Biking Vancouver
When I'm biking Vancouver to get around, it’s fun to ride but it can be tricky to find the right route. These are my tricks for how to get around in the city.
The Best Bike Route NEW: The University of British Columbia has built a cycling route planner in conjunction with Translink. Try it out here: UBC Cycling Route Planner I still like to plan my own route most of the time, so I still use the Translink bike path map described below. To find out the best route to take while biking Vancouver, I start with my handy-dandy bike path map. (Find the official Translink Cycling Map and Guide here Opens New Window.) Deciphering Translink's map is a bit tricky. Key tips:
- A Dark Green route is a designated bike path. This will be well-marked with bicycle symbols on the roadway and signs telling you when the route turns a corner to help you find your way. You will also have better intersection crossings, usually a cyclist/pedestrian-activated light to cross busy streets.
- A Pale Green route is considered an alternate route. These are rarely marked with bike path signs and are often just a quieter residential street. Sometimes you will find lights to cross busy streets and sometimes not. These are the gaps (sometimes very large gaps) in Vancouver's bicycle network.
- A Green Arrow surrounded by a Yellow Circle indicates a steep hill. Not that the other areas are flat, but that particular route is quite steep. Vancouver does have a lot of hills, but that just adds to that fun exercise. Right? If you are looking at a steep hill you just don't want to climb, consider taking your bike on transit.
Otherwise, just pick the shortest or most interesting route and go biking Vancouver!
Getting There ... And Parking Before heading out, do make sure to print a copy of your route, or carefully note the turns. Vancouver has a good bicycle network and good signs, but it still can be easy to get lost trying to follow the bike paths. They tend to go on quieter residential streets, which makes for nicer riding, but more frequent corners and jogs and tricky spots to figure out where to go next.  Sometimes it's tricky to find ideal bike parking. Many streets like Main Street and Commercial Drive have bike parking along the sidewalk. But really any parking meter will do.
Most larger stores and municipal buildings like libraries have at least one bike rack tucked in a corner somewhere. Do be careful where you park an expensive bike. There can be trouble with bike thiefs. Though I’ve never *knock wood* had trouble with my bike yet!
On Your Way When you do find a path to take you where you want to go, you will get a view of Vancouver that few do, even those who have lived here all their lives. I love biking in Vancouver when I catch a surprise glimpse of those gorgeous snow-covered mountains to the north or when I ride under the Burrard Street Bridge just in time for the sunset light: Biking Vancouver is hard to beat. You get a fresh perspective on the city, while avoiding all that car traffic. But are you still concerned about how to ride the streets of Vancouver? Find tips & tricks for staying safe in the city and learn about your rights and responsibilities as a cyclist in Vancouver. Return from Biking Vancouver to Getting Around
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