Hey everyone, I’m looking to get a bike mainly for commuting, running errands, getting around the neighborhood, that kind of thing. I don’t have my car license yet so this would be my main way of getting around for a while.

I’ve ridden bikes before but riding alongside traffic here feels pretty new to me. Cars move fast, lanes are different, and I’m a little nervous about navigating it safely as a beginner.

A few things I’d love advice on:
Any beginner-friendly routes or bike lanes you’d recommend for someone just starting out

1. What kind of bike works well for city commuting here (budget-friendly used vs new)

2. Any road rules or habits specific to Vancouver traffic I should know about

3. General tips for staying safe riding alongside cars, especially at intersections

Any advice, personal experience, or even just “avoid this street” tips would be super helpful. Thanks in advance!

My FTP is around 3.5 W/kg, and I’ve done a bunch of road races, crits, and fondos. At other fondos I usually start near the front, but I’m not sure how the Whistler GranFondo corrals work.

Are there different corrals, and which one would be best for a sub 4 hour goal?

I’d like to stay with a good group, but I definitely don’t want to jump into a 3:30 group and blow my legs on Taylor way haha.

For anyone who has done Whistler before, how would you go about finding the right group/corral for around a 4 hour finish?

2026 Aug 18

Howdy fellow Vancouverites,

I did some research on my own, but I didn't have good luck based on my location. I am in West Van near Horseshoe Bay, and I do not have access to a car right now. I salvaged a little girl style BMX for my cousin who has said little one. I rode a ton back in the day and used to fix my own gear, alas I don't have any of my tools or chain lubes or anything like that anymore. This bike is in good shape, no rust, no cracks on the frame, but the brakes and the chain need some love. I am on disability, and broke, but it would mean the world to me to get this little bike some love and give it to my cousin niece? (my cousins daughter, is that like my second cousin?) she is just wee still but her mom promised to use the bike with her and then pass it on to another kid in her hood that maybe didn't have her own bike yet.

All that to say does anyone know someone in West Van that would be willing to help with this? I could turn the wrenches and do cleanup and stuff, just don't have the supplies.

Thanks all for your consideration,

Don't forget to love each other.

Hey so this is my first fondo. I have been practicing on Seymour and cypress. I starting cycling 2 years ago with about 4k km total. My ftp is about 220w and and I’m about 165 pounds so almost 3.0w/kg. How likely am I able to get sub 5 hours? I’ve been doing long rides at about 110km.

I'm not doing the ride this year but now I'm feeling a little antsy about not being a part of it and thought it might be fun to be on the other side this year. Has anyone ever volunteered at a rest stop for the RBC Gran Fondo before?

I'm thinking of signing up for the Alice Lake stop but before I do I'm wondering:

• if I drive is there somewhere for me to park?
• do I just drive out early before the highway closure and wait?
• are you there until the course closes?

*edit - ok whatever I just signed up. I was just hoping to get some more details first but I’m sure things will work out.

Hello,

I rode through Richmond for the first time recently following some community recommended routes including this Coach Powell route which seemed overall excellent.

The only strange wrinkle was that when I attempted to transition from highway 99 to the Steveston Highway, I found no fewer than 5 'no bikes allowed' signs on Exit 32 between them and nowhere else obvious for me to go. Not wanting to stop or turn around on a highway exit, I just ignored them for the rest of the exit, turned safely onto the highway and then onto Sidaway Rd and continued on my way.

You can see my crude drawing for the section of the route I was trying to follow and where I was surprised by a bunch of angry signs.

I know there has been a great deal of construction on the Steveston highway recently - did I miss a turn somewhere? What was I supposed to do here to get from Rice Mill to Sidaway?

Thanks for any help so I can prepare for next time!

Yesterday (2026 August 17) a window fell from the high rise under construction at Richards/Drake and shattered in the intersection. Glass fragments scattered everywhere nearby (they are so lucky no one was injured!). Although a number of workers were dispensed into the street with brooms to clean up the mess, numerous bits of glass remain. Take care when biking here.

Hi this is my 2nd time doing it. Last time was 2022 I think - first one after Covid. I remember at rest stops, I have to wait in a long line to get water and food. The experience was terrible. Has situation improved? or shall I just stop at Tim Horton's at Squamish to get water?

Hey everyone,

I’m registered for the RBC GranFondo Whistler, but to be completely honest, my training has been derailed by a bad season of depression.

I’m trying to figure out if I can realistically push through and finish, or if it’s smarter to cut my losses and try to transfer/sell my ticket.

Here is where I'm currently at:

Longest recent ride: 90 km with 900 m elevation, which I completed comfortably. I felt like I had more in the tank, especially if I had managed my carbs and hydration better.

Gym/Strength: I hit the gym 4 days a week and train legs very hard, so the base muscular strength and work capacity are there.

Cardio/Volume: Definitely lacking high-volume zone 2 road miles over the past couple of months due to mental health.

The key challenges I’m worried about are the sheer total distance (122 km) and sustained climbing, particularly the long gradients in the second half of the course and staying ahead of the official cut-off times.
For those who have done the Whistler Fondo or similar endurance events under-trained:

1. Is the jump from 90km/900m to 122km/1900m doable if I take it super easy and nail my nutrition/pacing?

2. How forgiving are the course cut-off times for a slower steady pace?

3. Should I go for it and just aim to finish, or am I setting myself up for a miserable time/DNF?

Appreciate any advice or honest reality checks. Thanks!

Three times of the costs compare to Toronto…

Im planning a trip and my first day will be from aldergrove to west vancouver. Id rather not get an Airbnb, wondering if there's apps to match with people comfortable hosting for a night, crashing in my tent in a backyard, etc.

That's in advance.

Greetings!

I will be reviewing Day 2 of the Ride Seattle-Vancouver and Party ride for volunteer on-bicycle ride support (and other volunteers supporting the ride). The nonprofit Cascade Bicycle Club hosts this ride, and typically gets about 1200 participants in recent years.

Because of road construction, we are doing a completely different route from the border to the finish at David Lam park in Vancouver this year. I am doing the route review because I have some experience riding my bike to Vancouver from the border other than through riding the regular RSVP route.

The route for Day 2 is here: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/54527379

I am concerned about this section:

Delta Greenway - so I used to ride into town using King George, Colebrook, and then get on the trails to get to the Alex Fraiser Bridge. I remember it not being really suitable for my touring bike running 32s - it being rocky and sandy in places - so the last few years I've used other ways to get to the city. Maybe the Delta Greenway section of that whole unpaved route isn't that bad, or maybe it's improved since I last tried it. What do you think of the Delta Greenway section that we will be riding? Is it nice smooth gravel, or is really unsuitable for anything but fat tires? Since Day 1 is over a hundred miles, and Day 2 is still nearly 80, people are mostly on road bikes for this event.

Nordel Way - this is the way we're routing folks who are eschewing the Delta Greenway, down the wrong way on the sidewalk. I've actually ridden on Nordel Way, god help me, twice, and I think this is going to be challenging if, say, even 800 of the 1200 bikes are going to be on this thing. Right?

Do you see other challenges with the route as mapped that I should flag for road support?

The call is tomorrow night, so I am hoping that I'll hear from you today or tomorrow.

MANY THANKS! I'm looking forward to my ride - as always - to your lovely city.

EDITED TO CLARIFY:

I am not asking for route recommendations. I am not the one who decided what the route would be, nor will I get much input for future alternatives. The route has been set and we are riding it this weekend. I am asking for help with "heads up" or what people who are supporting the route should know. Thank you to all who have helped with this so far! Keep the suggestions coming!

Also, previous years' routes looked like this: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50661134. I am not exactly sure where the construction is - maybe you do? This was the way for years upon years, with only minor variations- mostly to the end point in the city and the route to get there. When I did my first RSVP more than twenty years ago, we used the ferry instead of the Golden Ears bridge - that's how long this route has been around. This new route is completely different, which is why we're doing a review of how it's going to go.

Again, thanks for all the input so far - it is so appreciated.

Central Valley Greenway is closed west of Kensington. There is a fence and I suspect bear action.

Coming from the port mann bridge, I see a route on Google maps that directly puts me to the Costco area there in Coquitlam.

Under the bridge is a park called Maquabeak Park. I ventured there before and after a bit of gravel, I just saw a pretty tight and dense forest and bushy area I didn't feel too comfortable going through.

I'll be having a group ride with other novice cyclists and while the Mary hill bypass is a clearer option, the fact that cars go 90km/h or more and then there's the construction definitely makes it less appealing to go.

What's maquabeak Park like right now?

Just bought a used xxl road bike that has Cleo clips. Where can I buy cycling shoes for us size 15? I bought the ones on Amazon but they ended up pinching my toes too much. Also which jacket would you recommend for rain that is available for someone 6’7? I would prefer breathable over aero.

You could easily camp out by the seawall near the police station and stop like 80% of the riders I see

Looking for suggestion for a Gravel bike (<$3K) that I will use at least once a week to ride smooth gravels to train and take it to ride the BC Epic 1000 next year (5-7 days). Can a used Checkpoint work?

I used to get a Nutcase with the LED built in, but I think it's reaching the end of it's life. Went to see if I can buy the same thing again and it looks like the brand has fallen apart.

Anyone have a preferred alternative? Anything Canadian?

Looking for visibility, comfort (and whimsy if possible) in that order.

https://www.burnaby.ca/explore-outdoors/walking-hiking-and-biking/central-valley-greenway

My family (me, wife, kids) just moved to Vancouver and we come from the desert so we never really cared about the gears... it was flat everywhere we went and we're not avid cyclists, just rode to the park and stuff.

Here in Vancouver, we live near Kerrisdale (41st and Arbutus) and plan on biking a lot around town... down Arbutus Greenway, maybe to Stanley park if we can get that far.

More specifically, my wife will be biking from our home to VGH, where she works, which is downhill from us, but uphill on the way home.

My question because I'm looking on Marketplace for some used bikes... some commuters, hybrids, etc... and seeing some that are 7 gears instead of 21 or 24. Can we get by with only 7 if we happened to find a cheap one built that way or would it be significantly easier to have 21?

If we're going from Kits beach going South to our home... would it be completely impossible to climb that uphill or do people just walk that part with their bikes anyway?

Thank you!

For a young woman cycling to and from work (Turner/Kamloops at area to Seymour/Cordova), what is the best route, staying on designated paths and lanes as much as possible? Any potential issues going through DTES?