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Gran Fondo Whistler - scouting report
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A while back there was a thread about this ride, and I posted my opinion that without the protection of a closed road, this ride probably wouldn't be a great idea for most people (who don't have a high tolerance for traffic). Original Thread

I spent the long weekend with friends in Whistler, and decided to ride up (and back) just for the hell of it. From my place to theirs (North of the village) it's just shy of 140km. I went solo, unsupported - but I did send my weekend bag with them in the car, so I wasn't carrying all that much.

On the way out I decided to ride Marine Dr. to Horseshoe Bay - a staple training route for most people in the area. I think the actual route of the Gran Fondo goes up Taylor Way and straight on to the highway. I had the pleasure of a headwind the entire way to HSB; but it was a beautiful sunny day, warm but not hot, and aside from the wind, ideal conditions - pretty much everything I could ask for save cheering throngs of beautiful women and a BBQ stand. At a relaxed "chill pace" it was ~1:30 from my place in the city to HSB - about 40min to the far side of the bridge, and then 50 through W Van, Ambleside and Marine Dr out. I'm pretty sure the highway is a fair bit faster.

Once on the main highway the shoulder is actually very good. There is one spot at around Porteau Cove where it's one lane in each direction and there's rock face on the right with a pretty narrow shoulder. This is the spot I was thinking would be the worst, as the shoulder is narrow and due to the cliff could easily be littered with debris. It was pretty clean though, and because it's "old road" it has the old style thin rumble strips that are just under the white line - not the more modern foot wide rumble strips that are typically 4-6 inches to the right of the line - thus taking up a fairly healthy chunk of the shoulder. The traffic was light enough for me to ride in the lane anyway, and the section is fairly short. Even with a closed lane, with some 4000 riders on the road this section will be busy - so try to get through it early if you can.

The ride out to Squamish has a couple of noteworthy hills, but nothing particularly long or steep. I never left my big ring (50t) - though it should be noted that I do like to stand when I climb and just find a good rhythm. I think I climbed most of the hills in a 50x23/25. I made Squamish in a little under 3hrs, and took a small detour downtown to buy a pie and fill a bottle. I also picked up a friend who lives in Squamish, and she joined me for the next section of the ride to the Callaghan Valley turnoff (most of the way to Whistler).

Squamish is a little further than halfway to Whistler, but it's also the easier part of the ride. People tend to remember the hill at Furry Creek, and the one at Britannia Beach - but there's a fair bit more climbing once you get past Squamish, and the road goes up even when you aren't "really climbing". It's definitely a net gain in elevation to Whistler. Again, no significant climbs or anything steep, just lots of small ones and some sections of "not quite false flat". I had a tailwind from HSB pretty much all the way to Whistler, so that was pretty nice. Stunning scenery, good roads, and generally quite wide shoulders. I'm not sure if they're planning on running a sweeper truck through the area before you guys head out, but there were a few sections where some idiots have smashed bottles - so be on the lookout for broken glass.

Once you descend into the Callaghan Valley turnoff area you're almost there. It's maybe 40min to the main village if that. You'll roll through Function Junction, Whistler Creekside, and then the turnoff to Whistler Village itself - which is where I assume the ride ends. You've got a few more small hills on that last stretch, but you'll be able to power through that section on the excitement of the finish alone.


Overall Summary:

Yes, there are hills - but nothing over which to get all psyched out.
The second half is harder than the first - pace yourself accordingly.
Note that there is a distinct net gain in elevation.
Most of the road is great, but with that many riders on the road together it's going to be sketchy in parts. Be vigilant and please don't ride a tri bike if it's not your only bike.


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Re: Gran Fondo Whistler - scouting report [Khai] [ In reply to ]
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Khai

Thanks for this, a good report. As a devout ST'ers and one of the orgainzers of the 2010 RBC GranFondo Whistler, I'm sorry I missed your original thread -- you made some good points there, and had some good questions.

As for one of those questions regarding how are we putting in a dedicated cycling lane where there's only two lanes of traffic: our traffic planning group has developed an incredibly imaginative and creative plan; in many cases where there is two lanes we employ single alternating traffic lanes for cars, while the event continues with the dedicated cycling lane. If you're driving to Whistler that day, plan on the trip taking about twice as long as usual.

Regarding Marine Way in West Van: We tried. West Van council voted it down, so we routed people up Taylor Way to the highway.

And yes, while tri bikes are not banned, we're STRONGLY encouraging people to ride road bike.
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Re: Gran Fondo Whistler - scouting report [Khai] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks Khai. That is a great write up and I will forward that to a few friends that are never online reading sites like this. With that said, what was your total ride time? How was Furry Creek hill. My friends are freaking out about this hill but I have done a fair bit of riding with them including the hill on Zero Ave and some rides up Westwood Plateau to get them read so I am sure they should be fine.
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Re: Gran Fondo Whistler - scouting report [mfreeman72] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:
As for one of those questions regarding how are we putting in a dedicated cycling lane where there's only two lanes of traffic: our traffic planning group has developed an incredibly imaginative and creative plan; in many cases where there is two lanes we employ single alternating traffic lanes for cars, while the event continues with the dedicated cycling lane. If you're driving to Whistler that day, plan on the trip taking about twice as long as usual.

while tri bikes are not banned, we're STRONGLY encouraging people to ride road bike.


That's impressive. Alternating vehicular traffic was the only possible solution while maintaining a fully closed lane, but I never thought the dept of highways would go for it. For a huge percentage of your ridership, that's worth the cost of the registration right there.


<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
Get Fitter!
Proud member of the Smartasscrew, MONSTER CLUB
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Re: Gran Fondo Whistler - scouting report [BMANX] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:
With that said, what was your total ride time? How was Furry Creek hill. My friends are freaking out about this hill...

Total ride time was 5:45 at "it's a beautiful sunny day and I'm just rolling along, enjoying the scenery" pace, and a little slower from Squamish to Callaghan ("highly social" pace) - though we did have a tailwind. Oh, and a brief detour into Squamish. That's also a bit longer than the Fondo route - from midtown Vancouver to North of Whistler (~140k).

The hills at Furry Creek and Britannia Beach were fairly short and straightforward. (Though note that my concept of "short" has warped somewhat) They certainly weren't steep however, and an average cyclist would get over them in a few minutes (4-6 is my guess). If anything, the approach is more intimidating than they are difficult. They look big and steep - but they're neither.


<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
Get Fitter!
Proud member of the Smartasscrew, MONSTER CLUB
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Re: Gran Fondo Whistler - scouting report [Khai] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks Khai, we've been working with the Ministry to make this happen for over three years; we're emulating a lot of the Olympic traffic plans (and their planning/maintenance suppliers). It ain't cheap.
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Re: Gran Fondo Whistler - scouting report [BMANX] [ In reply to ]
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How was Furry Creek hill. My friends are freaking out about this hill

They should have sent you up Cypress? Just kidding.

The spectacular views out over Howe Sound will take away from any pain and suffering you will feel.
Seriously, I know that many newer riders and triathletes have not ever done this route, but back in the early 90's it was a staple of many Vancouver tri and bike riders - at least out to Squamish and back from Vancouver. This is one of the great rides in North America - seriously



Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
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Re: Gran Fondo Whistler - scouting report [Fleck] [ In reply to ]
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I have ridden up to the Grouse parking lot, Seymour and Cypress. All great climbs.
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Re: Gran Fondo Whistler - scouting report [Khai] [ In reply to ]
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Great stuff Khai, I took the freedom to post your report on my blog:
http://ilpassista.blogspot.com/...tler-recon-ride.html

Hope that's ok with you. If not, please let me know!

cheers
uli

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CAMPAGNOLO GRAN FONDO NEW YORK
Last edited by: uli: Sep 8, 10 17:52
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