San Francisco ~ Bike The Bridge

One of my favourite rides is Biking the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
Come On ! Let's Go!
Blazing Saddles: Bike the Bridge
BLAZING SADDLES is the place to rent bikes, right near Fisherman's Wharf.  Now this is an amazing experience -- we have seen them grow from a tiny kiosk operation to the slick operators they are today. Booking online the night before was easy and in the morning we rode the cable car to the end of the line and everything was ready for us.  

At Fisherman's Wharf near the Cable Car terminal.

They make it easy to know where you are going and what to see along the way.
On a huge display board loaded with maps and pictures, staff explained where to ride and what to see along the way. They showed us places to go we would never have thought of - like Mill Valley and Tiberon.  Let's do it all, we said!


Our bikes were fitted, maps in place, helmets adjusted and water bottles loaded. Oh, and they handed out tickets for the ferry.  If you don't use them, you don't pay.  Easy !  Organized ! Fun !  Now this is my kind of company.  Within minutes of arrival we were wheeling out the door.


Best Bike Map Holder -- ever !
Kudos to San Francisco's bike planners for the upgrades to the route along the Bay and over the bridge.  It's a very easy ride and safe all the way.  The new route following the shoreline into Sausalito is fantastic. We splurged and had lunch at Soma's mmmmmm... that was a treat!


The ride to Mill Valley was a great add-on this year. There's some Tall Trees there! And what a cute little town.  Just like riding through a movie set.  The paved trails out to Tiberon were exciting --  the view of San Francisco amazing! Tiberon is gorgeous -- well worth the extra kms.  We raced to catch the last ferry of the day, sailing to Sausalito then to Fisherman's Wharf.  Looks like there were a few other people who had the same idea as us. What an amazing ride! If you don't want to go the whole way, try the ride to Sausalito then ferry back to Fisherman's Wharf.  It's easy and it's fun!
Beer-o-clock at the Tiberon Ferry Terminal
Two hundred bikes on board that day!


                                                    Happy Riding ~ Colleen
Lots of Maps:


Here is the link to MapMyRide Bike The Bridge
         - you can download the file or send it to your phone!
mapmyride.com/routes/view/66653646



And...
Here is the link to the Full Route in MapMyRideMapMyRide 
- you can download the file or send it to your phone!
San Francisco - Sausilito - Mill Valley - Tiburon
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/66655124

Bike the Bridge: Golden Gate to Sausalito and Ferry back Route

View Bike the Bridge - Golden Gate to Sausalito and ferry back in a larger map
Here is the link to the full route in Google Maps: 
San Francisco - Sausilito - Mill Valley - Tiburon
View San Francisco Golden Gate in a larger map

Links to this post

Point Roberts Circle


There's something very satisfying about a circle ride and Point Roberts is perfect for this.
This tiny bit of the seaside USA lies just south of Vancouver -- a quick drive away.


Park just before the border at Diefenbaker Park 5579 1st Avenue, Tsawwassen.  Unload the bikes and ride south to the border crossing. Bikes have priority over cars, so head up to the wicket and present your passport. 


Once over the border, take a sharp left and backtrack north towards the Canadian border.  Between the two border houses, Roosevelt Road is blocked off for cars, but bikes pass easily through the three red poles.  It's a wahoo-ing downhill all the way to Boundary Bay with a great view of Mount Baker in the distance.  Along the water's edge we explored Bay View Drive and ooed and awed at the summer cabins dotting the shoreline.


Continuing on our ride we found Elm Street, then left on Goodman Drive.  Here it is a bit of a climb, but it's not long until the road flattens.  Follow Boundary Bay Road until it meets Apa Road and go east to take a small detour to Lily Point Park

Back on the route, go west on Apa Road.
Left on South Beach Road.
Right on Edwards Drive.
Right on Simundson Drive.
Left on Apa Road (again!)
Left Marina Drive.
Left Harbor Seal Drive.
Right Edwards Drive.

Take a meander through Lighthouse Marine Park and be sure to look out in the ocean for whales.
This is one of the best places to whale watch near Vancouver!  There is also a great information kiosk in the park.  If you decide to camp, there are many camping spots and barbecue pits for a picnic.

After the park, turn Left onto Marine Drive and head north. If you are hungry for lunch there are many places to eat on Gulf Road: Caffee Capanna, Brewsters, The Reef (like a movie set) and the old Breakers which many Vancouverites will remember as the only spot for Sunday drinking in the 70s.


After lunch be sure to stop at the Heron Gallery, Brewsters and Liberty Wines.


Head north again on Marine Drive until it meets the Canadian border.  There is a marker here, trails to the water and amazing views of the ferry terminal and the San Juan and Gulf Islands.


Head east on Marine Drive until it meets the border.  Although the signs say No Through Road, keep going...bikes can get through No Problem!

                                                 Happy Riding ~ Colleen !

Here's the GoogleMap link: http://g.co/maps/8jcr5


View Point Roberts USA in a larger map
Links to this post

Ridgeway Greenway ~ Vancouver BC ~ Art and Cycling

Look around you as you ride...and look up !  There's art everywhere.  
Vancouver's Ridgeway Greenway is a linear exploration of a string of parks, walkways and seating areas, and amazing public art.

Start at the Patterson Skytrain station at Central Park in Burnaby and explore a few of the trails in the park.  You could spend alot of time in this park, just meandering at 10km per hour (of course) and seeing the ducks.  
Today was Art Exploration Day. With the book Public Art in Vancouver by John Steil and Aileen Stalker, I set out to discover Vancouver's Public Art.  This book is a great resource, full of information of each of the pieces. Another great site: Vancouver Public Art website. 
At the north west corner of the park there is a small plaza near the overpass with a few pieces of art, then head south along the Terry Fox path to the start of the Ridgeway Greenway at 45th Street.

These pieces are in and near Kensington Park - Knight Street at 34th Avenue
Visiting Mountain View Cemetery


Art along the Ontario Bike Route

Queen Elizabeth Park - the art of gardening and views.



Here's a link to Google Maps...Green pins mark Public Art...more to come!


Happy Riding and Exploring ! ~ Colleen

Links to this post

BIG WHEELS !

It's amazing what an
81.5 km ride will do ...

I went shopping
the next day
for
l o n g - o v e r d u e
BIG WHEELS

Here's my
new
bike...


catch me
if you
can !
Links to this post

Overachieving in Surrey ~ 81.5 km

The posting looked interesting...
ride from the King George Skytrain Station in Surrey
and through Serpentine Fen, Crescent Beach for lunch,
Blackie Spit, White Rock and back.

The kilometers were daunting
-- 70 km was further
than we'd ever ridden...

but
it promised to be
a sunny October day

so off we went . . .

What we didn't plan on
was a strong headwind
a change of return route
making it longer ride (81.5 km)
through Burns Bog
crossing the Alex Fraser and
the Queensborough Bridges
with the buffeting wind
and softening bike tires, oh my!



but WE DID IT !!!!



Thanks to the VBMG group for their patience
with my little bike wheels and
for the fantastic route guidance.

All in all --
a great ride!

Now it's time to get that hybrid with the BIG wheels!

Here it is - link to the full ride 
Links to this post

Copenhagenizing...

no spandex
no gore-tex
no helmets here
in Copenhagen...
Copenhagenize
means....
Boots
Coat
Pants or skirt
A big scarf
and ... off you go

with bikers to the left
and cyclists to the right
dashing around the city
day and night
Here I am on the Copenhagen 'City Bikes' -- great if you can find them.


***HOLD THE PRESS **
Today was a ....
***RAINY ... ***
 Make That A Very Rainy Day In Copenhagen

and here is a sample... people dressed as usual 
Oblivious 
to the 
Rain

and Various States 
of Acknowledging
 it is a 
Monsoon: 

They look fine, 
but you cannot see that 
it is POURING RAIN here !!!!!
I saw Ponchos, Rain Capes 
and this...the newest Copenhagen fashionista 
from Hermes ~: (ps -- c'est moi ! )
Thanks to Copenhagen 
for showing us
that it is fine 
to get out 
and go
and be wet -- who cares !

Here's the tracks from 3 days of riding in Copenhagen...

View Copenhagen 3 days of exploring in a larger map
Links to this post
Labels:

Round the Ridge ~ Sherry's Ride

It was fun to follow Sherry on this great route in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.  
She took us along the Pitt River and Alouette Dykes, 
crossed over Maple Ridge and wound us 
through NEW bike paths in Pitt Meadows.  

We celebrated Sharon's new bike, 
a hot September day
and capped it off with lunch 
at Stomping Grounds Coffee Shop 
and roses at Verde Flowers.  

You've got to ride this route!  
~ Enjoy!



















Here's the GPS map on GoogleMaps !  http://g.co/maps/f4xgf


View Round the Ridge ~ Sherry's Ride 2011 in a larger map
Links to this post

Mt. Lehman Roller Coaster

Well, it was worth the wait just to have the most delicious SCONES in the world... at the Clayburn Store on this great ride.  (ps - check their website for opening hours).  It's 45 km of ups and downs, but mostly downs.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Things to see along the way:
Bradner Store
Corn as high as an elephant's eye
Kiwi growing on vines
Mt. Lehman Winery!
vineyards
Mt. Baker views
Matsqui Trail
Rolling hills
Mountain views
And so much more!

To get there:  Take Hwy 1 east, Exit 73 North, right on 264th, Right on 56 Ave, Right on Baynes Street and park along the roadside.


Here's the gps map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=205869270896603644828.0004abc6365fab28a7ede&msa=0&ll=49.099386,-122.349758&spn=0.129142,0.32856


View Roller Coaster Mt. Lehman Abbotsford BC 2011 in a larger map





Fun!
Links to this post

TipToe Through the Tulips 2011



laughter
muddy fields
topped tulips!
dandelions
a rainstorm
fields of purple
pink
yellow
tulips
and lunch
in the sun


fun!



Now what was so darn funny?

Here's the map on Google Maps
...great route for tulip meandering: http://g.co/maps/yn8zg




View Tulip Ride La Conner 2011 in a larger map
Links to this post

Hornby Bike Lane!



Oh wow...
what an 
amazing route
safe
easy
and 
fun!

Let's Ride, Vancouver!
December 29, 2010


Links to this post

gps fun

in Montreal
visiting with Kyle
he's heading for a run
wants to take my Garmin GPS
... see how it works
Links to this post

All's well that Endos Well - Burnaby Scenic Trail

maybe the hill was steeper than I thought
and I put on the brakes a little hard
and the back wheel fishtailed
on the loose gravel
but all's well that endo's well
and I survived with a bruised knee
with a big ostrich egg
and a bruised ego
but I got back on
and rode all the way downtown

This is a short connector in one of my favourite places
in Burnaby and part of the TransCanada Trail
It's a bit steep for a beginner
and I guess it was a bit steep for me, too!
Links to this post

Mud Bay to Boundary Bay - All the Way

One of my favourite rides follows the shore of Mud Bay and wraps around to Boundary Bay.  There's always lots to see along the way - herons standing silent waiting for fish, flocks of shorebirds making patterns like fireworks and on this sunny January day we spotted dozens of eagles.

How to Get There:
(the dyke is accessible from many points along the way (check out the Translink Bike Map).  
We started at the east end:
- Take Hwy 99 South
- west on Colebrook Rd
- south on 127A Street
- east on Railway Rd
- park in Mud Bay Park Lot
- unload and ride west
It's an easy flat ride on packed gravel all along the dyke.  Mount Baker peeks through the clouds to the east and Point Roberts juts into the scene from the west. Vancouver's towers and mountains are to the north.  There's a small airport along the way, a golf course, farmers working in the fields and a few new pieces of sculpture.
For lunch we stopped at the Beach Grove cafe and then continued on through Centennial Park to the old USA border stop on 167th for a trip down memory lane.  

Here is the link to MapMyRide - you can download the file or send it to your phone!
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/16074066


And here it is in GoogleMaps:

View DELTA Mud Bay to Boundary Bay in a larger map

                                           Happy Riding!  Colleen


bike tags: bike Vancouver, easy biking Vancouver, easy cycling Vancouver, easy bike paths Vancouver, easy rides Vancouver, cycle, bike, paths, easy, kids, children, off-road rides, paths, cycle routes Vancouver, Burnaby, bicycle rides, bicycle paths, scenic bike paths, Vancouver Burnaby, North Vancouver, easy flat, where to ride Vancouver, Metro Vancouver rides cycles paths routes bicycles, easy bike rides in Vancouver, bicycling Vancouver, cycling Vancouver, biking Vancouver, 
Links to this post

Coquitlam Hills, Flats and Around Mundy Park

Some days it's fun to just see where the bike wants to go and this was one of those days.  
We started at Rocky Point Park in Port Moody and headed west along Spring Street. We wanted to get up to the Coquitlam plateau and had heard about a trail behind Port Moody Senior High. There's a trail there, but it's not meant for bikes. It was a huge climb and we had to carry our bikes up many flights of stairs. Next time we would take Clarke Road.

We had the Translink Bike Route Map and tried to keep to the suggested bike routes and off the busy roads. The nicest part was along Grover, around Como Lake and east towards Mundy Park. There was a nice surprise - bikes are welcome on the trails in Mundy Park--who knew? We took the circle route around the park and were a bit dismayed when it spit us out onto some side streets. I hope Coquitlam will add a bike lane along the south edge of the park. The park trails are fantastic for beginning riders to explore and they are wide enough to share with walkers and joggers.  

We left the park looking to find an interesting route down the hill. We found many connectors at the ends of roads and explored all kinds of new trails. I hope you can find some of them, too !


We topped this great exploring ride off with dinner at The Boathouse, and there's also Pajo's at Rocky Point and many other eats in the Port Moody and Newport area.





Happy Riding ~ Colleen
Links to this post

Vancouver's Separated Bike Lanes


At last!

Thank you to Vancouver Council for taking the leadership to make Separated Bike Lanes happen in Vancouver.

As an avid cyclist who has cycled in cities around the world, I have seen all kinds of bike routes, paths, greenways, marked lanes and shared roadways.  I agree that we need separated bike lanes in Vancouver's city core.  The cities I've cycled in that have separated lanes are much easier for riding and they are filled with cyclists of all ages and abilities.

The Burrard Bridge Lane and the Dunsmuir Lane are now excellent routes for riding.  I can't wait for more to be built. This will encourage people to ride more and make the route safer - not just perceived, but safer from cars that routinely weave into the marked lanes. I would take a young cyclist riding on a separated lane, but would be reluctant to do so on a painted lane.  

I hope council puts them in fast and makes them pretty later ... as Third Wave says, "First, put in  temporary facilities and then making the facilities permanent when funds become available.  This way, many more kilometres of facilities could be implemented each year –perhaps  three times or more."

Hooray!  Let's go riding, Vancouver!  ~ Colleen
Links to this post

Easy Vancouver Rides for Kids and Families and more!




                                    Happy Riding ~ Colleen 


bike tags: bike Vancouver, easy biking Vancouver, easy cycling Vancouver, easy bike paths Vancouver, easy rides Vancouver, cycle, bike, paths, easy, kids, children, off-road rides, paths, cycle routes Vancouver, Burnaby, bicycle rides, bicycle paths, scenic bike paths, Vancouver Burnaby, North Vancouver, easy flat, where to ride Vancouver, Metro Vancouver rides cycles paths routes bicycles, easy bike rides in Vancouver
Links to this post
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)