British Columbia A Mountain Biking Haven

British Columbia – A Mountain Biking Haven by

There are few places in the world that can market themselves as literal Meccas of mountain biking. The Pacific Northwest is a great place to find dozens of trails. The beautiful forests and beaches of the coastlines are perfect for an hour of casual riding or a weekend long excursion.

The North Shore area in British Columbia is considered one of the true hotspots of mountain biking and from all over the world avid mountain bikers arrive to traverse the hills of the Burrard Inlet and the trails of Mt. Fromme, Cypress Mountain, and Mt. Seymour. Also in the general area, you'll find amazing riding in Coquitlam's Eagle Mountain and Burke Mountain. Together, these numerous mountain ranges comprise one of the best places in Canada and possibly the world to mountain bike.

The Trails

The mountain areas in British Columbia as listed above are some of the most difficult and subsequently dangerous mountain terrain trails around. Merely through the standard machinations of nature there are dozens of obstacles like fallen trees, rock slides, ravines and ditches to jump and much more.

Man has added his own little touch to the trails with bridges, twisting "ladders" and mountain biking ramps. This hybrid style of mixing natural obstacles with man-made jumps and ladders is often referred to as "North Shore" style trail riding. If you're looking for the most popular of these trails, the CBC is considered by many to be the pinnacle of North Shore style trail riding.

Controversy

Like any massive sport related tourist attractions, the trails of North Shore have reigned in a great deal of controversy with local residents complaining of off trail bikers disturbing their property. In some of the nearby mountain trail areas, new developments threaten existing trails on Eagle and Burke Mountains.

Because of the influx of new residential growth and mountain biking tourists, the area has formed a North Shore Mountain Biking Association to help mediate between bikers and residents and try to preserve trails. Also responsible for more fun activities like races and annual events, the NSMBA is one of the premier mountain biking associations in Canada.

Whistler

For those familiar with the world class skiing and boarding of Whistler-Blackcomb resort in British Columbia, it's no surprise that the mountain offers world class mountain biking as soon as the snow starts to melt.

Usually starting in April, the mountain biking season carries through until the end of the summer, utilizing the numerous ski lifts and wide open space to hold numerous mountain biking events. In years when the snow lingers a little longer, mountain biking season might run a little short at the top of the mountain, though usually the lower lifts are open by the end of April.

British Columbia for Mountain Biking

As one of the largest developed spaces, complete with the convenience of modern society and the joy of the great outdoors, British Columbia offers some of the best Mountain Biking trails in the world. You can find something almost anywhere there is a mountain and often enough when you leave the mountain trails, you'll find simple back wood trails that are ten times better than anything you'll have back home.

They take their mountain biking seriously in the mountains of BC, Canada and any mountain biker should take the time and energy to make a visit and traverse the expansive, exciting trails.

Tony Brian is a freelance writer for outdoor sports magazines and a contributing writer for Body Sport Paintball, specializing in Mountain Biking, mountain biking ramps, and paintball guns.

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