9 Ways to Try Biking in Vancouver

Biking on the seawall at English Bay. Photo: Tourism Vancouver / Cycle City Tours

Vancouver prides itself on being a bike-friendly city. From guided tours around the city to gnarly mountain bike trails in the nearby mountains, there are lots of ways to try cycling in Vancouver.

Try a Bike Share

One of the easiest ways to bike around Vancouver is to grab a Mobi bike. Vancouver’s bike share system has bikes at stations all around the city. They have e-bikes as well as classic bikes. Once you unlock a bike, you can return it to any other station in the system, making it easy to get from place to place or change your plans on the go. You can pay per ride or sign up for 24-hour, 30-day or, year-long passes. North Vancouver also has a bike share program called Lime. And HOPR is the bike share program at UBC.

Two people ride Mobi bike share bikes in Vancouver.

Photo: David Niddrie/Mobi Bikes

Rent a Bike and Explore the Seawall

The Stanley Park, False Creek, and Coal Harbour Seawalls are some of the best places to bike in Vancouver. The fully separated bike paths keep cyclists away from traffic and close to the best views of the mountains and ocean. Rent a bike from Cycle BC, Cycle City, e0EzeeRiders, Spokes, or Yes Cycle.

Cyclists on the Stanley Park Seawall in Vancouver

Cyclists on the Stanley Park Seawall. Photo: Destination BC/Heath Moffatt

Try an E-Bike

If you want to explore with less effort, try out an e-bike. These bikes are fitted with an electric motor and battery. You still have the pedal, but the motor makes it easier. You can rent e-bikes through the Mobi and Lime bike share programs or from rental shops including Cycle BC, Cycle City, Spokes, and Yes Cycle.

Two people e-biking on the Coal Harbour Seawall in Vancouver

Photo: Tourism Vancouver / Hubert Kang

Explore Vancouver’s Car-Free Bike Paths

Vancouver has lots of separated bike paths where cyclists don’t have to worry about traffic. You can bike through the forest, along the ocean, in the heart of the city, or through rural farmland. Check out our list of 10 car-free places to bike.

A woman wearing a bike helmet bikes along the Spirit Trail in North Vancouver

Biking along the Spirit Trail in North Vancouver. Photo: Destination BC/@vancitywild

Go on a Guided Tour

Let a local guide show you around Vancouver on two wheels. Cycle City Tours offers tours that hit the highlights in downtown Vancouver and Stanley Park on e-bikes or classic bikes. They also have a fun sunset tour at the most beautiful time of day. You can also sign up for tours around downtown, Granville Island, and Stanley Park with Toonie Tours. Yes Cycle has tours of Stanley Park, Granville Island, and downtown Vancouver. Into the Wild Tours offers guided tours of downtown Vancouver’s best sites as well as nature escapes to bike a section of the Trans Canada Trail.

Two cyclists ride along a dyke trail in Pitt Meadows on a tour with Into the Wild Cycing Tours

Cycling along the Trans Canada Trail in Pitt Meadows. Photo: Into the Wild Cycling Tours

Follow a Self-Guided Bike Tour

Get off the beaten path and see the Vancouver that locals know on one of our self-guided bike tours. You can bike to gardens, breweries, taco spots, and donut shops. Each tour includes turn-by-turn directions for a route that prioritizes quiet streets and bike paths. Or use Vancouver Biennale’s directions for self-guided tours that visit iconic public art pieces.

Brassneck Brewery in Vancouver's Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood

Brassneck Brewery. Photo: Tourism Vancouver/Nelson Mouellic

Try Gravel Biking

Also known as gravel grinding or gravel riding, gravel biking is exactly what it sounds like: riding a bike on gravel roads and trails. The Metro Vancouver area has lots of bikeable gravel routes that take you through the forest, beside rivers, and along the ocean. Read our guide to gravel biking in Vancouver for more info.

Cycling the West Dyke Trail in Richmond near Vancouver, BC

Cycling the West Dyke Trail in Richmond. Photo: Tourism Richmond

Go Mountain Biking

Vancouver’s North Shore is the birthplace of freestyle mountain biking. Today, a huge network of trails from beginner to expert stretches across the lower slopes of Mount Seymour, Mount Fromme, and Cypress Mountain. Use the Trailforks app to find your way around. Volunteers from the North Shore Mountain Bike Association maintain the trails and post up-to-date conditions in the app.

A mountain biker hits a jump in a mossy forest.

Photo: Destination BC/Stirl and Rae Photo

Challenge Yourself on a Hill Climb

Dedicated road cyclists in Vancouver train for the RBC Gran Fondo Whistler Race or just stay in shape by biking up the region’s steepest hills. These climbs snake uphill to the tops of Burnaby Mountain, Cypress Mountain, Mount Seymour, and Grouse Mountain. Check out our guide to Vancouver’s hill climb cycling routes for more details.