Biking
Vancouver is a bike-friendly town. Many TransLink buses have bike racks and bikes are welcome on the SeaBus and on the SkyTrain at off-peak times. Aquabus Ferries transport bikes and riders across False Creek. Cycling maps are available from most bike shops and bike-rental outlets and on the TransLink Web site www.translink.bc.ca . Helmets are required by law and a sturdy lock is essential.
Several long-distance bikeways lace the city. Designed as the safest way for cyclists to get around, they combine bike-only pathways with quiet side streets. The most popular, and scenic, of these bikeways, and really a must-ride for any visiting rider, is the Seaside Path. This 39-km (23-mi) flat, car-free route starts at Canada Place downtown, follows the waterfront around Stanley Park, and continues all the way around False Creek to Spanish Banks Beach. North Vancouver's Seymour Valley Trailway (End of Lillooet Rd., in the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. PHONE: 604/432-6286, www.gvrd.bc.ca ), is a 10-km (6-mi) paved pathway, suitable for cyclists, in-line skaters, and baby strollers, that meanders over streams and through woods.
Bike Rentals
Most bike-rental outlets also rent Rollerblades and jogging strollers. Cycling helmets, a legal requirement in Vancouver, come with the rentals. Locks and maps are also normally supplied. If you're starting your bike ride near Stanley Park, try Bayshore Bicycles (745 Denman St., West End, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. PHONE: 604/688-2453). It has a range of bikes and Rollerblades as well as baby joggers and bike trailers. Reckless Bike Stores (110 Davie St., Yaletown, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. PHONE: 604/648-2600, 1810 Fir St., at 2nd Ave., Kitsilano, PHONE: 604/731-2420) rents bikes on the Yaletown section of the bike path. To explore the Granville Island and Kitsilano area, stop at the Kitsilano branch. Spokes Bicycle Rentals (1798 W. Georgia St., West End, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. PHONE: 604/688-5141), at Denman and Georgia, near Stanley Park, has a wide selection of bikes, including kids' bikes, tandems, mountain bikes, and Rollerblades.
VISIT THESE SELECTED WEB SITES FOR INFORMATION ABOUT VANCOUVER BICYCLE RENTALS
City by Cycle
Vancouver's hosted Seawall Cycle Tour. Scenic 4-hour tours start daily at 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., and include bike and helmet rental.
www.citybycycle.com
Region: Greater Vancouver (Downtown)
Great Pacific Adventures
Great Pacific Adventures is an internationally esteemed eco-tour company based in Victoria's Inner Harbour, located on beautiful Vancouver Island.
www.cycletreks.com
Region: Victoria and Vancouver Island
Spokes Bicycle Rentals
Conveniently located at the entrance to Stanley Park, Spokes Bicycle Rentals has been serving tourists and locals since 1938.
www.vancouverbikerental.com
Region: Greater Vancouver (Downtown / Westend)
Bike Tours
Spokes Bicycle Rentals (1798 W. Georgia St., West End, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. PHONE: 604/688-5141, www.vancouverbikerental.com ) offers 90-minute tours of Stanley Park for C$33 and 3 ?-hour rides around Stanley Park, False Creek, and Granville Island for C$66; rates include bike rentals.
Mountain Biking
Opened in 2005, the Cypress Mountain Bike Park (Cypress Bowl Rd., West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. PHONE: 604/913-2453, www.cypressmountain.com ) has several kilometers of lift-accessed trails for all levels. Full face helmets are required and body protection is recommended. Equipment rentals, sales and repairs, as well as a restaurant and pub, are on-site. North Vancouver's Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve (End of Lillooet Rd., North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. PHONE: 604/432-6286, www.gvrd.bc.ca ) has miles of rugged mountain trails. Pacific Spirit Regional Park (4915 W. 16th Ave., Point Grey, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. PHONE: 604/224-5739, www.gvrd.bc.ca/parks/PacificSprit.htm ), bordering the University of British Columbia, has 38 km (23 mi) of challenging rain-forest trails. |
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