Its summer, and that means all kinds of fun for Vancouver cyclists. Daily commutes under sunny skies, perfect weather for long weekend road rides, the refreshing cool of the forest trails in Stanley Park and Pacific Spirit Park in the heat of the day. It also means that the summers festival of bike fun is almost upon us: Velopalooza!
So what is Velopalooza? Its a community-driven celebration of biking that was originally inspired by Portlands Pedalpalooza. The goal is simple: promote fun bike rides and events in Vancouver and its surrounds. A quick look back at past Velopaloozas is ample demonstration of how the cycling community has taken this concept to heart. The first two years of the festival offered events that included food-themed rides, costume rides, kid-friendly rides, historic tours, and even a chicken coop route. This years festival runs from July 27th to August 11th.
So whats on the calendar for 2013? Well, its looking pretty rocking at this point even though not all events are listed yet. On the 27th and the 28th, theres the opportunity to join the wonderful Slow Food Cycle Tours in the Fraser Valley. On Aug. 1, you can sign up for a City Lights at Night Ride. If you have sufficient energy, the next day theres a Bike Art Crafternoon (the Space Babe edition, no less) and a Bike Art Night ride in the evening.
On Aug. 3, theres my personal favourite: a 19 and over brewery tour (just be careful how much you imbibe before getting back on the bike). For those looking for a little more of a leg stretch the Vancouver Bicycle Club (whom I highly recommend as a friendly and welcoming cycling group), invites newcomers on their Sunday Leisure Ride the following day. Through the following week theres a gelato-tasting ride, a ride that celebrates moving stuff (and kids) on cargo bikes, trikes and trailers, and a variety of local rides.
Not tempted by any of the above events? Youre also invited to submit your own rides at velopalooza.ca. Your ride can feature anything youre passionate about: food, green spaces, local history, costumes or even raising awareness for a particular cause. All you need to do is come up with an idea, figure out where youre starting, what route youre going to take and how long it will take to ride, and then post to the Velopalooza calendar.
If youve never led a ride before, its actually easier than you might think. The most important things are to be welcoming, as flexible as you need to be, and willing to keep an eye on your group to ensure that no one gets left behind.
Ive been kicking around some ideas for rides that might be fun to add to the calendar. At the moment Im leaning toward combining my love of bikes and libraries, and planning a tour of Vancouver Public Library branches by bike. What do you think? What themes would you like to see that arent already on the calendar? Send suggestions my way, or better yet, plan your own ride to celebrate cycling with fellow bikers this summer.
Kay Cahill is a cyclist and librarian who believes bikes are for life, not just for commuting. Contact her at [email protected].
