the Lower Mainland

Stanley Park Sea Wall

Distance: 10km (Loop)
Time required: 1 hour to 1 ½ hour
Difficulty: Easy, completely flat and paved
Type of bike: The Sea Wall can be completed with all types of bikes

Vancouver has the world's longest uninterrupted waterfront path, the Seaside Greenway, which the famous seawall is part of. The Sea wall is a 10km family friendly flat paved bike path along the sea and loops around the entire Stanley Park. The seawall offers great views all over the North Shore Mountains, the Lions Gate Bridge and of course the sea. This is the original part of the Sea Wall, which the construction has been started in 1917 and was officially finished in 1980. The Sea Wall is a must do for everyone visiting Vancouver

Seymour Demonstration forest

Distance: 22 km (round trip)
Time required: 2 hours
Difficulty: easy, although there are some hills, nothing to difficult
Type of bike: No specific bike is needed

The Demonstration Forest Road is part of the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve, which is South of the Seymour Water Shed. If you cycle the road to the very end you’ll reach the Seymour Dam. There’s a great viewpoint, which is definitely worth the trip! Next to going to the viewpoint at the Seymour Dam it’s worth visiting the fish Hatchery. The trail has its share of hills and valleys – nothing too difficult. A great ride on a warm summer day under the canopy of hundred-year-old trees!

Pitt Meadows Dyke trail

Distance: 15 to 25 km depending on route taken (round trip)
Time required: 1.5 to 2.5 hours
Difficulty: Easy, mostly flat with gravel surface
Type of bike: Any bike, but a hybrid is recommended

The trail runs along farmland and a river and offers incredible views of the mountains. You will see the Golden Ears to the north and on a clear day you can also see the snowy topped peak of Mount Baker in the US. You can make the cycle as long as you want, there are many exits on the dykes and you can always turn around.

West Dyke and South Dyke in Richmond

Distance: 26.5 km (round trip)
Time required: 1 ½ hour
Difficulty: Easy, mainly flat with a hard packed gravel surface
Type of bike: For this trail there is not a specific type of bike needed

This round trip takes you through two of the most scenic areas along the trail system in Richmond, the West and Steveston / South Dyke. You'll see wildlife, marshes, the coastal mountains, Vancouver International Airport and the Fraser River. It’s well worth it to visit Terra Nova Rural Park to explore the tree-lined paths that meander past historic buildings, which date back to the 1890s. Features include native plantings, viewing platforms, pathways, picnic areas and a recreated slough.

Stanley Park to UBC loop via seawall and seaside trail

Distance: 45 km (round trip when starting at Stanley Park)
Time required: 3 hours
Difficulty: intermediate, seaside trail is easy; there is a decent climb up to UBC
Type of bike: Any bike, but a road bike is recommended

This is a favourite trainings route for the local road bikers, but for non-road bikers it’s still a really nice route to cycle at a leisurely pace. This route can be started anywhere on the Seaside trail or at the Seawall in Stanley Park to make it a shorter or longer route. The views that you will get of the sea are really worth the cycle.

Cypress bowl road

Distance: 60 km (round trip from Downtown Vancouver)
Elevation gain: 999m
Time required: 2-3 hours depending on level of fitness
Difficulty: Advanced, paved road but with a big elevation gain
Type of bike: Road bike

If you want to challenge yourself on your road bike, try the climb up to the Cypress Mountain Ski resort. The climb itself is 10,5km long and has a average grade of 6%. This isn’t the cycle that you do to enjoy the views, although there is a great view of the city at High View Point. This cycle is best done by experienced road bikers, because you’re sharing the road with cars. The climb might be hard, but the downhill is fun and all worth it!

The “Triple Crown” hill climb

Distance: 105km (round trip from Downtown Vancouver)
Elevation gain: 2150m
Time required: 4-7 hours depending on level of fitness
Difficulty: Extreme, prepare for a long and exhausting day
Type of bike: Road bike

If climbing one mountain isn’t enough for you, try to climb all three-north shore mountains in one ride. This is know as the Triple Crown hill climb, this includes Cypress, Grouse and Seymour. Be ready to prepare yourself for a long and exhausting day, but the rewarding feeling in the end is definitely worth it. The route can be started wherever you want; it’s possible to start at the first mountain or to start in Downtown Vancouver.

Vancouver Island

Lochside Regional Trail

Distance: 29 km (One way)
Time required: 2 hours
Difficulty: Easy, mainly flat and a mix between gravel trails and paved roads
Type of bike: Any bike, but a hybrid is recommended

This multi–use trail, formerly a railway line, runs from Swartz Bay to Victoria, past beaches, farmland, and wetlands, down country lanes and beside suburban backyards. The Lochside Trail is both a popular commuting route and the perfect way to enjoy a cycle. Take a break at one of the nearby sandy beaches on the way, and enjoy ocean views from the trail itself as you approach Sidney. While some parts of the Lochside Trail are off-road, in some places trail users must share paved or gravel public roads with motor vehicles and farm vehicles.

Galloping goose trail

Distance: 60 km (One way)
Time required: 3 hours 40 minutes
Difficulty: Easy, mainly flat with some short steeper section
Type of bike: any bike, but a hybrid is recommended

The trails of the Galloping Goose are a mixture of urban and rural. The further you go, the more you are cycling in the semi-wilderness. The Galloping Goose Trail was constructed on the abandoned CNR (Canadian National Rail) railway line, which once connected Victoria and Leechtown, which is now a ghost town. The trail is named after a noisy gas rail car, which carried passengers between Victoria and Sooke in the 1920s. In 1987 the rails were replaced with this spectacular trail, and the trail was opened.

Cowichan Valley Trail

Distance: 122 km (one way)
Time required: 2 days to complete the entire trail
Difficulty: Easy, mainly flat and wide gravel trails
Type of bike: A hybrid bike is recommended

The Cowichan Valley Trail is a spectacular trail that is part of Trans Canada Trail on Vancouver Island. The Cowichan Valley section runs from the Capital Regional District boundary at the top of the Malahat, north to Shawnigan Lake and the Kinsol Trestle, west to the Town of Lake Cowichan then north to the Regional District of Nanaimo. The majority of the gravel trail is wide and flat with some sections running along the roads.

Mountain biking

the North shore

Photo by North Shore Mountain Bike Association

Difficulty: Easy to extremely difficult, depending on the trail that is chosen
Type of bike: Full suspension mountain bike
Number of trails: 400+

The North Shore of Vancouver is world famous for the mountain biking trails that it has to offer. North Shore mountain biking is a specific style of riding; the trails are full of wooden features such as boardwalks and ladders. The North Shore has more then 400 trails so there is always something for every level of rider.

Whistler bike park

Difficulty: Easy to extremely difficult, depending on the trail that is chosen
Ticket price $69 (adult price 2017)
Type of bike: Full Suspension mountain bike
Number of trails: 70+

Whistler Bike Park is a world famous lift accessed bike park. It has something for every rider, easy flowy trails for beginners to big jumps; drop offs and wooden obstacles for the most experienced riders. Next to riding in the park yourself its also possible to watch professionals mountainbikers in one of the many contests that are held at the bike park.

Single Track in Squamish

Difficulty: Easy to extremely difficult, depending on the trail that is chosen
Type of bike: Full Suspension mountain bike
Number of trails: 200+

Squamish is home to some of the best and well-known mountain biking trails in Canada. Squamish has all sorts of trials, such as downhill trails, cross-country and enduro. Mountain Bike magazine has rated Squamish as one of the 25 best places to ride in the world.

Sunshine Coast

Difficulty: Easy to extremely difficult, depending on the trail that is chosen
Type of bike: Full suspension mountain bike
Number of trails: 700+

The sunshine coast is the ultimate year round mountain biking destination; most of the trails can be used 365 days a year. Now matter what your skill level is there is a trail for you at Sunshine Coast ranging from easy green trails to double orange diamond pro-lines/ freestyle terrain.

Next to the free to use trails there is a small but constantly expanding Bike Park called Coast Gravity Park, for this you can buy a day pass or a season pass. All the bike trails in this bike park are accessed by vehicle shuttles.

Cumberland - Vancouver Island

Difficulty: Easy to extremely difficult, depending on the trail that is chosen
Type of bike: Full Suspension mountain bike
Number of Trails: 200+

Cumberland is the mountain biking centre of Vancouver Island; locals call it the “unofficial epicentre of island riding”. Next to of course great trails there is also a riding culture that’s second to none. At Cumberland you will find legendary singletrack trails, fast descends full of berms and epic scenery.