British Columbia, Canada’s most
westerly province, is situated between the
Rocky Mountains on the east and the Pacific
Ocean on the west. It is bordered to the
south by the USA (Washington and Idaho)
and to the north by the Northwest and Yukon
territories.
The combination of sea and mountains and
the ragged coastline with hundreds of islands
and inlets offers plenty of natural attractions
and recreational opportunities. More...
British Columbia, Canada’s most
westerly province, is situated between the
Rocky Mountains on the east and the Pacific
Ocean on the west. It is bordered to the
south by the USA (Washington and Idaho)
and to the north by the Northwest and Yukon
territories.
The combination of sea and mountains and
the ragged coastline with hundreds of islands
and inlets offers plenty of natural attractions
and recreational opportunities. It is especially
attractive to cyclists because of its great
outdoors and good infrastructure of ferries,
charter boats, trains and well-maintained
roads. The combination of all these attributes
makes access to wilderness spots in British
Columbia easy and convenient.
The provincial capital is the city of Victoria,
situated on the southern tip of Vancouver
Island, although the largest and most populated
city of British Columbia is Vancouver.
British Columbia’s cycling landscape
can be divided into three major regions,
each defined by significant geographic features:
The South Coast including Vancouver Island,
the Interior, and the Rocky Mountains.
Cycle beside some of Canada's most beautiful
garden landscape, man-made or natural in
the South Coastal Region, or head for the
Rocky Mountains to challenge your climbing
skills and enjoy spectacular views. If you
enjoy wine tasting, visit the interior for
the wine country that has become a favorite
spot for cyclists. Less...
The best time to visit British Columbia for cycling
is from spring to mid autumn. The coastal
areas in the south and Vancouver Island
are best to visit between late June and
mid-September.
The Rockies can get hot in the summer, but
in higher elevations temperatures between
late June and early September are comfortable,
whereas the lower elevation of the southern
interior can get hot in the summer. Less...
How to Get There
If you are traveling by air, you will most
likely arrive at Vancouver International
Airport. From the airport you have several
transportation options to get where you
are going. The airport is about 8 miles
(13 km) south of downtown Vancouver.
There are a number of bus services running
between the airport, the city centre and
other Alberta destinations. Public bus
#98 B connects the airport to Downtown
Vancouver and leaves from the Airport
Station Bus Terminal near the Delta Hotel.
The station is connected to the airport
by bus #424. The Airporter provides a
regular service to downtown hotels, the
Canada Place cruise ship terminal, the
bus depot and train station (C$12). There
are also scheduled bus services to the
resorts of Whistler, Vancouver Island
and destinations in nearby Washington
State. Taxi cabs are available outside
the airport terminals.
If you are traveling by car and plan
to stay at one location from which you
will engage in your cycling activities,
check our DESTINATION
RIDES cycling pages for local routes. Less...
Climate and Weather
BC's climate is varied due to its diverse topography.
The coastal region has a mild winter climate
with lots of rainfall. November and February
are the wettest months, while May and
September are the best times to visit
the coast.
Vancouver enjoys a maritime climate, which
means mild winters and warm summers. Although
winters can be very rainy, there are often
long periods of continuous sunshine in
the summertime. Snowfall is rare in the
city, but it is more than adequate for
ski slopes on the Coast Mountains to the
north.
The interior to the east of the Coast
Mountains has a drier climate with warm
summers and cool winters.
The Rockies usually have a warm to hot
summer from May to September and heavy
snowfalls during winter. The northern
part of the province has generally much
colder winters and cooler summers than
the rest of BC.
Summer months (June – August) enjoy
the least amount of precipitation, while
the early spring and winter months have
the most. Less...
The Roads
Roads in British Columbia are cyclist-friendly.
Most British Columbia’s motorists
are very tolerant of cyclists. Of course,
it is always recommended you ride defensively
and obey all traffic rules.
The surfaces of British Columbia roads
are generally in good condition. However,
on some of the mountain roads (especially
in the Rockies), you may encounter an
occasional road hazard in the form of
cracked pavement, pothole, gravel or sand.
Paved shoulders on rural roads and in
the mountains are minimal or non-existent
and some have rumble strips (grooves ground
into the pavement to alert swerving drivers),
which can be very dangerous for a cyclist. Less...
