Vancouver north shore advice

I did, it was quite a climb and the locals ride like gods.

Looks like ill be over that way middle of the week.  Looking forward to it and a bit scared😜🙄🤣

Im sitting in the sunshine drinking craft beer.  Not ale unfortunately but is ok.

3 days to spend in Vancouver.   Im a bit culture shocked being in a city again.  Hopefully gonna meet a couple of STWers to go riding on Saturday.   What else should i do?  Im based in north Vancouver for the few days.  Worth a bike to get around the city?

If you want to be truly culture shocked, you should go to East Hastings Street / Main Street.

In all seriousness, you could hire a bike and ride around the ‘Seawall’. Either around Stanley Park, or head around to Science World area or even on to Kitsilano. It’s a nice ride if the weather is good. Don’t leave the bike unattended or it will get stolen.

If you can hire a bike in North Van, you can take it on the Seabus at the bottom of Lonsdale which takes you into the city center, or ride over Lions Gate Bridge which takes you to Stanley Park mentioned above.

Ta

I concur with Walleater! There’s also several places to rent city bikes near the entrance to Stanley Park (eg corner of Denman and Georgia St).

Lots of buses from North Shore go over Lions Gate bridge, thru Stanley Park and onto Georgia St so it’s pretty easy to get to on public transport.

On the North Shore itself, I’d suggest getting up to top of Grouse Mountain (hike up Grouse Grind if feeling VERY energetic) or via cable car but only do it if it’s a clear day.

Great views over the city Vancouver Island and into Washington State/Mount Baker. It’s also impressive at night.

Or if you’ve rented a car, drive up Cypress and/or Seymour mountain

I wouldn’t bother with Capilano Suspension bridge (one of the major tourist traps and expensive) but Lynn Canyon suspension is popular and free.

Buses go to both (and the bottom of Grouse Mountain)

Get down to Deep Cove if you can and head to Honeys Donuts. Think kayak hire is back open again now, which is lovely early morning.

Lynne Canyon is like the free version of Capilano Suspension Bridge. You can get the bus up there easily.

Likewise, the Cleveland Dam and the Capilano river gorge near the hatchery is very cool. Just between Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mt. gondola (arguably better than both)

I wouldn’t bother with Capilano Suspension Bridge, it’s fine, but it’s mega expensive and not all that exciting.

Out in West Van, Lighthouse Park is cool and very close to one of my favourite bike cafes, Isetta Cafe. A bus runs along Marine Drive.

You can catch the shuttle bus up Seymour and do one of the short hikes out to the viewpoints, like Dog Mountain trail. There will be snow/slush, so microspikes might be a good idea. Maybe check AllTrails for a report, there’s usually one every day or so. Likewise on Cypress (though unsure about bus).

Lonsdale Quay has lots of bars and restaurants and you can get the Seabus over to Downtown, then it’s a pleasant walk along the water towards Stanley park….where you could hire a bike near Denman st. Seawall is One-way for bikes though! If you walk it, it’s about 10km just around the park.

Watch out around the East of Gas Town. It’s not dangerous as such, but it can be quite intimidating. It’s very sad, and significantly worse than anything found in the UK.

Hope you have a good trip!

You can pop your bike on the buses that run up some of the mountains if you want a cheeky shuttle session. Can’t remember which ones worked like that though

Get down to Deep Cove if you can and head to Honeys Donuts. Think kayak hire is back open again now, which is lovely early morning.

And if you want to see some historical North Shore gnar it doesn’t take much searching to find the Toonie Drop which is just uphill and across the road from the Deep Cove viewpoint (Quarry Rock)

Well two stwers have agreed to take me “up the north shore” and show me a good time.

I think.i should be scared😜

@tjagain ….best to check they’re not taking you to the Van Tan Club 😳

I enjoyed lunching in that rotating high up restaurant. Some nice art deco around also.  Very good sushi too.

I survived.   Vlad the invader and tynemouthmatt very kindly showed me around.  Rode some trails on Fromme this morning.   I only remember Espresso i think and then the afternoon went to do the fishermans trail.

One fall.  Two submissions and i feel like i have been beaten with a stick😜🙃🙄

Me riding.   Honestly the camera flattens everything.   That was huge and steep

Sorry STW folks, we tried to kill TJ off but his riding was skillful enough to survive a couple of black North Shore trails 😜

😮

we tried to kill TJ off but his riding was skillful enough to survive a couple of black North Shore trails

That’s not a sentence I ever expected to read.

Excellent work that man. Net week TJ’s YouTube of “Things that I taught Remi Mettier” 🤣

I loved the day I had up there, I should’ve really found some-one who rides regularly and had them show me around though, riding North Van blind with just Trailforks as a guide was “exciting” and not always in a good way…