HUB Cycling is gearing up for this year’s Bike the Night ride and organizers anticipate the Sept. 15 event will attract more than 5,000 cyclists.
Last year, about 3,500 participated.
It’s modelled on Montreal’s “Tour la Nuit,” which has run for two decades. That event, put on by Vélo Québec, is so popular it boasts 15,000 participants, including cyclists from around the globe.
Tracy Wilkins, special events manager for HUB Cycling, said the hope is that eventually the Vancouver ride will become as successful.
Bike the Night, presented by MEC, involves a 10-kilometre route starting at Concord Pacific Place. It winds its way through city streets, including Burrard Bridge.
Billed as a “slow roll” through the city, it’s meant for cyclists of all ages and abilities, who are encouraged to wear costumes and decorate their bikes with lights.
Wilkins said it’s not a race. It’s designed to help people become more comfortable with riding at night since one of the known barriers to cycling is a fear of travelling on the streets after it gets dark.
The City of Vancouver has helped make the event possible.
On March 14, council approved a total of $200,000 worth of funding and in-kind services for two mass bike rides — Bike the Night and another cycling event called Our City Ride, which is being held in August. (Our City Ride festival takes place from 1 to 8 p.m., Aug. 18, at David Lam Park, with the ride starting at 5 p.m. It’s free for those under 18, and $20 for those over 18. More information can be found HERE.)
When the funding was approved, Mayor Gregor Robertson said he expected the popularity of such events to increase over time in light of the growth of cycling in the Vancouver.
“I think we’ve seen good success out of the gate with these big bike rides and there’s obviously a real appetite [for them],” he said. “The education piece, I think, is really critical here. And, if you compare us to many other big cities around the world, we’re still not at the [same] level in terms of big public bike rides that are available to citizens."
HUB said its surveys have found that people who take part in Bike the Night use their bikes more often after the ride.
Bike the Night’s pre-party starts at 6 p.m., Sept. 15, while the ride gets underway at 8 p.m. Registration is $15 until Sept. 1st after which the fee increases. The $15 includes access to the ride, one entry to win a grand prize from MEC as well as other prizes, and an admission to the kick-off party with live music, free bike tune-ups and decorating, relay races, free snacks, giveaways and entertainment. Youth 16 and under can ride for free.
Cyclists who sign up at bikethenight.ca before July 31st will also be entered to win a Pannier form Two Wheel Gear.
More information about Bike the Night can be found HERE.
