> "sewnsurg" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
>
news:[email protected]...
>> Anyone have recommendations for bicycling on Vancouver Island? Am thinking of multiple day trips
>> out of Victoria.
I'm interested in this too. However, I won't have time for longer rides -- 2-3 hour ones at the
most. So I'm looking for local loops around Victoria, Campbell River, and Nanaimo.
Sandy Hilton wrote:
> There's really only three ways to go from Victoria although each is fantastic as a road ride/tour.
> If you go north out the Saanich peninsula (towards the ferry to Vancouver) you can easily do a
> 100km ride all on quiet country roads and along side the ocean - those routes a pretty flat.
This seems like a good option -- ride to Sidney, have lunch at a cafe, then ride back. Wouldn't that
be about 40 miles round trip?
I'm also interested in heading out west -- Sooke Harbor, etc. Any ideas? Specific roads? Regular
club routes?
>> How hilly is the terrain within 40 miles of Victoria in various directions?
> If you go northwest on highway 1 up towards Duncan/Nanaimo you go forever (600km). This is an out
> and back and you'll cross the Malahat which is the biggest hill around there and I think is about
> 1000' and is about 10km up each side.
Where is this, exactly?
> the other option is to go out west towards Sooke. This is another out and back and the roads are
> fairly quiet as long as you avoid morning and afternoon rush hour. Victoria has a decent
> randonneur club that rides quite frequently, you should look them up on the web. Hope that helps
> and that you avoid the rain!
Most of the roads around Victoria seem pretty busy, but I've only been on the main ones. I'm sure
there are quieter alternatives. ???
Again, I'm looking for Nanaimo and Campbell River rides too. I'm very familiar with Campbell River,
so I could put together some good rides myself. But I'd love to know what the locals do (besides
ride mountain bikes off cliffs).
Matt O.