It's one thing to want to ride your bike more, but quite another to get up the nerve to do it on some of the city's busy streets.
The Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition is hosting a Streetwise Cycling workshop in Burnaby, at t he Bonsor Community Centre, on Sept. 25 from 1 to 5:30, to help people learn more about urban riding.
Before participating in one of the workshops, local resident Paula MacLean had never ridden her bike to work before, had only ever cycled on trails and was nervous to try streets shared with cars.
"I think you need to have the right conditions to set yourself up for success. I feel safer having attended the workshop, and I'm sure when I'm out cycling I'll be more confident knowing what the rules are and how to react in certain situation."
Traffic congestion was what tipped the balance for MacLean.
"I would get so stressed out everyday, so I've been thinking about riding my bike to work for a few months now," she said. "I get inspired when I see other people doing it".
The coalition has trained nearly 300 people in Metro Vancouver this year; the workshop includes classroom and on-road training to learn about the safest place on the road to ride, how to maneuver a bike effectively, communicate with other road users, handle riding at night and in the rain, and more. It's a fun and interactive way to gain the skills and confidence to need to enjoy riding in the city.
The experience had a lasting impact on MacLean, and she encourages others to take the plunge.
"The information that I took in from the workshop helped me understand what to do and how to react in many situations on my bike. I also like the fact that I now know what to wear in all kinds of weather when riding my bike."
Biking for transportation is gaining popularity in Metro Vancouver, and has the unique ability to be both a health program and provide cost savings at the same time (no gym fees or gas pump gauging).
The Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition (VACC) is a staff-run, volunteer-driven non-profit society whose members work to improve conditions for cycling in the Lower Mainland. The VACC promotes cycling for everyone through advocacy, education and events.
For more information and registration, see www.vacc.bc.ca/streetwise.
