Plenty of Excellent Weekend Rides In Our Region
Wheel Life column - 24 June, 2000
by Todd Litman and Suzanne Kort - Victoria Transport Policy Institute

There are lots of great routes for weekned cycling adventures in our region. Below are a few suggestions for excellent one- and two-day recreational rides.

South Cowichan Valley
You may want to plan a cycling trip that crosses the Saanich Inlet on the Mill Bay Ferry this summer, because it may not be operating much longer if provincial budget cutters have their way. Today's map shows some possible cycling routes in the Cowichan Valley. A more detailed map produced by the South Cowichan Chamber of Commerce is available free from many businesses in the area. For more information, call the Chamber at 250-743-3566. Be sure to bring panniers to fill with local produce, cider and wine purchased along the way.

In a previous column about this area, we mentioned that Mill Bay itself is not particularly attractive for cycling or walking. It is standard-issue highway strip development, with a landscape designed mainly for cars, not humans. The local Chamber of Commerce responded with an angry letter (how could we dislike a mall with such convenient automobile parking?), but we stand by our assessment. Mill Bay might be a nice place for people who enjoy driving, but it needs work to become a desirable destination for cycling and walking.

Olympic Peninsula
Port Angeles is just a short ferry trip away from Victoria. From there you have many cycling options, from easy (Ediz Hook) to extremely difficult (Hurricane Ridge), and lots in between. You can ride to Port Townsend, up to Anacortes, and then back to Victoria by ferry through the San Juan Islands in three days. You can ride all the way around the Olympic Peninsula in about a week for a spectacular, although sometimes challenging trip.

The Coho ferry leaves from the Victoria Inner Harbor four times a day during the summer. Fares are about $16 each way for passenger and cyclist. Call Black Ball Transport at 386-2202 for more information. Be sure to bring suitable identification for crossing the border. You can get U.S. dollars before you leave, or just use your bankcard at a cash machine once you land.

Gulf/San Juan Islands
Many local islands make a good cycling adventure. You can take BC Ferries, the Washington State Ferry, or the Pride of Victoria Cruises, which leaves 8:30 am daily from the Oak Bay Beach Hotel to Friday Harbor. Round trip with a bicycle costs $63. Call 592-3474 for information. Reservations are required.

Be a responsible visitor when cycling these beautiful but fragile islands. The roads are narrow, winding and sometimes steep. Ride single file and to the right to let faster vehicles pass, and get completely off the roadway whenever you stop. Don't litter or waste water, and be friendly and patient to locals who must deal with the abundance of summer visitors. For more cycling advice we recommend "Touring the Islands" by Peter Powers and Renee Travis, available at local bookstores, or contact the appropriate tourist information centre.

BC Mainland
There are lots of great places to ride in other parts of British Columbia. The latest BC Tourism Product Guide has a section on cycling that includes a number of recommended bicycle touring routes suitable for enthusiasts. For example, the Coast Mountain Circle is a 600 km tour route that goes from Vancouver north to Whistler, through the Coast Mountains to Lillooet, down Highway 1 along to Fraser River Canyon to Hope, and from there back to Vancouver. This is not for the unprepared (note the word "mountain" in the title). For more information on this and similar routes contact your local tourist information centre or visit Tourism BC at www.tbc.gov.bc.ca and search for the word "cycling".

Best Bike Rides
Last, but we hope not least, is our own book, "The Best Bike Rides in the Pacific Northwest", available at most book stores, which includes fifty recommended rides scattered throughout British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and Idaho. You could start with the closest ones (the first ride is the Galloping Goose Trail) and work your way further a field, including, perhaps, the 101 mile Twin River Classic route in Lewiston, Idaho, and the spectacular Crater Lake Cruise in southern Oregon. These are, we believe, some of the best cycling adventures you'll find here, or anywhere. So ride them all, and let us know if you agree.

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