SUMMER VERTEX FOR ROAD CYCLING

DRY HEAT MADE FOR SOME GREAT RIDES IN ALL DIRECTIONS BUT UP

By PETER THOMAS BUSCH

The spring had been so cold and windy that the weather cycle carried on into the first weeks of summer. 

The clear skies and the dry heat finally snapped in place this week though, making for some great rides on the road bicycle.

I had been hammering the Horseshoe Bay run every sunny day – and there being so few of those sunny days that I went out into partial sun and cloud skies, and then also even if I thought the rain cloud would be over there when I rode over here.

I got the rollercoaster ride down to 2 hours and 8 minutes. And I did that a few more times until my interest waned a bit.

So, I added two more rides to the options available.

On Saturday I crossed the Burrard Street Bridge from the West End, and headed west down the West Point Grey cycling road into Jericho and then up into the UBC Endowment Lands. I usually turn left at Thunderbird Stadium and then head back into Kits before doing an extra lap or two of Stanley Park, but I had decided to continue straight on Southwest Marine Drive and head into Richmond via the Arthur Laing Bridge and along Sea Island Way (with a short bridge).

Of course, the turnaround point always depends on how you feel during the ride and how you feel at the time you finally get there, but I had planned all along on looping around the Olympic Oval in Richmond and then coming back into Vancouver over the Skytrain pedestrian bridge by following River Road from the Richmond Oval. 

So, that is exactly what I did.

The ride back up Cambie Street into the Downtown is a bit of a climb, but once you get to the apex just passed Oakridge, the ride is all downhill beginning with Queen Elizabeth Park and Cambie Village, and then City Hall. 

I rode hard at UBC down Southwest Marine Drive and into Richmond. And so, I eased off a bit climbing Cambie Street, and then eventually relaxed on the downhill at King Edward.

I wanted to go riding on Sunday again, so I made sure to eat well and replenish my liquids once I got home.

On Sunday, I headed over the Lions Gate Bridge in the northbound shared use sidewalk and cranked a hard right back under the bridge into North Vancouver.

A wide community paved shared path allows cyclists, joggers strollers and skateboarders to avoid the busy streets almost to the intersection of Third Avenue.

I debate whether to take Third Avenue all the way to the Second Narrows Bridge (Ironworkers Memorial Bridge) or to take Marine Drive onto Esplanade Avenue passed the Lonsdale Quay every time I get to this junction in North Vancouver. On this day I decided to take Third Avenue which offers a huge descent onto Cotton Road and Main Street, on the other side of an incremental climb, of course.

Again, once at the Second Narrows Bridge there is the option to cross over the bridge and come back into East Vancouver passed New Brighton Community Pool or keep heading towards Mount Seymour.

I had decided that morning before I left the apartment to go to Deep Cove. And so that is what I did.

You have to kind of gingerly crank it a bit here along Main Street to get through the lane of merging bridge traffic and under the bridge on-ramps through to the Dollarton Highway, but you can do it safely, even though the bicycle lane stops before the bridge and then starts again on the other side of the bridge, because the motor vehicles usually have to slow down to merge with other vehicles getting onto the bridge.

There is a long gradual climb along Dollarton, but the workout is refreshing being so near the waters of Burrard Inlet. Here, like switching back into East Vancouver along the docks, cyclists get a real sense of the working class neighbourhoods, made for people working the docks and running the tugboats and counting the sheets of lumber at the sawmills along the Burrard Inlet and the Fraser River.

Deep Cove is a good roundabout as a decent little tourist spot, with pubs and restaurants as well as a waterfront park and walking paths. But on Sunday, I wanted another great workout so I looped around right away and headed out of Deep Cove central as suddenly as I had arrived.

Once you get out of the tiny tourist area, there is still a bit of a gradual climb along Deep Cove Road.

But once you get to Dollarton there is an awesome descent back towards Second Narrows Bridge.

I really like the ride through East Vancouver and Gastown. So, I headed over the Second Narrows Bridge, instead of making my way back through North Vancouver to the Lions Gate Bridge.

Oddly enough these two additional cycling routes take approximately the same amount of time as the Horseshoe Bay route, even though the way in seems longer and actually might be longer and more difficult fitness wise.

Especially compared to getting to the Richmond Olympic Oval, the way back into Vancouver seems about half of the original effort.

I headed back to the Horseshoe Bay Rollercoaster ride the next evening.

In this selfie, I seem to have gained a bit of weight from weight training all winter. I also use sports sun screen so I always have that winter glow about me. And you also see a bit of shock and awe after learning earlier in the day that I won an important trial for my client. But really, I am doing just fine.