One of the greatest privileges of living in Vancouver, aside from enjoying a peaceful, democratic society, is being a part of this immensely bike-friendly city. I admit that I was late to the Biking Is Awesome party. Stories of bikes pilfered from their racks - lovingly locked up tight and minding their own business, when interrupted by someone with the unfortunate combination of bolt-cutters and ill intentions – deterred me. Witnessing near-misses – between big, burly vehicles and cyclists clad only in a summer dress – scared me. Arriving to a party with hair askew and a sweat glow – well, I figured there wouldn’t be many invitations after that appearance.
And then one day I just threw off my mental shackles and got into it. I invested in a used bike, a solid lock, and a semi-fashionable but safe helmet and took my bike for a spin. The breeze was pleasant. Working my muscles felt good. And arriving at my destination in a better mood than when I started? Well, that was priceless. Better yet, I realized that the only person that minded my less-than-perfect party appearance was myself.
Now, I admit that I am a fairweather cyclist. If the day is warm and dry, I relish the opportunity to budget extra time into my Saturday so that I can bike from grocery store to yoga studio. If the night is calm and cool, I’ll bike to a concert or even the movies.As I biked the city last summer, going farther and farther, exploring new bike routes and advancing to bike-friendly roads, I had a revelation: the city felt smaller. Distances that I had only driven in a car felt shorter and more approachable when I tackled them using human power. I felt like the city had become my tightly-arranged oyster. I discovered that there were pearls everywhere.One of my favourite excuses to bike is by taking part in some of the fantastic events that thrive in Vancouver’s hippest enclaves. Upcoming bike-friendly events that are worth checking out, or mentally storing in your 2013 calendar are below:
The list goes on. So start exploring. To find out how accessible this city really is, check out this very helpful Metro Vancouver bike-route map. It’s interactive, so you can uncover layer upon layer of awesome, bike-related info.If you need a little last minute motivation, just play the Queen song that’s been buried in your iTunes for too long:
Bicycle! Bicycle! Bicycle!
I want to ride my Bicycle! Bicycle! Bicycle!
I want to ride my bicycle,
I want to ride my bike,
I want to ride my bicycle,
I want to ride it where I like.
Anna Warshawski
