Issue #2 · Monthly newsletter on cycle tourism in British Columbia
It's the heart of BC riding season, and this issue is a full one.
May and June took us on the road. At the Canadian Trail Summit in Winnipeg, I (Heather Piwowar) presented on cycle tourism in the tourism breakout. A few weeks earlier, the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC's 50th anniversary conference in Kamloops had me and Colleen MacDonald on a panel about sustainable tourism. Two rooms, one message: trails are economic infrastructure, and BC's are worth investing in.
Closer to home, the BC Cycle Tourism Society just had its first board meeting. A small step on paper, a big one for us.
In this issue: 145 places across BC have earned their place on BC Bike Stops, we're looking at the law behind every road you ride, and we've rounded up the latest cycling news, trip reports, and ways to get involved.
The Feature
145 places in BC that want you to visit with your bike#
July 30, 2026
Smithers, BC · Photo: Andrew Strain
We hit a milestone this month: the first 145 accredited places went live on BC Bike Stops. These aren't paid placements or self-nominations we took on faith. Each one earned it the same way: by showing us, in their own words, how they welcome cyclists.
Red Beard Cafe in Kamloops was one of the first to be accredited. "Red Beard is just off the Rivers Trail on the flat North Shore of Kamloops. We have many bike racks, and locks if you forget yours." Locks if you forget yours. That's exactly the kind of detail we were hoping to find.
Red Beard Cafe, Kamloops, BC · Photo: Red Beard Cafe
In Vancouver, Our Community Bikes has been fixing bikes and teaching people to fix their own since long before we showed up. "We strive to create an environment where all people feel safe, included and respected."
Our Community Bikes, Vancouver, BC · Photo: Our Community Bikes
And Accent Inns has made bike-friendliness a chain-wide promise across five BC locations. "Love your bike? Bring it to your room." There's also a wash station and a 37-piece tool kit.
It's not just cafes, shops, and hotels. At The Butchart Gardens, "it is always a pleasure for us to welcome bikers." And Kelowna's Okanagan Heritage Museum encourages visitors to arrive by bike.
The full directory now covers more than 18,000 places across BC, from water refills to welcoming beds. New to BC Bike Stops? We introduced the program in our launch announcement. The accredited ones are where someone has gone further and put it in writing, on their website or to us directly. Know a business that belongs on the list? Send them to bccycletourism.ca/apply.
In May's poll we asked what you look for in a Junuary cycling raincoat. A rigorous scientific sample of four riders settled it: armpit vents win, with a strong showing for anything neon green. Our audience has grown since then, so this month's results might even reach double digits. Everybody's gotta start somewhere. :)
News from the field
July 13–15
Sea to Sky corridor stays in public hands
Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth confirmed the province will keep the former BC Rail corridor, Squamish to Prince George, in public hands. Two days later we met with MLA Jeremy Valeriote to talk about how cycling could fit into the corridor's future. Ministerial statement →
July
A bikepacking gear library opens in Nelson
Building Momentum Bikepacking, a Nelson group creating space for women, non-binary and gender non-conforming riders, launched a free gear library: bikes, bags, and camping gear on 7 to 14-day loans, donations welcome, and borrowing open to everyone. An Okanagan group is already asking how to copy the model. Gear library →
July
Two ways to speak up for backcountry access
The Outdoor Recreation Council of BC wants to know which resource roads matter for your riding, and has a new guide for weighing in on the forest landscape plans now underway around the province. Resource road survey → and Forest planning guide →
July 3–17
New 14 km on the Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail
A new 14 km section between Rosemond Lake Bridge and Grindrod is open, celebrated with a July 17 ribbon cutting at Mara Trailhead alongside development partner Splatsin te Secwépemc. About 32 km of the Sicamous to Armstrong corridor is now rideable, across three separate segments. Castanet →
June 18
Kettle Valley Rail Trail: the door reopens a crack
The province stepped partway back from decommissioning the damaged Kettle Valley Rail Trail sections near Princeton. Repairs to three priority segments are now on the table, pending federal disaster-assistance funding and a long-term maintenance commitment from the regional district, whose board decides by the end of 2026. The hardest-hit 17 km near Coquihalla Lakes is still being decommissioned this summer, though the railbed stays, and the province says it is open to reroute proposals from Trans Canada Trail. Progress, not a rescue. Province's announcement →
All summer
Before you head out
Wildfire smoke, road closures, and heat are part of BC summer riding. Our Be Prepared page gathers the checks worth doing before you roll out. Be Prepared →
BC Trip Reports
People keep writing about riding BC. A few favourites from the past month.
July 29
An overnighter to Sooke Potholes
The Gravel Buddies crew rode out of Victoria through fields, wildflowers, and oak meadows to camp at Sooke Potholes, lunch spot overlooking Matheson Lake included, and posted it as a ready-made plan for the long weekend. Trip report on Instagram →
July 27
11 days from Vernon to Fernie
Rick McCharles logged about 750 km across the province's rail-trail spine: the Okanagan Rail Trail, Myra Canyon, the Kettle Valley, and the Columbia & Western. Trip report on BestHike →
July 25
20 days across BC
A self-supported Reddit trip report, Banff to Vancouver, taking in Paleface Pass and the Kettle Valley Rail Trail through Myra Canyon, with a lively question thread. Trip report on Reddit →
July 16
Four days of small-town stops around the Cowichan Valley
Leigh McAdam's Victoria loop for Trans Canada Trail, out the Galloping Goose and home by the Lochside, is also a stop-by-stop case for how bike travellers spread their spending through small communities. Read at Trans Canada Trail →
July 10
Spiraling on the Tree to Sea Loop
A long read on the 1,000 km gravel loop from Comox around northern Vancouver Island. Read on BIKEPACKING.com →
July 9
The best campsite is 90 minutes away
A reflective photo essay on a close-to-home BC overnight, riverside camping and all. Read on BIKEPACKING.com →
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