If you're bringing up your own rig box it well because the airline baggage handlers simply do not care about your beautiful baby as much as you do. If you're not using a hard side case then collect that bubble wrap and go to town on your loved one. There's nothing worse than showing up to a foreign land with a scratched fork or broken brake lever. If you decide to rent when you arrive there are plenty of options. After dumping the oil and nitrogen that once made my Romic so buttery smooth the good people at the Whistler Rental Shop were good enough to lend me a Kona Stab Garbanzo. Definitely the nicest resort rental I've ever seen, the Garbanzo Stab features a 7 and 7 capabilities with 8 inch rotors. What more do you need? If you've got a few more dollars to spend a new DEMO 9 can be obtained from Evolution bikes or if Banshee makes you Scream, then head over to Summit Bikes in the Village to rent one of their fleet of the most popular bikes on the Shore.

   If buying a bike is on your agenda then contact Banshee directly while your up in North Van. Undoubtedly the hottest freeride bikes on the planet right now, Banshee is definitely running the game on the Shore. With the long travel Scream and Chaparral or the hard tail Morphine or Scratch, you really can't go wrong. After my Romic shock waved the white flag, Banshee was there to hook me up with a beautiful Chaparral to tour British Columbia with. I've ridden Screams before and loved their stability so I was interested in trying a scaled down version, which is the Chaparral. Unbelievable. To pick the bike up it feels like a moderate weight freeride bike, but to ride it is like whipping a nimble little 25 lb trail bike. Very strange how Banshee got this bike to ride so lightly, but they did it. A pleasure to ride, the Chaparral sports 5-6 inches of travel, which is just bottomless. The quick steering and ease of lifting the 24 inch rear wheel off the ground is amazing. Coming off of a M-1 that tanks to the ground, this little freeride machine was a treat to whip around Kamloops, North Van and Squamish with. I'd have loved to bring one back home with me and next time out to BC I think I will.

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