5 posts tagged “vancouver bike club”
This Past Saturday the Vancouver Bike Club did a Great Ride where we slowly climbed up hill in Burnaby and rode down Downhill in a Trail Setting for a few k. My Bicycle preformed well in off rode setting and made understand some of the things I read about bake fade with mechanical disk brakes. Over all I was happy with bicycle and the ride although I felt a bit dehydrated by the end the ride. The Ride was about 36k round trip (use map pointer to see full route)
The day trip started with a simple premise 4 persons on Bicycles ride through Sannich on their way to to Victoria and stop for lunch and return to the ferry terminal which would make for nice day trip. Living thought the ride felt more like a living a Live Eposide of The Amazing Race than a Vancouver Bike Club Day Ride.
Sannich Loop Two Tail looks like fairly flat 80 k day trip from the map posted on the Internet.
Visually it is a great ride which takes you thought the Rolling Hills of Sannich with great views of both Water Landscapes to West and Young Vineyards to East the only problem is there are no road based signs marking the Cycling Route.
So one wrong turn and you are going north when you would have been better off going south. After some careful map reading the group decided to turn around and head to Mount Newton Cross Road back to Sindey to join the Lochside Trail then it was a quick spirit to Victoria where we just made it for the last lunch sitting at Pagliacci"s (Learn about the Opera at this Link) in Victoria and then race back to Tswwassen for the 6pm ferry. Us and our Bicycles were the very last passengers that boarded the ferry. Based our estimates the group road at least 98k in about 5.5hrs of Riding so thats about 18k and hour and we burned at least 4500 calories. It was a fun ride to say the least.
Wow Sometime things just seem to work out better then you could ever plan them . This Saturdays Vancouver Bike Club at the spur of the moment decided to bike to the Burnaby Velodrome. Eleven Bike Club Members set out for a Saturday Bike Ride to Iona Breach club a tried and true destination but I would suggest something different a ride to the Burnaby Velodrome near Simon Fraser University I read on the net Velodrome Track was having a May Days event open to the public.
So at the start of the ride I took a vote 8 people voted to go the Velodrome. That was the Good News but there was a problem for me I did not now exactly how get to the our new chosen destination. Thats were the Team work came in Ben who came from his first ride in a while said he pretty much new the way. Also Cameron as always has a great sense of Bike Routs in the Greater Vancouver area. Neil had his maps and back up GPS system and it was time for the start the ride. It was Overcast sky's but the streets were dry.
We headed east thought the Adanac Street Bike Route to Frances/Union Bike way via Cliff Ave to Barnet Road to the Velodrome there were some hills during the ride but nothing too bad. As we approached the Velodrome there was a short steep hill we had to climb to enter the Velodrome Parking Area. The lot was full of cars but we did not see a any sign of bicycles and there were no bike racks to lock up to. We locked the bike to some posts and into the Velodrome bubble we went. After a short walk to the viewing area I saw my first ever in person bike sprinting going on live in front me.
There were about 25 Riders in Bright Colored Jersey's Speeding around the 200 meter Track in Fixed Gear Bikes as a team member did a hand off they (there were Women and Men on the Track at the same time) would push the other rider forward like a small catapult. The Club watched the racers and got some snacks and turned the whole proccess around for the most part and where back in Vancouver by 1:30 it was about a 45k ride total and I am really glad I did it.
Last Week Club Ride Was a Classic. A Quartet of Committed Riders Start In Kits ride thought East Van Over the Second Narrows Bridge Stop At the Sea Bus Sation for coffee and over the Lions Gate back to Vancouver and it rained for the full 3 plus hours of the ride
Saturday was the start of the Spring Cycling Season for Vancouver Bicycle Club. A Group of 11 Riders Started out from our Kits Meeting starting point to Ride Up the UBC Hill sprinted across the UBC campus parkway to 33 Ave back up to the Top of Point Gray Hill where you saw Cherry Blossoms blooming on almost every tree lined streets, back down the hill back to Kits Beach over the Burrard Street Bridge to the Round House Community Center.
I learned from the riders with bike computers and GPS uints on board that we rode about 31K with 530 meters of elevation gain at a pace 17 K per and hour when we where riding. Next time I hit streets I will plan a more concrete route. The Club Social was a great success with 18 people either joining or rejoining the club. I expect lots of other great rides this spring with the club.
