claim that the Bender Fender 2.0 “stops any muck, horse, cow and dog s*** from being flung into your face”, and I have to say they aren’t kidding. For the few days that I was riding without a mudguard this season, I was pretty used to cleaning my goggles after each run. It took me a few days to realize after installing the Bender Fender that I barely needed to clean my goggles at the end of the day, let alone after each lap!

The Bender Fender mounts up perfectly to my Fox 40 and my wife’s 36 Talas, and I’ve seen them mounted to all different forks in the park this year. What I like about the Bender Fender is that there are no moving parts – no play in the guard at all, meaning that when you remove the fender there is no wear on your lowers whatsoever. A noticeable improvement over the popular “tube and some zipties” guard is that nowhere near as much mud is flung up onto your stanchions. I’m not claiming increased fork seal life, but it’s something to consider.

Mucky Nutz Bender Fender mounted to the rear of my Transition TR450

I ordered an extra Bender Fender to see how well it would mount to the rear of my TR450, similar to the fenders that were fitted to a Santa Cruz V-10. It looks great and mounts well, but I’m not sure it’s as effective on the rear as it is on the front. Still, for 16 grams and around $12, it’s not as though it’s weighing you down or breaking the bank.

Not much else to write really! The Mucky Nutz Bender Fender 2.0 is cheap, simple and it works. If it’s muddy where you ride, I can strongly recommend trying one of these!