“You cheat, you cheat,” is an accusation Davide Aquilani gets all the time, but he’s not changing his ways.
He meets a pair of breathless mountain bikers winding their way up Grouse’s back road on Friday morning. They scope out Aquilani’s bike, perhaps in envy. It boasts hydraulic disc brakes, rear shocks – oh, and the electric motor.
“Since I discovered the pedal assist, I will never give it up,” says Aquilani, steadfastly.
As is a rite of passage in Italy, Aquilani's first bike ride was through the streets of Rome where he grew up. But when he arrived in B.C. seven years ago, Aquilani was beguiled by mountain biking.
“It’s the best,” he effuses about the outdoor recreation culture here.
Now that Aquilani has discovered a way to explore more alpine terrain while expending less energy, he’s not looking back – despite what mountain biking purists might say to him.
“With the technology of the electric mountain bike, these days we have the possibility to see more,” explains Aquilani, who says he covered 300 kilometres of trails in two days in the Squamish area.
Aquilani is a manager with Sea to Sky Adventure Company, which has set up on Grouse this summer to offer scenic mountain biking tours.
Even those who don’t know their bunny hops from their wheelie drops can give mountain biking a try on Grouse.
“This is great for people, maybe visitors who have heard about it and want to try it, or locals who maybe don’t know where to start – you can kind of get a sense of what mountain biking is,” says Grouse Mountain spokeswoman Julia Grant.
With the focus set on a cross-country style experience, guests have the option of a two-hour guided tour that leads to scenic viewpoints or exploring a couple of marked trails on their own with electric-assist or full-suspension pedal bikes.
The meandering Mountain Highway trail offers a chance for tourists and locals alike to see another side of Grouse, along a 13-kilometre gravel road that winds its way down to Lynn Valley.
There are scenic stops along the way, boasting sweeping views of Vancouver and snow-capped Mount Baker to the east.
At another vantage point you can watch the action on Mount Fromme, considered a local mountain biking mecca.
Wildlife sightings including deer and small mammals are not uncommon on the rural path. On this day the drumming sound made by a Grouse reverberates across the mountain.
Eventually it’s time to head back up to the plateau, with riders facing a daunting elevation gain of 850 metres or so from the bottom of the gravel road.
Enter turbo assist and you’re hardly breaking a sweat on the ascent.
On Grouse guests are riding Trek Powerfly 5 FS mountain bikes, equipped with the extra boost of Bosch’s e-MTB motor.
At full charge, the bike’s battery will last for eight hours or up to 100 kilometres, if the setting of the motor is low and the rider does some of the leg work.
Grouse’s other biking trail, called Paper Cut, provides a more technical experience. The single-track trail has some bumps and sharper curves to navigate for an exhilarating, mini roller coaster ride on the mountain.
Neither route is overly technical, promises Grant, who says Grouse’s intention with re-introducing mountain biking is to make the North Shore’s famous pastime a little more accessible for people.
Grouse hosted the 2001 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup which saw the top echelon of the sport descend on the mountain, and previously offered biking tours down the back road.
The new, two-hour scenic biking tours depart every hour between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and can be booked on top of Grouse at The Outpost for a cost of $99.
If you’re adventuring on your own, two- or four-hour mountain bike rentals are available for $49 and $69 respectively.
