Terra Nova Adventure Ride Recap

Having breakfast at Tandem Bike Cafe before the #YVRFamilyBiking Terra Nova Adventure Ride

#YVRFamilyBiking Terra Nova Adventure Ride biking up Heather Street 

Sunday's Vancouver Family Biking Ride was tons of fun! It was probably our longest ride yet, almost 15km from our meeting spot at Tandem Bike Cafe to Terra Nova Adventure Play Environment.

Five families joined the ride, a total of 13 people. Four of the six kids were riding their own bikes. Linnaeus was the youngest of them, & he had trouble getting up some of the hills, so he rode on the Yuba part of the way, while Clint carried his bike on his Metrofiets 'flatbed' deck.

Crossing the Canada Line Bridge

Having a few cargo bikes around means we can always be flexible & give rides to the youngest kids when they get tired. If you want to come on our next ride with a young rider let us know--we'll likely have several cargo bikes on the ride who can carry an extra kid &/or tow or carry their bike as needed. It's a great way to get little kids riding longer distances & give them more confidence without having to commit to them riding all the way or having a meltdown before they get home.

Read more on cargo bikes & supporting kids learning to ride here. 

We rode down Heather & over the bridge at a leisurely pace, with quite a few stops to load & unload Linnaeus & his bike from the cargo bikes, as well as meeting two of the families along our route, plus a bathroom/water/play stop along the West Dyke Trail in Richmond. The total time was about two hours, probably two thirds of that time we were riding, I think.

Our route followed the Heather Street bike route south to Kent & then we went over the Canada Line Bridge. On the Richmond side we took the Canada Line Bikeway, then Smith Street, Beckwith Road, No. 3 Road, Capstan Way, then River Road for a block until the beginning of the dyke trail. Heather Street was quite quiet, more bike traffic than cars.

Quick pit stop along the West Dyke Trail

The on-road part of our Richmond leg was busier, particularly along No. 3 Road, but the drivers were patient enough & there is safety in numbers. If you are a less confident rider on your own, or riding with a child on their own bike, you may want to take the sidewalk for some parts. Once we got up to the dyke trail, it was smooth sailing for everyone.

The weather was perfect on the way to the park--sunny & not too hot. There was plenty of shade there & the parents got to sit & relax a little at a picnic table while the kids ran around in the playground. Terra Nova is a really amazing playground for kids of all ages. Now that Bronte has gotten a little bit bigger & stronger, she has figured out how to climb all the way up the giant rope ladder tangle that leads up to the 10 metre high tunnel slide.

The ride home was quite warm--I regretted wearing jeans as they stuck to my legs--but still enjoyable with the breeze off the water & the sunny weather. The West Dyke Trail is well served by washrooms & water stations at multiple locations, so we were able to refill all our water bottles as needed.

I really enjoyed the ride & the kids love Terra Nova, so I am certain we'll do this ride again sometime soon.

Very tired from her epic climbing adventures on the giant structures in Terra Nova, Bronte passed out in the bakfiets

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Sign up for the Vancouver Family Biking Newsletter

test riding at the ABCs of Family Biking workshop

Confession: I am lazy. When it comes to promoting the Vancouver Family Biking rides & workshops, or sharing information about family biking in general, I tend to do it on Facebook. This is easy & the VFB Facebook group is an awesome little community of parents. But I also meet people regularly who aren't really on Facebook much, or even at all.

Getting the Vancouver Family Biking email list actually up & running is my way of reaching out to a few more people. Whether or not you're on Facebook, if you'd like to receive emails--maybe once a month?--about upcoming Vancouver Family Biking events, possibly some links to other interesting content, here's your chance!
 

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5 Tips for Family Biking Route Planning

Taking a slight detour to visit the "Chicken Channel", our neighbourhood coop

In the ABCs of Family Biking workshops, there is just so much to talk about that we can't possibly cover every single topic in detail. So I've decided to do a series of blog posts delving into the nitty gritty of these family biking topics.

At the first of our workshops, something that many parents brought up was that they were worried about the safety of riding in traffic with their babies & toddlers. Though we have quite a few kilometres of fully separated bike lanes & paths like the seawall in Vancouver, you will encounter car traffic when you're riding in Vancouver. But mapping out your route can really make a big difference.

I have been biking with my children for more than five years now, but I still usually plan out my route when I'm going somewhere new. An example of when I didn't: I recently decided at the last minute to ride from kindergarten dropoff to Staples on Broadway at Birch. I decided to just wing it & ended up crossing Oak at an intersection with no lights, which required some assertive vehicular cycling. Then I had to zigzag through some streets after nearly getting sucked into the black hole of navigation that is Shaughnessy. It all worked out fine, but it just wasn't the usual smooth, relaxing ride.

For families who are new to biking with their tots, this little bit of preparation is even more important. Knowing where you're going & how exactly you're going to get there under your own steam can go a long way to making it a better experience.

So here are my top five tips for planning our your family ride:

1. Google Maps Bike directions. I use this quite a lot when I'm planning my route to a new place. Both the mobile & the desktop version will give you suggested routes with estimated time it will take, plus details like the elevation gain of the route, so you can pick the least hilly path when you're hauling that extra 20, 30, or more pounds of children on your bike. A caveat: Google Maps isn't perfect so sometimes it's worth zooming in on the satellite images to double check if there are lights at any major arterial roads you'll be crossing.
2. Let Google navigate. Mobile Google Maps has the GPS navigator option. Just turn on your location settings & input your start & end points & then click on the blue arrow to have Google tell you when & where you need to turn. Works best if you have a handlebar mount for your phone, but you can still listen if the phone is in your purse or pocket.
3. Grab a map. The City of Vancouver's bike maps, as well as the Translink cycling maps for the municipalities of Metro Vancouver are handy too. You can download the PDFs & zoom in on your phone if you want access to a map without using data. The paper versions are very portable, folding up to business card sized--great if you don't use a smart phone.
4. Follow the Bikeways. Plan your route to include traffic calmed bikeways, along roads with lower speed limits (like those around parks & schools), seeking out separated lanes where you can, &crossing arterial roads at intersections with bike buttons. Though your route might not be as direct as taking main road, it makes for a less stressful ride, generally, when you take, say, 10th Avenue rather than Broadway.
5. Stop & smell the roses. Being able to pull up onto the sidewalk & take a look at something for a minute is one of the big benefits of cycling. If you have time, try to plan your route to allow for a quick stop for the kids. It could be to peruse the books at a little library in your neighbourhood, or to watch the goings on at a construction site along the way, or maybe past one of the spots where you know there will be interesting mushrooms or flowers growing. One of our favourites is to visit the chicken coop when we take an alternate route home from school.

Some day, there will be a lot more cycling infrastructure in this city & we'll be able to just jump on bikes & not really plan so much. But until we catch up to Holland (trust me, I'm working on it!), taking a few minutes to figure out the most comfortable route will make your rides more fun.

Have you got any other tips you'd like to share? I'd love to hear them in the comments below.

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5 Types of People Who Should Do #30DaysOfBiking

It's April, spring has sprung & it's time to get on your bike! In case you needed some inspiration, here's a challenge for you: ride your bike EVERY DAY in April. That's right, every single day, rain or shine, in sickness & in health... or at least try your best to do so!

What the heck am I talking about? Well, 30 Days of Biking is a thing. I didn't just make it up. It's a pledge to ride your bike every day in April, any distance, to any destination, & then share your adventures online. Sharing is caring, right? Hashtag #30daysofbiking, natch.

Also very cool: for every 2 pledges, 30 Days Of Biking will donate $1 to World Bicycle Relief. Help them reach 10,000 pledges in 2016! 

So, on to the list of the five kinds of people who really should do 30 Days of Biking:

1. Regular Monday to Friday bike commuters who maybe drive, walk or bus on weekends. C'mon guys, you have NO EXCUSE!
2. Recreational riders who need an excuse to ride more. Here it is. I DARE YOU! ;)
3. Stay/work-at-home-parents with young kids who are bored of the parks in their immediate vicinity. Rather than rolling out of bed, grabbing the yoga pants & heading to the park two blocks away, strap your toddler into your trailer/child seat/cargo bike & ride somewhere interesting! Bonus points if there's a nice cafe next to the new park! (By the way, we're having a Vancouver Family Biking #30DaysOfBiking Kickoff Coffee Ride Friday, 10am April 1st!)
4. Non-cyclists who want to jump in with both feet. Maybe starting to ride your bike more often was on your list of New Year's resolutions, or you recently got a bike but haven't used it much. This is your chance! Jump on & pedal! Remember, there's no minimum distance, so you can totally start off slow & work your way up to longer rides during the month. 
5. Runners training for the SunRun/Fill-the-Charity-in-the-Blank Run/Marathon/whatever. Cycling is great cross training. It's also a great way to get your butt to the seawall or somewhere interesting rather than just running out your front door, around the same loop in your neighbourhood, & back again.

There you have it. Are you one of these 'types' of people? Can you think of another 'type' who should join us in 30 Days of Biking? 

Follow 30 Days of Biking on Twitter and Facebook, too!

& just so you have no excuses about pledging to ride each day, here's the link for you. 

Make the Pledge right here.
If you happen to have time on the morning of Friday, April 1st, join Vancouver Family Biking for a short #30DaysOfBiking Kickoff Coffee Ride. We meet at 10am at Science World & will ride to a park along the seawall for coffee/tea & snacks. We supply the hot drinks, you bring some snacks to share! More details & RSVP here.

See you in the bike lanes!

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Bikey Crowdfunding Projects Roundup

Seems like there are a lot of interesting bike related products seeking crowdfunding right now. Here's a roundup of those I've seen. I'm not affiliated with any of the projects & I can't vouch for any of them, but these ones look interesting, especially the Wike Salamander folding cargo bike.

Camile Camera & GPS system for bikes on Indiegogo



The Wike Amphibian series of convertible cargo bikes on Kickstarter




Besee bike light, phone holder & gadget charger on Kickstarter


Revolights Eclipse bike lights, turn signals, speedometer, etc on Indiegogo

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Two Wheel Gear Pannier Backpack {Discount Code!}

Psst, have you heard about Two Wheel Gear's newest bag?

The pannier backpack convertible is weatherproof (like all Two Wheel Gear bags it can handle Vancouver rain) including a high vis rain cover. It really is easy to convert to a backpack--I've tried it myself.

I think this bag would work great for commuting since you can easily organize your stuff inside with the integrated padded 15" laptop sleeve, soft pocket for phone storage, U-Lock pocket, two side water bottle pockets , as well as other slots & pockets in the interior. But it would also be great as a diaper bag for a cycling parent.

You'll be seen on the roads without looking dorky with the reflective designed accents & reflective utility loop that can hold a bike light. There are three different fabrics to choose from: 600 denier black or graphite waterproof coated polyester, or the classic black waxed poly/cotton canvas. I love the graphite one, personally, though I can see why the waxed canvas & plain black would be popular too.

In case you need one, here's a deal for you: pre-order it & you'll get 20% off with the code EARLYBIRD in Two Wheel Gear's online store. Good until March 15. The bags regularly go for $149-225, depending on fabric, so that's a savings of $30-45!

Happy riding!


Disclaimer: I have not received any product or compensation to write this review.

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