Cycling // Vancouver

Back in the saddle

2008-08-09T15:44:00.009-07:00

I've neglected cycling in Vancouver recently for several reasons...

Visits from family and friends
A couple of weekends away at the inaugural Whistler and Pemberton Music Festivals
A road trip to Calgary over the BC Day long weekend

But this week, I've been back in the saddle on my favourite 30km time-trial circuit.

It has been pretty hot in Vancouver recently, so my first time out on the bike was hard work. I was sweating buckets and my legs screamed all the way round.

But today was a BIG improvement. For the first time, I managed to complete the circuit in less than one hour.

Although there was a strong southerly breeze that hindered my progress down the "back straight" on Marine Drive, this was more than offset by the advantage the wind gave me going north up the hill on Cypress Street.

Cycling up Seymour Mountain

2008-06-02T21:58:00.004-07:00

Last weekend I cycled up Cypress Mountain... this weekend I conquered Seymour Mountain in North Vancouver.

Biking up Seymour Mountain Road was possibly the most challenging ride I've done to date in Canada.

It wasn't the distance (a mere 12.5km from the base at Mount Seymour Parkway)... more the gradient that tested me.

And the heat.

Although it was only 18C, the winding road up was very sheltered from the wind -- so my body slowly roasted all the way to the summit.

Once at the top, though, the remaining snow brought much welcome relief...

Click here for the full route in detail.

Next challenge: Cycling up Seymour Mountain AND Cypress Mountain in one day.

Cycling up Cypress Mountain

2008-05-28T20:14:00.003-07:00

Last weekend I finally realized my ambition of cycling up Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver.

And wow, was it ever one of the best cycling trips in BC...

I set off from Kits around 9h30, and went through downtown via Burrard, Pender, and Georgia Streets, before cycling through Stanley Park and over the Lions' Gate Bridge.

Then I took my usual route through West Vancouver along Marine Drive before heading up 21st Street.

This was the first real climb of the day -- and possibly the most challenging due to the gradient. After a couple of kilometers, I reached the Upper Levels Highway and progressed one exit west before starting the proper ascent up Cypress.

The weather was glorious, and I'm afraid to say I got slightly sunburned. But it made for a great view over the city...

I reached the summit at midday and enjoyed the cooling breeze from the wind coming off the mountain snow for half an hour or so.

After a rapid descent, I continued west on the Upper Levels Highway to Horseshoe Bay, where I (ahem) had a little sleep in a very comfy chair by the water.

Woken 45 minutes later by the 15h00 ferry departing, I wearily made my way home.

Total distance: 91 kilometers / 57 miles
Click here for the route in detail.

Cycling by the Pacific

2008-05-02T19:15:00.003-07:00

The Pacific Ocean surrounding Vancouver is incredible.

Cycling along the coast here is even better.

I was lucky enough to do so on three consecutive nights this week -- basically doing this route, or a slight variation of it.

The weather is getting better now as summer approaches... and I'm looking forward to conquering Cypress Mountain soon.

Bring it on.

Vancouver Sun Run

2008-04-25T17:15:00.008-07:00

No, I didn't take part.

Yes, I did cycle round and watch everyone else.

It's funny, really... the prospect of cycling 80km+ in a day makes me want sleep in my Lycras so I can leap out of bed in the morning and get going right away (after inhaling a massive bowl of Raisin Bran, a banana, and a cup of tea, of course).

But running 10km..?

Hmmm... not so much, thanks.

So a big hats off to the 55,000-odd who made the effort last Sunday.

Actually, I'm sure I would have enjoyed the Sun Run, had I done it.

The atmosphere was super... although it was so obviously a Vancouver event as most of the runners seemed to be carrying Starbucks cups, pushing strollers, and/or accompanied by Chihuahuas.

What makes a good weekend?

2008-04-15T18:41:00.018-07:00

There's nothing better than a weekend that's so utterly exhausting because you've simply been up to so much fun stuff!

This weekend was one such good'un... because it included pretty much all my favourite things in the world:

- Cycling (natch)
- Sunshine
- A few pints of real ale
- Live music
- Good company

... and the best part was, it all just... happened... without any plans.

Saturday was a glorious day. The best of the year so far.

I woke up positively roasting in my bed as the sun beamed through my east-facing window. That was lovely... except I felt like the curry I'd eaten on Friday night was seeping out of my skin.

Anyway...

The weather provided plenty of incentive to get up and out on my bike (and cleanse myself of evil morning-after garlic). I decided to do a fairly lengthy ride... so, I went for this route.

(I was inspired by a big Vancouver cycling event that took place last weekend called the Pacific Populaire. It followed a very similar route, but sadly I didn't actually take part in it.)

It was a fantastic ride. Highlights included:

- The ever-beautiful, fast, undulating SW Marine Drive in Vancouver
- Watching the planes land at YVR
- Feeling like I was in rural farm country along the banks of the Fraser River in Richmond, despite being only a few miles from the city
- Getting mildly sunburned
- Arriving home, thoroughly cream crackered, to watch playoff hockey on Hockey Night in Canada

Sunday was a completely different, but equally enjoyable, day... as I went to one of the best gigs I've seen in years: The John Butler Trio.

They played a free outdoor set in Whistler village. There was something quite surreal about basking in the warm spring sunshine at the bottom of a snow covered mountain surrounded by skiers and snowboarders.

And the performance itself was simply incredible... (it included perhaps the most outrageous percussion solo I've ever witnessed).

I particularly loved the rendition of this tune, too:

Cycling: The Lions' Gate Bridge

2008-03-09T22:36:00.009-07:00

I love cycling over Vancouver's Lions' Gate Bridge.

Of course, the views are fantastic... but what I really appreciate about cycling on it (as opposed to being in a car or bus) is being able to stop and take in the magnificent panorama.

Peddling some 200ft above the ocean whilst surrounded by the Downtown Vancouver skyline, North Shore mountains, and the majestic trees of Stanley Park really does get the heart pumping.

Just a shortish ride this weekend. Here's the route. 34km to Lonsdale Quay and back.

I (now) know why I crashed last summer...

2008-03-03T19:22:00.018-08:00

August Bank Holiday Weekend 2007: It was Friday morning, I'd finished most of my articles for the week, the sun was shining, and I was getting ready to go to Yorkshire for the long weekend.

I was due to catch a mid-afternoon train, so decided I had time for a quick 20-mile morning bike ride. Nothing too strenuous... just a brief tour of the South Derbyshire countryside.

I donned my Lycra, filled my water bottle, buttered myself with sun lotion, and got my bike out.

But then... it all went a bit belly up. Or rather, I did.

As I pulled out of the drive onto the road, I attempted to accelerate up the hill towards Findern Green. After five or six rotations, and at a speed of 14-15 mph, I pushed down on the left pedal only for all my energy to be transferred into... nothing.

The pedal disappeared beneath my leg, my body collapsed forward, and I ended up with a face full of brick wall -- and a bike sticking out my arse (sort of).

Thankfully, a very kind fella (whose name I never caught) was cycling behind me and stopped to help me up. Of course, I was only about 50 metres from home, which was... ideal, I guess.

What wasn't ideal was my blood-soaked leg and the deep gash in my left knee. (I won't post pictures, but can assure you it was pretty disgusting.)

At the time, I thought the crash was simply because my bike chain had slipped between the front cogs leaving me with nothing to peddle on.

Only now (six months later), do I suspect this wasn't the case...

You see, after the crash I didn't ride again before I moved to Canada in late September, and my bike has since remained unused. I thought it had escaped the crash with only superficial damage...

But recently, my brother tried riding it and found it impossible to select any gear.

It seems the rear derailleur suffered a complete and sudden failure. Which meant I was essentially cycling on thin air when I crashed. Like driving a car in neutral.

Three things:

1. I don't know why this happened because I'm no expert on bike mechanics. Sometimes things break, I suppose. Perhaps it was because my bike had been through a lot of stress last summer, what with our gruelling trip through the French Alps, and all...

2. I'm very glad I fell to the left and into a wall. If I'd gone the other way, I would have most probably been consumed by an oncoming bus.

3. Cycling can be scary sometimes.

Cycling: Horseshoe Bay round trip

2008-03-01T18:00:00.005-08:00

I enjoyed last week's ride through West Vancouver to Horseshoe Bay (and then on to Bowen Island) so much that I decided to do it again today.

Well, not all of it... just the 62km (38-mile) round trip to Whytecliffe Park near Horseshoe Bay.

I love this route.

Marine Drive has everything for a good half-day's cycling: moderately challenging hills, sweeping hairpins, spectacular views, and very little traffic.

No wonder so many other cyclists were also out soaking up the sun on this fine, early spring day.

Click here for the full route.

Cycling: West Vancouver and Bowen Island

2008-02-26T18:33:00.007-08:00

Last week, I wrote about a good day of cycling in Vancouver, saying it was one of the best medium-length cycle rides I've ever done.

Well, forget that.

This weekend's 83km (52-mile) ride was far better!

I think it's best to let the route speak for itself, so here it is in two parts:

1. Kitsilano to Horseshoe Bay via Downtown, Stanley Park, and West Vancouver (and back again).
2. A tour of Bowen Island.

You can see pictures of the ride here.

The weather was great, the conditions were perfect, and the scenery was spectacular. I particularly enjoyed the undulating Marine Drive by the sea in West Vancouver. And the sound of silence on Bowen Island was bliss (apart from when I was talking to myself...)

Other highlights included:

The 20-minute ferry ride between Horseshoe Bay and Snug Cove. Stunning.
Riding with other cyclists along Marine Drive early on Sunday morning.
Buying my ferry ticket from a Geordie lady at the BC Ferries ticket office.

A quick 28km (17.5 miles) after work

2008-02-20T17:27:00.013-08:00

Tuesday was another glorious day in Vancouver and I seized the opportunity to take a few snaps of the Coal Harbour area during my lunch break. Check them out here.

Of course, this got me excited about a quick bike ride after work and the potential sunset over the Pacific.

However, it didn't quite turn out as I thought. As I made my way home at about 4pm, a thick blanket a fog suddenly descended on the city, masking the Downtown high rise buildings and the North Shore Mountains.

At first, I was disappointed about the fading prospect of a decent sunset... but I still got my bike out and did this route.

Although the sunset I'd imagined earlier didn't materialise, the eerie mist sweeping through Pacific Spirit Regional Park was equally majestic and enjoyable.

This photo doesn't really do it justice, but it does give a sense of the isolation I felt as I cycled round Marine Drive.

(Admittedly, there was quite a bit of traffic at that time of night on what is a wide, fast road. But the surreal conditions made it easy to escape into my own world.)

And at the risk of sounding like a character from a Jane Austen novel, the sea air really does do wonders for one's spirit.

As I made my way back into the residential areas of Vancouver it was lovely to see so many other cyclists enjoying the evening. (Thanks to all those that said "Hi" as we passed each other!)

Approximate stats for the journey:

Distance: 28.1km / 17.5 miles (I'm going with metric first now, seeing as I'm in Canada, after all.)
Time in the saddle: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Average speed: 22.5 km/h / 14 mph

A breath-taking ride around Vancouver

2008-02-18T18:00:00.008-08:00

Raring to go with my new bike, Sunday presented a marvellous opportunity for exploring Vancouver with a long ride around the city and the North Shore.

It was easily the best day of the year so far -- incredible visibility and about 10C. (Having said that, I did get a few "Blimey, you must be cold, mate" comments from other cyclists when they saw me in just a jersey and shorts.)

I set off toward UBC on 4th Avenue and then followed Marine Drive all around the coast. The views over the ocean were spectacular, particularly the sight of the mountains on Vancouver Island peeking through the distant clouds.

It was also a treat to look out over YVR International Airport. (Of course, no good cycle ride is complete without some aviation action.)

I then cycled north from 70th Avenue up Angus and Cypress Streets. Again, fantastic views as the North Shore mountains sprawled across the horizon, inviting me to continue through Downtown and across the Lions' Gate Bridge. Naturally, I obliged, and proceeded to Lonsdale Quay for a brief rest and a Penguin biscuit before turning home.

One final highlight was seeing two float planes (one taking off, one on final approach) as I made my way back across the bridge and through Stanley Park.

For more details, check out my route here.

I don't have a speedo yet, but the rough stats for the ride are:

Total Distance: 36.4 miles / 58.6 km
Time in the saddle: 2 hours, 50 minutes
Approx average speed: 13 mph / 20.9 kmh

One of the best medium-length cycle rides I've ever done... so I reckon it deserves one of these: http://www.farzadsf1gallery.com/f1_sounds/fancredible.wav.

"Fantastic! Absolutely incredible!"

Five reasons why I haven't posted for AGES...

2008-02-01T20:04:00.000-08:00

1. The weather's been pretty rubbish recently -- hence no cycling and very little running.
2. I still don't have a bike -- again, inhibiting cycling.
3. I've been eating lots of pizza.
4. There's far too much hockey on TV... and I can't help but stick with the Canucks through thick and thin.
5. Away from work, my Internet time has mostly been spent playing with Flickr...

... so on that note, here are some pretty Vancouver pictures:

... and one Vancouver photo that is slightly cycling related:

Hooray for pretty pictures!

Snowy Vancouver: A Winter Wonderland...

2007-12-02T17:53:00.000-08:00

(... for a day or two, at least.)

Yep, two days of snow - and now it's raining again. So the winter wonderland will soon become slush city. But it was fun while it last this weekend.

There are loads of Vancouver snow photos out there on the Net already, but I thought I might as well add my own efforts. Here's one looking west down 14th Avenue from Dunbar:

And a pretty tree near 14th and Collingwood:

Despite the excitement of it all, though, I'm afraid it didn't take long for me to retreat indoors after a quick walk to take these snaps.

Deep Cove - a new Vancouver adventure!

2007-11-28T19:52:00.000-08:00

Now although I might feel like I know Vancouver and its surrounding area pretty darn well... the truth of the matter is: there's so much I still don't know about the place.

So, it was with great pleasure that I took a trip to the rather magnificent and ever-so-quaint (for this part of the world) Deep Cove last weekend.

(And what a weekend to go - the weather was cracking!)

Deep Cove is in the District of North Vancouver, at the eastern end of the Burrard Inlet and the foot of Mount Seymour (another place I've yet to visit). It's small community in a sheltered fjord which seems a long way away from the city of Vancouver on a quiet, cold, wintery Sunday afternoon. (In fact, it's only about eight miles from Downtown.)

After exploring the neighbourhood and admiring the quite expensive-looking houses on the water's edge, we took a walk through the forest on the mountainside to the Indian Arm lookout point. This proved to be a marvellous location to watch the sun set on such a clear day and although these photos aren't bad, they simply don't do it justice.

Sun in the sky and snow on the mountains

2007-10-23T12:11:00.002-07:00

OK, photos are definitely coming soon, because this blog is going to get somewhat tedious otherwise.

But after what seems like weeks of rain, today we finally had some sunshine! And there was even the first hint of snow on the north shore mountains.

So I took a short three-and-a-half-mile run down to Jericho Beach this morning to soak it all up.

An old cycling video

2007-10-15T20:58:00.000-07:00

I never got round to uploading this one until now. It's from earlier this summer, cycling through Calke Abbey Park in South Derbyshire. Apologies for the shaky camera work - I couldn't be bothered to strap the camera onto my handlebars, so I just held it instead.

Running in Vancouver

2007-10-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

Still no cycling in Vancouver, due to lack of a bike, I'm afraid.

But I did go running to the beach today.

With the warm sun and the dramatic clouds over the peaks of North Vancouver's mountains, it really was lovely stuff.

Cycling in Vancouver

2007-10-01T13:13:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last posted on here, mainly because I haven't done much cycling during the past month.

Firstly, I wasn't particularly helped by injuring my knee and secondly, the small matter of moving to Canada has meant that cycling has been put on a back burner for a while.

But now I'm beginning to re-establish myself in the beautiful city of Vancouver, so a new bike shouldn't be too far away.

In the meantime, what's struck me about the cyclists I've seen here so far, is just how many of them ride at night without lights. Crazy! Especially given the size of the cars and trucks on the roads...

Record time!

2007-08-20T10:40:00.001-07:00

I've been trying to cycle this 16.6-mile route in less than one hour for ages and today I finally managed it. Woo-hoo!

It was a pretty cool morning and there was very little wind, so conditions were ideal.

Final stats:

Distance: 16.61 miles
Average speed: 17.0mph
Time taken: 58min 32sec
Top speed: 35.0mph

Breedon on the Hill

2007-08-09T09:32:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I cycled my (almost) usual route, with the exception that I took a slight detour up to the church in Breedon on the Hill (pictured).

With the weather being so glorious, the views over South Derbyshire and North West Leicestershire from the top of the hill (apparently some 122m above the surrounding area) were fantastic.

I've never been up there before, but on a day like yesterday it was absolutely worth it.

More good weather!

2007-08-06T06:58:00.000-07:00

... hence, more good cycling!

Although there was quite a strong south-westerly wind today, I did manage this route in little more than an hour.

The speedo says: 16.5 miles; 16.0mph average; 1h, 1m and 47sec in the saddle; 34.5mph top speed.

Lovely stuff.

Le Tour de Joie

2007-08-01T06:16:00.001-07:00

So, some more details about our ride through southern France this summer.

First off, here's the route.

323 miles in all - a bit of a lazy man's option compared to the original plan, which was to make it all the way to Marseille and Montpellier (several hundred miles further). But Frejus (in between Cannes and St Tropez) proved too wonderful to leave, so we spent five days there.

A well deserved rest, really, after what had gone before... including the 30km ascent up Col de la Cayolle (2,326m above sea level). It was at the summit of this mighty mountain that we met a couple in their 60s/70s(?) - one of whom was June Pitchford, 11 times British women's cycling champion. I think they said it was their third time up Col de la Cayolle in the space of two weeks.

Needless to say, they were legends and we were humbled.

But although this gruelling climb was our highest of the trip, it was much more preferable to the descent from Col du Lautaret which we had experienced a few days earlier. After reaching the summit at 2,058m we stopped for a spot of lunch in a roadside cafe.

Halfway through our spaghetti bolognese, the weather outside suddenly changed and it began to snow. The ride down to Serre Chevalier was scary to say the least.

Dressed only in shorts, shirt, jacket and fingerless gloves, I lost all feeling in my fingers and toes as we tried to get down off the mountain as quickly as possible without killing ourselves by aquaplaning off the road.

Not recommended!

Back in Blighty

2007-07-20T01:59:00.001-07:00

Having returned from our mini Tour de France through the Alps and along the Riviera (more about that another time when I can be arsed), yesterday I decided to make the most of a brief respite from England's summer of rain. So I had a fantastic 55-mile ride around Derbyshire - see the route here.

Highlights included:

Cycling through Calke Abbey park listening (and singing along) to Prince's Little Red Corvette;
Being passed twice by a super-shiny Ferrari near Donnington Park;
Stumbling upon a Lexus (Lexi?) convention at Kedleston Hall.

Cycling video

2007-04-09T10:20:00.000-07:00

Taken on April 6, 2007 on the road between Ticknall and Ingleby in South Derbyshire.

Best day of the year so far...

2007-04-06T03:57:00.002-07:00

Yesterday was glorious and it would have been a crime not to go out for a fairly substantial bike ride. So Pug and I did this route which included the magnificent Calke Abbey palk (pictured) and, of course, East Midlands Airport.

So, 33 miles in total, in little more than two hours.

Resoundingly not bad.

'A climax of bitterness'

2007-04-04T05:49:00.001-07:00

This deserves a wider audience. My former housemates at the end of their respective tethers.

Dark days.

Cycling training

2007-04-03T02:37:00.000-07:00

I've been pipe dreaming about beating last year's Land's End to John O'Groats trip with an ever bigger bike ride this summer (cycling the route of the Tour de France, anyone?), so I decided I'd better start getting some practice in.

So over the past few weeks I've been aiming for at least 13 miles a day, ideally before breakfast.

This is the route I've been mostly following - a nice figure of 8, with one quite testing hill (mostly due to the volume of traffic and parked cars) in Littleover and a good downhill stretch on Pastures Hill - a video of this to come soon.

Yesterday, however, the Pug and I followed a far more amiable route of a similar distance, which has the added benefits of less traffic and more varied terrain (as much as can be expected for the Trent valley). I think I'll be doing this one more often.

Flickr addiction

2007-01-22T13:38:00.000-08:00

It might have taken a while, but I'm finally getting into Flickr. Isn't t'interweb brilliant?

Tube graffiti - vandalism or art?

2007-01-08T08:59:00.000-08:00

A letter of mine, published on the excellent First Post website.

You can read my letter here, the Newish Man column to which I refer here, and the collection of photos from Camden Town tube station on flickr here.

Clock watching

2006-11-27T13:17:00.000-08:00