Catch The Cycling Bug In Vancouver

The City of Vancouver is fast becoming a city of cyclists with 10% of Vancouverites now commuting to their place of work, the highest percentage in Canada. The City of Vancouver has caught the cycling bug with many cycling groups existing across the city and massive investment into cycling infrastructure. If you are new to cycling and are keen to adopt a healthier and more environmentally friendly lifestyle then this is the perfect time to get on your bike!

Get on your bike

To start cycling in Vancouver, you don’t even need to own a bike. Mobi, Vancouver’s public bike sharing system was established in summer 2016 and now has 125 stations with 1200 bikes to share. Mobi bikes are perfect for short journeys across downtown Vancouver, just sign up, get a pass and go to a Mobi station to get a bike. For longer journeys, it is more cost effective to hire a bike from one of Vancouver’s many bicycle rental stores. And once you discover that cycling in Vancouver is for you, check out one of Vancouver’s cycle stores to figure out which bicycle meets your needs.

Cycle routes in Vancouver

Once you have access to a bike then the streets of Vancouver are waiting for you. The city and its suburbs have an extensive cycle network with 3000km of bike lanes graded for different abilities, experience, and ages. There is a mixture of protected bike lanes, off-street paths, paths which share the roadway and painted paths. The spine of the Vancouver cycle network are the Central Valley Greenway and the BC Parkway, both are multi-use paths for cycling, jogging, walking, wheelchairs, skateboarding and blading.

Great rides in Vancouver

There are plenty of great rides in Vancouver, probably the most iconic of all is the route along the Stanley Park Seawall adding in the coastal section from Sunset Beach to Kitsilano Beach. Or try The Central Valley Greenway, a 24-kilometre (15-mile) route connecting downtown Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster, leading cyclists through metropolitan neighbourhoods and historic shopping districts, into scenic, natural areas. If you prefer off-road riding then venture into the North Shore Trail System of mountain bike trails.

It is easy to see why Vancouverites love to travel by bicycle so time to get on your bike and pedal off into the distance, what better way is there to travel around this wonderful city!