British Columbia | enCYCLEpedia Bicycling Blog

By Richard Fox

When the weather cooperates, this urban ride is virtually unsurpassed. Paved flat trails meander around and through beautiful Stanley Park and along the Vancouver waterfront along seawalls that surround the downtown core on three sides. On a clear day, mountains tower over the Vancouver skyline. Pleasure boats, freighters, cruise ships, water taxis and float planes plow the waterways, while pedestrians stroll, and beachcombers frolic. The Vancouver skyline is ever present from many angles as the bike trails curve hither and thither, each time offering a different spectacular vista. Make sure your camera’s battery is charged up for this ride, as you may spend a lot of time clicking photos, especially if it is your first time. Besides Stanley Park, many of Vancouver’s attractions are along this route. Most people will concentrate on Granville Island, however, one of the prime dining and shopping locales in the city. There are three parts to the ride; the 9-km one-way (counter-clockwise) Stanley Park loop, the 19 km False Creek ride using a bridge or water taxi, and the 4km excursion to Canada Place along the seawall. Of these, the actual trail is most scenic around Stanley Park, but some of our favorite vistas are from the south side of the False Creek trails looking north toward Vancouver and the mountains. Ultra novice cyclists should stick with the Stanley Park section. Those wanting some extra kilometers may want to cycle all the way out to the University of British Columbia at Point Grey. Needless to say, options for a Bike n’ Brunch abound, including numerous cafés along the bike trails.

Beginning of Stanley Park loop. Photos from September, 2011.

Path passes under Lions Gate Bridge. You can also ride across the
bridge on the sidewalk, very high up.

Scenic section west end of Stanley Park.

Path enters West End of Vancouver along English Bay.

Newer trails along the north side of False Creek.

Passing the former Monk’s restaurant along False Creek.

Science World dome and GM Place as seen from newer trail along south side of False Creek.

Steve Janice and Robin along the Vanier Park trail, Kitsilano.

And finally the author as well, Vanier Park..

View from Burard Bridge, returning to downtown.

Cycling near Canada Place, north side of Vancouver.

Canada Place, showing cycle path and float plane.

Path through Canada Place cruise ship area.

We joined Pender Islanders John and Andy on their bike-to-Sidney (Vancouver Island) routine on this lovely August day. The cost of taking a bike on a BC Ferry is a fraction of the cost of taking a vehicle, and with the BC Experience Card there’s no extra charge for your bike. J&A are fully equipped with panniers to carry any groceries or other purchases, although we just took our rucksacks and our appetites for lunch. The new bike trail that circumnavigates Victoria Airport is a welcome addition, providing a very satisfying loop that extends the ride to the ocean on both sides of the Saanich Peninsula. On Thursday afternoons in summer, the Sidney Street Fair that closes Beacon Ave from 5:00pm is a fun way to end your discoveries before heading back to catch the ferry. We took the 1155am from Pender Isl to Swartz Bay near Sidney, and the 6:45pm return. For logistics check the Bicycling chapter in the Pender Islands Handbook (2^nd Ed). To connect to the new airport loop trail, just cross Hwy 17 at Beacon and find the trail to the left, or cross the pedestrian bridge further to the south along the Lochside Trail, and ride through the neighbourhood to connect to the trail. Best of all, compared to the Gulf Islands, cycling on these routes is mostly flat on either bike trails or lanes, with only a couple of very manageable hills. We rode about 24 km (15 miles).