I've heard and read way too many horror stories in Vancouver from friends, family, fb posts, and on this subreddit of people getting their bikes stolen in broad daylight while locked in the streets or at home. This city has instilled an anxiety induced franticness in me that my bike could be stolen at literally any second, and this sentiment not solely myself, my other cycling friends and bike commuters share this sentiment as well.

I love riding around Vancouver and I really want to start running errands with my bike this summer; however, just locking my bike anywhere in this city causes me way too much anxiety than I'd like and makes the entire process no longer fun or enjoyable. The whole point of biking and using your bike to do things is that it's more enjoyable than dealing with traffic on the bus or driving. I'll often use my bike to grab groceries very quickly or if I'm grabbing a coffee, it has to be in plain view. Before anyone says to ride a cheaper bike or spray paint your bike a crappy colour or to mark it all up, or just ride a crappy bike: well, I'm already riding a pretty crappy bike and it's my main source of transportation. How do you guys overcome this innate anxiety of constantly fearing that your bike is going to get stolen?

I made a local bike guide (Part 1 of 3) yesterday for my Instagram account (@HeyILikeYourBike) and wanted to also share here in case folks might find it informative.

Part 1 focuses on the many cycling communities and group rides available to us.

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If you want to chill & rip around town:

• Chill Rides YVR
• Camp Coffee Club
• Parkbagging
• Bike Portage Club
• Bike Rides Society
• YVR Fixed
• Hot Dogs on Wheelz

If you want to go full gas:

• The Muffin Ride
• Enroute Diversion
• Happi Bikes
• Grupetto YVR
• Bespoke Cycling Club
• CAC (Commercial Athletics Club)
• The Last Drop CC
• Club Rue Cycling

If you want to get off the pavement:

• Gravel Buddies
• BCMOS Adaptive Cycling
• Squamish Gravel CC
• Love Machine
• Shore Sirens
• Mountain Ravens Riding Club
• Croissant Club CC
• Mountain Ravens

If you want to go beyond Vancouver:

• BC Randonneurs
• Slow Coast qathet (Sunshine Coast)
• VIBC (South Coast)
• Garden City Bike Club (Victoria)
• Road Rash CC (Victoria)
• Toodles Victoria (Victoria)
• HandleBars (Victoria)
• Build Momentum (Nelson)

If you want to raise kids who cycle:

• HUB Cycling - Bike Bus Program
• Kids on Wheels Balance Bike Camps
• COGkids — MTB for kids with autism
• letsgobiking.net - family friendly bike routes in Metro Van
• Viking Cargo Bikes - local, affordable e-cargo bike dealer

If you believe in lifelong cycling and want to volunteer to bike older folks around:

• Vancouver Cycling Without Age
• North Shore Cycling Without Age

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Part 2 will focus on local bike shops, BC bike builders, gear-makers, components designed and/or manufactured in BC, and local bike apparel and bags. I already have more than enough for this post! But feel free to name your favs to ensure they make it onto the list.

Part 3 will focus on local cycling events, races, cool points of interest, bike-friendly coffee stops, and maybe some other random bits and bobs.

Please help me compile a solid resource by answering these questions:

1. What are your favourite local bike events? The more obscure, the better!
2. Which coffee shops and restaurants are the most bike-friendly?
3. What are some "secret spots" -- unmarked, points-of-interest -- that only you know about?

Thank you!!

Out for a nice morning ride, other than a big truck passing pretty darn close, it was pleasant as all get out. Then heading south on the second narrows bridge I was trying to stay in the linear shadow created by the east railing of the path. In other words I was riding close to dead straight on the far left. There's no space to pass on the left but about 8 ft of space to the right. Some Yahoo in Escape Velocity Jersey comes up behind me and yelps"On the left". I call back there's lots of space on the right.

He's adamant and as supposed to passing me or just ignoring the old fart (me). Tells me I am doing it the wrong way. Woman with him calls me a selfish prick.

I am grateful I passed anger management, by the hair of my chinny chin chin, bad things happen to know it alls who can't cope with others who are not living according to the know it alls' rules.

Lesson: if you are going to be a dick don't wear your club jersey.

I am headed to eat this week at granville island. My preference is to cycle there. Is there secure parking for bikes? I know they use to have a bike valet? Maybe too early?

I've gotten a hitch installed and am going to be receiving a hitch rack in a few days.

I've been getting a bit paranoid about security - I live in a condo and park in "secure" underground parking garage. My rack comes with a pin, and I am planning to attach a ulock between rack and hitch for another barrier. I've also been considering parking right against the wall so that the rack can not be accessed easily / car has to be moved to remove the rack off the hitch. I got the hitch + rack for convenience of mounting the bike, and I carry my bike around 3+ times a week so taking it on and off will be extremely annoying for me.

So my question is - am I being overly paranoid? Who here leaves their rack on all the time? Have you had yours stolen / tampered with?

For the record it's a nicer RockyMounts highnoon, so stakes are medium.

Hello everyone,

I finally got my road bike back and would love to start training to do some more interesting rides. I'd love not to have to travel for that.

What would you recommend to do if you'd be to start from the Brentwood area ~20-40km trip ranges? If I see it correctly, you can't really do good loops around Burnaby Lake...is there something you can do around the Mountain?

Would love to avoid major roads if I can, the more greenery the better.

Thank You!

We’re looking for some advice on what to look for or where to go to find an ebike for our family. We are total newbies! Ideally we find something comfortable for bigger riders that can also carry two young kids (1 and 3 hears). Don’t want to spend a fortune but open to spending a good amount as we want to use it as our second “car” to get to the beach/daycare/ groceries. Want something that can handle lots of hills too. Thanks in advance!

Looking for recommendations for Southern BC and islands mostly.

22nd Ave was downgraded to “Not Comfortable for Most Users” which it definitely deserves.

Does anyone know of any other changes?

Go By Bike Week is coming back to Metro Vancouver from May 30 - June 5! 🚲

Throughout the week, HUB Cycling will be hosting free Celebration Stations with snacks, cycling maps, free basic bike tune-ups, and we’re currently looking for volunteers to help make them happen!

Volunteer roles mostly involve helping with set-up/take-down, handing out snacks and maps, chatting with the public, and helping create a fun and welcoming atmosphere for people biking through the city. ☺️

It’s a really fun way to meet people, spend time outside, support active transportation, and be part of an incredible community event!

If you’d like to volunteer, you can sign up here.

Hi, does anyone have any tips for navigating the closure of Arbutus Greenway going south near 41st street as a new cyclist, it's infuriating having to go up those HUGE hills (I always have to walk up 😞 ) due to the detour, then getting yelled at by the construction people for just following the detour path, plus having to go onto the main roads (by the London Drugs etc.). As a new cyclist, I don't like going on main roads but I don't know what else to do about this closure.

I’ll be doing the Medio ride in September as part of the WF GF the hardest part of which seems to be the climb from highway 99 up Callaghan Road to the Whistler Olympic park. For those that have done this ride, either as part of the GF or not, just wondering what the very rough equivalent in difficulty in terms of number of Stanley Park laps is. Put differently, just trying to have a sense of how many laps of Stanley park I should be able to do to finish the Medio ride comfortably. Trying to set a training goal. Thanks !

Hello fellow Vancouver cyclists, just visiting for a few days, wondering if anyone has any recommendations for places to find some funky jerseys/kits?

Thanks!