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Home > cycling

cycling

Getting Around: 3 Places To Rent Bikes In Calgary

Bikers in Nose Hill in Calgary’s NW. Photo: Courtesy Travel Alberta.

With its many scenic parks and river corridors, the city of Calgary is a cycling paradise. Several bike rental stores are conveniently located near popular routes alongside the Bow and Elbow Rivers and numerous recreational parks. These are our picks for the best rental shops around town.

1. The Calgary Outdoor Centre

Located at the University of Calgary, the centre rents mountain, touring and tandem bikes: $28 – $32 daily. A 10-minute cycle northwest of the University campus along 32nd Avenue and south on to 48th Street leads to Montgomery Park. This green space features many bike paths and a broad view of the city’s northwest. (more…)

Hot Entertainment: Easy Cycling in Whistler

Cycling photo by Chad Chomlack courtesy Tourism Whistler

Spinning your wheels in Whistler? Tired of other tourists? Rent a bike in the village from a supplier such as Salomon, pick up a trail map from the Tourism Whistler Information Centre and pedal to the quiet side of Whistler. The peaceful Valley Trail (pictured) winds under Highway 99 and away from the village, through grassy parks and leafy residential neighbourhoods, and around placid lakes dotted with red and yellow canoes. En route, kids clamber on jungle gyms as parents set out snacks on picnic tables. Rent for an hour—maybe cycle to Alta Lake and back—or go for longer to cover more of the 40-km (25-mi) route. It’s wheely fun!—Louise Phillips

Hot Shopping: Teva Shoes

Teva Links

Cycling is a popular pastime in Ottawa, with riders tackling everything from Gatineau Park to city streets to our lengthy network of trails on two wheels. Join the crowd — and look the part — with the Links shoe from Teva, which was designed in collaboration with freeride mountain biker Jeff Lenosky. The Links’ rubber sole has serious gripping power, and state-of-the-art technology within the shoe actually prevents water from absorbing on a molecular level. Plus, the shoes are stylish enough to transition seamlessly from a rugged mountain ride to a downtown patio. $140.

Available at several Ottawa retailers including Trailhead, 1960 Scott St., 613-722-4229, www.trailhead.ca.

Hot Shopping: Fashionable Cycling with the Bobbin Birdie

The Bobbin Birdie in robin's egg blue. Photo: Bobbin Bicycles.

The Bobbin Birdie in robin’s egg blue. Photo: Bobbin Bicycles.

BOBBIN ALONG

Whether enjoying Calgary’s beautiful bike paths or making an urban commute, do so in style with the Bobbin Birdie.

This cute upright bike combines vintage with modern esthetics and is reminiscent of the city bikes typically ridden in the cycling-friendly city of Amsterdam. The UK-based company manufactures several styles of trendy bicycles (more…)

Hot Art: Cycle Vancouver and Tour Public Art with Art Wheelers

“Street Light” by Alan Tregebov and Bernie Wheeler is one of the stops on the Art Wheelers tour

Vancouver doesn’t need help when it comes to natural scenery, but our abundance of public art certainly enhances the city’s beauty. Join a guided bike tour by Art Wheelers (to Sep. 19) to visit sculptures such as “A-maze-ing Laughter” by Yue Minjun, “Street Light” by Alan Tregebov and Bernie Miller (pictured), “The Birds” by Myfanwy MacLeod, and “Salish North Star in Maple Leaf” by Wade Baker. Rent some wheels from Spokes Bicycle Rentals, where the tour starts.—Kristina Urquhart

Hot Entertainment: The Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix Bike Race

Gastown Grand Prix photo courtesy Greg Descantes

The cobblestoned streets of Gastown come alive Jul. 11 for the Global Relay Gastown Grand Prix. This thrilling race attracts elite cyclists from around the world—including, back in 1991, Lance Armstrong—with a route that loops around landmarks such as the Gastown Steam Clock and statue of Gassy Jack. The action starts at 5:45 p.m., but arrive early, as 45,000 spectators are expected.—Sheri Radford

Vancouver Cycling 101

By Jennifer Patterson

Ditch the car and explore Vancouver the way it’s meant to be seen: by bike. Our year-round mild weather makes this city the perfect place to embrace the two-wheeled mode of transportation, and the multitude of bike-friendly streets and trails caters to riders both big and small.  (more…)

Canada’s Top Cycling Trails

By MERLE ROSENSTEIN

Calgary’s Bow River Pathway (Photo: Banff Lake Louise Tourism/Paul Zizka)

Across the country, urban cycling lanes cut through picturesque parks with streams shaded by dense foliage, rural routes meander into tiny towns filled with historic charm, and rugged wilderness roads wind past habitats where black bears, moose, elk, deer and cougars roam.

So get spinning this summer on Canada’s top cycling trails! (more…)

MAP: Our Guide to 16 of Muskoka’s Best Nature Trails and Hiking Destinations

By CHRIS RYALL

View this map in a larger format

Nature takes centre stage in Muskoka with daily performances by 250 species of birds, 50 types of mammals and 25 species of amphibians. Turn off the iPod and open your ears to Muskoka’s natural sounds by hiking, biking, canoeing and kayaking through the region National Geographic Traveler selected selected as one of the top 20 “Best Trips of the World” for 2012. No gas required and no stress allowed.

Here, we’ve mapped some of our favourite trails for you to explore (zoom in close to see all the smaller trails).

10 Canadian Adventures to Book This Spring and Summer

By SANAM ISLAM

Photo: Toby Creek Adventures

The days are getting longer and warmer, which means summer is almost here! What better way to enjoy the great weather than getting off the couch and having some truly Canadian adventures? (more…)

Montreal Heeds Doctor’s Orders that Cities Need More Cycling

Photo by Joel Mann

By Waheeda Harris

A recent survey by scientists at the University of Wisconsin looked at the economic benefits of urban dwellers switching from a car to a bike for trips of less than five miles in 11 metropolitan areas of the northern Midwest US.

The societal health benefits were gauged in terms of medical costs, mortality rates, car accidents, physical fitness and air pollution. Scientists found that if inhabitants in a sample region were to switch from driving to biking only for errands requiring less than 25 minutes of cycling, the result would be an annual $3.8 billion saved in health care costs and 1,100 fewer deaths from road accidents.

The study conservatively assumed Midwesterners would only cycle in good weather—approximately four months of days per year. Yet, according to Bicycling Magazine, in 2010 Minneapolis, Minnesota, was named the top city for cycling in the United States, a city that certainly has four seasons.

In Canada, Montreal gets the nod as the only Canadian city—out of 80 cities worldwide—on the 2011 Bicycle-Friendly Cities index, compiled by Danish consulting firm Copenhagenize. Montreal, which came in at number eight, was chosen for its $100-million-plus investment in revamping bike trails, its long-standing cycling infrastructure and being the first North American city to launch urban bike-sharing program Bixi.

The Great Outdoors

Grab a paddle, lace those hiking boots and ready that fishing pole: Where‘s headed to the North Shore

By Jennifer Patterson

Meghan and Mat glide through the water in brightly coloured rentals from Deep Cove Canoe & Kayak. Photo by KK Law

Get Wet

Water babies feel right at home in picturesque Deep Cove, a short drive from downtown Vancouver and a haven for water sports enthusiasts. Rent a kayak at Deep Cove Canoe & Kayak and glide through the water, up picturesque Indian Arm, to Granite Falls. This photogenic park offers camping spots for multi-day trips. A growing trend with both celebs and weekend warriors: paddle boarding. Stand upright on a long, flat, surf-style board and use a long paddle to manoeuvre through the calm waterways.

Grab a fishing pole and head into the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve for some peaceful trout fishing around Rice Lake. The main dock is usually busy but the three-km- (1.8-mi-) long path around the lake is filled with hidden benches and quiet corners.

Learn about the culture and history of the Coast Salish First Nations on a guided canoe trip through Indian Arm with Takaya Tours. The traditional wood canoes are 7.6 m (25 ft) in length and tours can be customized to include drumming, songs and stories. End your day on the water with a grilled salmon feast, available by request.

Stay Dry

Landlubbers seeking an outdoor escape head north of downtown to kick up dirt on the tree-covered mountains. The 48-km- (30-mi-) long Baden-Powell Trail, a winding stretch through the North Shore Mountains, starts in Horseshoe Bay and ends in Deep Cove. Don’t feel pressured to complete the entire route in one go—an ambitious venture, indeed—as the trail has multiple entry points and smaller trails branching off along the way. A couple of route highlights: the famous Grouse Grind, also known as Mother Nature’s StairMaster; the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge; and Quarry Rock lookout in Deep Cove.

Those with a need for speed grab a mountain bike and burn rubber on backwoods trails. Mt. Seymour, Mt. Fromme and

Meghan and Mat make their way back from Quarry Rock viewpoint on a well-established trail. Photo by KK Law

Cypress Mountain offer paved, gravel and plank-covered paths ranging from relaxed cross-country to extreme downhill. If you’re a first timer looking for a little guidance, companies such as Endless Biking (page 64) can set you up with an instructor and guide.

If a city bike is more your style, 10 km (6 mi) of paved trails await on the car-free Seymour Valley Trailway. Do you have some energy to spare? Peddle the paved roads all the way to the top of both Cypress and Seymour.

Head a little further north, to the Stawamus Chief Park, for hard-core rock-climbing on the second largest granite monolith in the world (think sheer rock face with nowhere to go but up). If you prefer pounding the dirt to dangling from ropes, make your way up and through the mountains via trails, ladders and stairs to either the first, second or third peak. The climb is a bit challenging but the 360-degree views from the top make it well worth the sweat. Before heading back into Vancouver, visit neighbouring Shannon Falls, the third-highest waterfall in British Columbia.

Up in the Air

Challenge your fear of heights on the 137-m- (450-ft-) long Capilano Suspension Bridge, hanging 70 m (230 ft) above the rushing river. This popular attraction with both visitors and locals added a jaw-dropping new feature this year: the Cliffwalk, a cantilevered and suspended walkway that juts out of a granite cliff face. The faint of heart may balk at the glass-bottomed sections, which offer crystal-clear views of the canyon far below.

Feel the wind beneath your wings as you set flight from the top of Grouse Mountain on a tandem paragliding ride with an elevation drop of 1,000 m (3,300 ft). No experience is required but a sense of adventure is a must.

Gear for Here
Stock up on clothing and equipment, for outdoor adventures both big and small, at Mountain Equipment Co-op and the Arc’teryx Factory Store.

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