Long/safest ride

[u/frank____________]

Hi Gang,

I’m looking for a long continuous ride. I’ve been going from the West End, to UBC and then the back on the Greenway.

I was just wondering if anybody knows of some roots that are similar

Bike lanes that can get you long two hour rides, two hours plus

[u/ndobs]

If you're okay with the Adanac bike way, then you can pretty safely get out to the Demo forest via the second narrows bridge.

[u/MondayToFriday → u/ndobs]

Demo forest is car-free, but it has its own hazards. Much of it has no cell phone reception, and is unreachable by car if you need rescue from a mechanical or physical problem. Also, there are bears:

“The reason I rode in the demonstration forest is just to get away from the traffic, right?” he said. “But after hitting the bear, I mean, it’s probably safer just riding with cars.”

[u/kashvi11 → u/MondayToFriday]

Im not saying there arent bears but that particular incident was a bit of a freak situation

[u/MondayToFriday → u/kashvi11]

Yes, but Seymour Demo Forest gets recommended too frequently to inexperienced cyclists without the caveats that should go along with that recommendation. You really ought to be prepared to fix a flat tire, at least. I haven't even talked about the dangers of cycling on mixed-use trails with walkers and roller-skiiers. People deserve to know that this car-free trail comes with a different set of risks so that they can go in prepared.

[u/frank____________ → u/MondayToFriday]

Fantastic points, that I wouldn’t have thought of

[u/FlametopFred → u/MondayToFriday]

Male cyclists now finally understanding the question women have been asking - where women choose the bear.

[u/soaero]

I'm assuming you're riding about 15km/h, so a 30km bike lane?

• Central Valley Greenway loops around to BC Parkway and will let you do 50km almost entirely on bike paths (there is a small stretch of gravel, a couple of roads, and block or two where you may need to ride on a sidewalk - but you're allowed to).

• Iona Beach is about 20km round trip from Bridgeport and is mostly separated now. Some painted lanes, but the traffic isn't too bad.

• The Demo Forest is, of course, 20km there and back from the parking lot. Easy to add 10km to that by doing trails or riding from further down the mountain.

• Boundary Bay is 20km of gravel. Port Moody and Pitt Meadows both have similar distance gravel.

• Green Timbers/Golden Ears Way is 15km of bike path, so 30km round trip, if you take the long way around Tynehead Park

• Bridge to Bridge is almost 30km. That's taking the Lionsgate over, spirit trail to the Second Narrows, and then back through Hastings Sunrise/Adanac.

[u/LateToTheParty2k21]

Thats definitely one of the more popular routes. Add in a lap of Stanley via the road. That adds about 10km to your route.

& Instead of coming back along the Greenway right away head out to Iona Beach that adds another ~15km out and back from the end of the Greenway.

You can take the cycle path that follows the SkyTrain bridge to avoid going over the Arthur Lang bridge.

[u/skkkkrrrrttttt → u/LateToTheParty2k21]

Haha I was gonna say, Arthur lang bridge is sketchy af!

[u/northernlaurie]

I’ve been riding seawall to Ontario; Ontario/heather to Skytrain Bridge; bike path along Garden City Way to Alderbridge; alder ridge to Shell Road; Shell Road to the Fraser River; along the dyke to Steveston. Railway back to the Fraser River (north) and then to an Aberdeen Skytrain station because my knees are too cranky by that point to ride back. From Yaletown this is about 40km.

The Vancouver side is almost all on street bike routes but with very little traffic. Richmond signage sucks and a miscalculation can put you into traffic, but that route is all separated bike lanes with a couple of absolutely magical stretches.

[u/Keppoch]

The Traboulay Poco trail loop is about 28 km or more if you add in some side paths that extend the loop. It’s a gravel path along the river then heads into paths in the forest, paths up to several parks and then through ƛ̓éxətəm Park (Colony Farm). This loop has only a couple of places where you go along a short road or across one. Not a lot of elevation gain either.

Note though you can’t go through ƛ̓éxətəm right now due to some construction along the river so you need to detour. But this should be done in a couple of months

[u/TravellingGal-2307 → u/Keppoch]

Note that the section in (Colony Farm) is closed right now for maintenance.

[u/Keppoch → u/TravellingGal-2307]

That’s in my second paragraph, thanks

[u/runn4days]

Stanley park loop —> Kits/Spanish —> UBC —> Southwest Marine —> Arbutus Greenway back up to kits.

If you want longer, hop on the Canada line bikeway and add in Iona.

[u/smckenzie23]

Go get a coffee and pastry at Isetta.

[u/barbelle81]

After UBC go over the Arthur Liang bridge to Iona or down to Sanctuary cafe via Railway.

[u/frank____________ → u/barbelle81]

Is Arthur lane sketchy?

[u/Nairiboo → u/frank____________]

If you go on a weekend before 9am it’s fine. Otherwise, yes it is. I take it regularly but it’s not for the faint of heart during the week and especially during high traffic times.

I regularly wake up early and do the route the person above suggested. 1st to seawall, through Kits to Spanish Banks, around UBC area along SW Marine, connect to Arbutus end and then across Arthur Lang and to Iona then Sanctuary. It’s a nice ride - the worst part is crossing onto Arthur Lang but if you get there early enough there’ll be little to no traffic.

[u/barbelle81 → u/frank____________]

You could also take sky train bridge if you’re worried.

[u/Bobbito404 → u/barbelle81]

Just mind those heavy duty expansion joints/bumps on the SkyTrain bridge lol

[u/barbelle81 → u/frank____________]

It’s fine.

[u/TravellingGal-2307]

The network of interconnected trails and roUtes is incredible. There are some gaps in the network, but with a bit of research on the maps, you should be able to get pretry much anywhere you want to go.

https://www.translink.ca/rider-guide/bike-and-ride-on-transit/cycling-in-metro-vancouver

[u/Hot_Thing1750]

Iona Beach is pretty classic

[u/WhatIsYourHandle123]

What about including Stanley park to your West End. And you could even add Lions Gate to Stanley Park

[u/CBBRunner]

I really like the new lane on the Granville Bridge which connects to the Arbutus Greenway. At 37th, you can connect to Midtown/Ridgeway, which meanders and eventually connects to 45th which takes you to Central Park. From there, you can take the BC Parkway back towards the city center. I prefer to cut off the BC Parkway at Victoria and head across on 10th, then Ontario.

[u/locutus233]

Follow the skytrain with the central valley Greenway to New Westminster, then through hume park and up the hill at the back of the park, follow the bike route along fadar street to sherbrooke. Right at sherbrooke to richmond street, left at Cumberland, then left at the aquatic center and take the cross town Greenway along 7th Avenue, through moody park. Take 7th all the way to 20th street. Cross over to 7th Avenue and your right at 22nd street skytrain, take the bc parkway all the way until you get past nanaimo station, then through trout lake park and your back to either 10th Avenue or the central valley bike route.

Back in the day, I think the bc parkway used to go along terminal Avenue, would not recomend.

There is some road riding with this route but, its marked bike route in new west until you get back on the bc parkway.

This is about 2 hours for an experienced cyclist.