With 2014 newly upon us, it’s a great time to set your cycling plans for the coming year and determine the personal goals you’d like to achieve on your bike.
We all cycle for different reasons, and individual goals range from something as simple as going for your first bad-weather ride to a serious mileage challenge like registering for a GranFondo. The important thing is that by setting out your goals for the year, you give yourself something concrete and achievable to work towards.
With that in mind, here are some ideas to get the ball rolling.
Cycle to work
Haven’t commuted before? With the downtown core now fully accessible by both north/south and east/west separated bike lanes, as well as the hundreds of kilometres of bike routes and lanes that cover the rest of Vancouver, there’s never been a better time to start.
Use UBC’s fantastic online to find a route that sticks to bike lanes, or that minimizes elevation gain.Ìý
Watch a bike race
Bike racing is fast, furious and intense. If you’ve never been to a live race, you’ll be amazed by the noise the peloton makes and the ferocious wind that whips around as it speeds by. With breakaways, crashes and sprints for the finish guaranteed, it’s a compelling experience.
Check out the schedule for races in Vancouver, Surrey, White Rock and Burnaby. The UBC Grand Prix, held around a very technical course, is set for July 8 and the exhilarating, challenging criterium that is the Gastown Grand Prix returns July 9.
Go on a group ride
Not all group rides are focused on racing techniques like pacelines and drafting. There are lots of laid-back, beginner-friendly options for group riding around Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»that will introduce you to new routes and provide you with new riding buddies to share the experience. Check out or visit for more options.Ìý
Learn how to change a flat tire (and do other minor bike repairs)
Bike repair is one of those things that seems daunting until you try, and then surprises you with how easy it really is (for the most part, anyway).
YouTube offers scores of helpful tutorials if you want to teach yourself how to change a flat tire, switch a cassette, or put on a new chain. Or you can learn the basics in person with one of HUB’s great bike maintenance .Ìý
Ride on the dirt
Never been trail riding before? There’s something really special about getting away from traffic and tarmac on a bike. Start off gently in Pacific Spirit Park, where smooth dirt trails wind through groves of old-growth hemlock. Or check out Fisherman’s Trail in North Vancouver’s Seymour Conservation Reserve.
If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, the Richard Juryn trail network, also in North Vancouver, is great for learning and practising the skills needed for technical downhill riding.
I wish you all many happy kilometres of riding in 2014.
Kay Cahill is a cyclist and librarian who believes bikes are for life, not just for commuting. Read more at sidecut.ca, or send a comment to [email protected].
