Some people scoff at Vancouver's bike culture, while others couldn't imagine life without their trusty two-wheeler.
The truth is, biking has always been a bit of a "thing" in Vancouver, well before there were bike lanes. As the population began to increase at the beginning of the 20th century, so did the use of bicycles on city streets. The spike in cycling use was so big that Vancouver's first City Archivist, Major James Skitt Matthews, documented it in his seven-volume series,聽Early Vancouver.聽
You can check out his 1931 excerpt on Vancouver's bike 'craze' below, along with these awesome photographs from the 麻豆传媒映画Archives.
The 麻豆传媒映画Bicycle Club at Prospect Point, 1985
Matthews, James Skitt, Major, 麻豆传媒映画Archives Item: St Pk P174
A high wheel bicycle race at Brockton Point, 1902
Matthews, James Skitt, Major, 麻豆传媒映画Archives Item: Sp P57
Bicycle race at Hastings Park, 1926
Thomson, Stuart, 麻豆传媒映画Archives Item: CVA 99-1514
Cycling in Stanley Park, ca. 1890
Williams, Donn B.A., 麻豆传媒映画Archives Item: CVA 586-1339
Terminal City Cycling Club ca. 1896
Matthews, James Skitt, Major, 麻豆传媒映画Archives Item: Sp P16
Canadian Youth Hostel bike hike at concession stand, 1943
by聽Major James Skitt Matthews
15 JULY 1931 鈥� Bicycles and Bike Paths
The bicycle 鈥榗raze鈥� was prevalent in Vancouver, as elsewhere, about 1900; almost every family had at least one, some had more; nearly all young men, and most young women, many elderly men and some elderly women rode. It was a convenient mode of travel in a city as yet unprovided with a full street car service; a growing city badly scattered, and among a people who, as yet, had acquired no individual wealth to speak of. Motor cars were still some years off, many had neither facilities, room, nor means to possess stables or buggies. The bicycle was no longer the unwieldy 鈥減enny-ha鈥檖enny,鈥� big wheel small wheel affair. The 鈥渟afety鈥� bicycle had come, and with it the Dunlop pneumatic tire; and the 鈥渃oaster brake鈥� was soon coming. Both wheels were the same size now; it was easily mounted and dismounted, and a fall from it rarely gave much hurt, as the old high wheel, hard tire 鈥渨heel鈥� did.
According to the City of 麻豆传媒映画, cycling is the fastest growing mode of transportation in Vancouver. From 2008 to 2011 alone, trips by bike increased by a full 40% and those numbers are only increasing with the introduction of bike share programs.
We'll be celebrating Vancouver's favourite mode of transportation at the first-ever Awesome Grand Prix presented BICICLETTA, happening July 28th in Jonathon Rogers Park. There will be food trucks, a beer garden and of course, tons of cycling! You can learn more about the event .
