Go By Bike Week aims to have people try biking for some trips

As Go By Bike Week kicks off, organizers say they hope people will use it as an opportunity to try biking for some of their trips.

“It’s a week-long event, and it’s really there to encourage people to try a trip by bike that traditionally they perhaps would have done by car,” said Jordan Glowicki, Go By Bike Week event manager for Capital Bike.

“So we encourage people to do this by setting up different celebration stations across the region.”

A new feature for the week this year is asking people to indicate whether this is a trip they normally would have taken by car that they biked when logging their bike rides on the Go By Bike website.

“Go By Bike BC is running a provincial campaign to shift your mode, so folks will notice when they log rides this year that there’ll be a little like checkbox where they can check if this was a mode shift ride,” Glowicki said.

“Because it has been hard to track in the past, we sent out a survey and that sort of thing, but we’re trying to pin it down a little bit more and get even more accurate. So shift your mode is a trip that you would have done by car, and you’ve decided to try your bike.”

People who log their bike rides are entered to win prizes including a new e-bike, a family season pass to WildPlay, a one-night stay in Parkside Hotel, or a number of other smaller prizes like panniers, a multi-tool or a session at Boulders Climbing Gym.

Every day this week there is a celebration station in the morning and evening at various places throughout the Capital region, with an additional midday station on Friday. There is only one on Saturday, and the Sunday celebration station includes a block party at Oak Bay Bikes.

In addition, BC Transit is offering free bike rides to people participating in the event. All you have to do is show your helmet to the driver and you can board for free.

RELATED: B.C. Government introduces new rebate program offering up to $1,400 off e-bike purchases

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