Vancouver Island is a great place to live and visit, especially in summer when the days are long and the sun is shining. Today, the Times Colonist introduces a new series highlighting some of our favourite summertime activities — things we think everyone should try to fit in before fall comes around again. First up: Go for a bike ride.
Victoria is blessed with a climate that makes cycling pleasant most days, but in the summer, the region is practically begging to be enjoyed by bike.
With the popular Galloping Goose Regional Trail connecting downtown Victoria to the West Shore, the Lochside Regional Trail extending to the Saanich Peninsula and an ever-expanding network of bike lanes in the core, Greater Victoria has earned itself a reputation as a cycling destination.
You can follow the coastline keeping your eyes peeled for seals, river otters and, if you get really lucky, even whales, or challenge yourself on the hills of Munn Road if a suffer fest is more your style.
At Pedaler Cycling Tours and Rentals on Belleville Street, the summer months can see lineups of up to 50 people waiting to get their hands on a bike.
“We generally go from a shop full of bikes to a shop completely empty within a couple of hours,” said manager Luke Murphy.
The shop is busy with tourists coming off cruise ships, but also hosts locals for guided tours such as an e-bike food tour and “hoppy hour” brewery tour.
The store often recommends taking a coastal route around the region, which includes the Dallas Road bike path, Murphy’s favourite place to ride.
“Riding down Dallas Road never gets old. No matter what the weather is — whether it’s clear or whether it’s windy, whether it’s hot, whether it’s cold. The Dallas Road bike path is just gorgeous, easy, carefree riding,” he said.
Ander Gat, owner of Cycle B.C. Rentals and Tours, said he often recommends a Dallas Road loop also, from Fisherman’s Wharf to Cattle Point, but for those looking for a longer ride, he suggests taking the Lochside trail to Sidney, about 25 kilometres one way.
Sidney makes for a great destination for lunch and a walk by the ocean to shake out the legs after riding for a couple of hours.
The ride takes you past highlights such as Mattick’s Farm, Mount Douglas/PKOLS, Michell’s Farm Market and Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse.
While the Galloping Goose gets a lot of attention, it’s not the first place Gat would send someone.
“It doesn’t really start to get good until you get about 20 kilometres out. And I also feel like you kind of have to be like an intermediate cyclist to do it,” he said.
That’s because once the trail passes Langford, the area becomes quite rural, and cyclists need to be self-sufficient if anything goes wrong, like a flat tire.
That said, riding the entire 55-kilometre Galloping Goose trail from Victoria to the ghost town of Leechtown, north of Sooke, is a goal for some.
Highlights along the way include the Welland Community Orchard, home to nearly 200 fruit trees and vines, Thetis Lake Regional Park, Matheson Lake Regional Park, Roche Cove Regional Park and the Sooke Potholes.
With so many great outdoor destinations in the region, it’s easy to access hiking trails and lakes by bike.
Victoria resident Elaine Kennedy took advantage of good weather over the Canada Day long weekend to bike out to Thetis Lake with a friend and go for a dip.
“You can get out of town in, you know, 10 minutes. You don’t have to get in the car. You can just ride your bike out of town. That is great,” she said.
Kennedy said she noticed the flowers along her most recent ride, but she always sees something different. One day, she might spot a rabbit, and the next it’s a new flower.
“It’s never the same.”
Ken Denman, an avid cyclist who lives in North Saanich, was enjoying a sunny day on the trails over the long weekend. While he gets out on his bike more in the summer, he loves that he can ride all year round.
He said he does most of his cycling on quiet roads on the Saanich Peninsula.
“We just like to get out,” he said.
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