Looking for cool Friday evening plans? Bike the Night kicks off Friday evening at Granville Park (corner of Pine and 15th) and follows a 10-kilometre route through Kitsilano. It ends in Connaught Park (near 10th and Vine).
Organized by HUB Cycling, the event is part fitness and part research. Cyclists will get the chance to familiarize themselves with the future of the Arbutus Greenway. It also involves a pre-party with perks like snacks and bike repair as well as an after party at a Kits pub.
“It’s family-friendly and kids under 12 are free — all you need is to be able to ride a bike in a fairly straight line,” Laura Jane, HUB’s director of corporate engagement and events told Vancouver Courier.
“It’s a good way to get people on their bikes to start with and hopefully they continue riding their bikes for other reasons afterwards as well.”
Bike the Night is modelled after Tour La Nuit, an annual event that has exploded in popularity in Ottawa and Montreal in particular. Participant numbers in La Belle Province have hit north of 17,000, though organizers in Vancouver will cap their numbers at 1,500 for their first kick at the can.
“It’s huge in Montreal and it’s grown massively, but it started small,” Jane said. “That’s what we’re hoping to do here as well — start with a smaller event of about 1,000 people and see it grow in the years to come.”
The pre-party starts at Granville Park. The Pre-Party will include music, free snacks and beverages, prize giveaways, fun activities and basic bike repairs! Friday’s ride will take place under a full moon and participants are encouraged to play up the visual spectacle by adding lights and decorations to their bikes. Costumes, music and other accoutrements are also fair game.
The ride begins at 7:30 p.m., with the route encompassing parts of the West Side, Kitsilano and ending at Connaught Park. Volunteers will be at varying checkpoints throughout the route to provide directions, encouragement and traffic management.
Tickets for the Bike The Night go for $25 for regular participants or $15 for HUB Members, and include a free copy of Momentum Magazine, a gift card for a free flat repair from Reckless Bike shops, snacks, giveaways and an entry to win an e-bike.
Participants over the age of 19 will also be invited to the Manchester Pub after the event.
For information and tickets, go to bikehub.ca/bikethenight.
Last modified: August 30, 2017
