EMBARK ON AN E-BIKE ADVENTURE
Electric-assist bicycles (e-bikes) are revolutionizing the way we get around, and visitors to Whistler can explore trails in the Coast Mountains on e-bikes of the knobby-tired variety. Canadian Wilderness Adventures (CWA) soft-launched The Great Canadian E-Bike Adventure Tour in mid-2017 to rave reviews. The guided tours take place in the beautiful Callaghan Valley, allowing guests 14 and older (minimum height 5 feet, 2 inches) to explore the trails and experience scenic vistas, waterfalls and other sights. The valley includes some stands of 1,000-year-old trees, and a visit to the breathtaking, 140-foot-high Alexander Falls is a highlight of most tours. CWA’s Giant e-bikes have full suspension, and the electric-assist systems allow riders to pedal up hills with relative ease. With more help for less experienced riders and less for those who prefer more of a challenge, they are the perfect option for groups of varying abilities. “As long as you’re able to pedal a bike and go on some gentle rolling sections, you’re great,” said Kristal Taylor, CWA sales and marketing manager. “The e-bikes help you get up and down the hills with less effort. I can’t say they [clients] won’t have to work at all, but it just lightens the load.” canadianwilderness.com Whistler Olympic Park (WOP), which hosted the Nordic events during the 2010 Winter Olympics, rents out e-bikes for up to two hours to summer park visitors. Pristine Madeley Lake and the top of the Olympic ski jumps are just two of the destinations guests can visit within the park. Silke Jeltsch, communications specialist for Whistler Sport Legacies, said the summertime trail network was being expanded for 2018 at WOP, which is open from June 29 to Sept. 2. WOP recently purchased a new fleet of e-bikes with tires that are slightly larger and wider than those of a normal mountain bike. whistlersportlegacies.com Whistler E-Bikes offers both guided and self-guided e-bike tours. whistlerelectricbiketours.com