Stanley Park Ride

I enjoy road rides.  I have mentioned previously how I do some of my best thinking on my bike.  My preference are quiet, rolling country roads but these are difficult to find for city riders.

I have my favorite rides and over the years have developed criteria for selecting a suitable route.  This is what I take into consideration:

• The ride must be within a 30 minute drive from the house.  Otherwise, it will take all day and I will be driving as much, or more, than riding.
• There has to be little or no traffic.  Cars are a menace to bikers so I prefer to minimize the chance of any accident.  I keep to traffic calmed streets and bike paths whenever possible in the city.  Fortunately, Vancouver has an extensive network of bikeways.
• There must be stimulating scenery, something to look at and enjoy throughout the ride.
• There must be a combination of flat, technical and hilly terrain.  I ride to train and like to test myself on each and every ride.
• I look for rides that are 40-50 KM in length.  These can be completed within 2 hours.  Although I like longer rides, I can ride more frequently if I select shorter routes.
• And, there must a café enroute.  At the end of a 2-3 hour ride, I like to relax with a coffee and my feet up.

One of my favorite rides is in and around Vancouver’s Stanley Park.  I have been doing this ride for over 30 years, usually early Sunday morning before the seawall and road are busy.  From the house and back, it is 40-50 km depending on how many laps I complete.  I usually ride around the seawall and then a lap, perhaps 2, around the road.  The seawall is flat and, if there is no congestion, somewhat technical.  The road includes a short, steep climb (64 metres)and an exhilarating descent.  I live atop Little Mountain so I also have a 3 km climb (152 metres) back to the house.

The Stanley Park ride meets all of the criteria listed above.  I don’t need to drive anywhere,  the scenery is beautiful, there is no traffic, the terrain is varied, I can complete 40-50 km within 2 hours and there are a number of neighborhood cafés when I finish the climb up Little Mountain.