BC Cycle Tourism Society

To and Fro: moving your bike around British Columbia

My bike and I are in and we’d like to be in .
We show what transit connections accept bikes. Check with the operator for prices, schedules, and reservations.
Same place twice. You’re already there, so enjoy the ride.

Good news: buses, ferries, trains, rental cars and flights can carry you and your bike from Ocean Falls to Duncan (Cowichan Valley).

For scale
As the crow flies487 km
Biking whole way692 km ยท 37 h 37 m
By car675 km ยท 14 h 45 m

We found three ways to get you there, ferries doing the heavy lifting.

Note: Most carriers carry only a handful of bikes, and summer weekends fill up fast. Reserve where you can. Where you can't, go early or have a backup plan.
Option one · four legs📅 seasonal
Fill in the gap with a rental car.
CarrierRideYour bike
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesPort Hardy โ€“ Bella CoolaOcean Falls โ†’Bear Cove (Port Hardy)204 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop โ€” check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Bear Cove (Port Hardy) to YZT (Port Hardy), about 8 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Waivin Flags Taxi might help.
๐Ÿš™National Car & Truck Rental (Vancouver Island)One-way rental: Port Hardy โ€“ Nanaimoor Budget (One-way rental: Port Hardy โ€“ Nanaimo)YZT (Port Hardy) โ†’Downtown Nanaimo295 kmOne-way between Island branches โ€” no drop chargeBike rides inside โ€” SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo to Departure Bay (Nanaimo), about 1.3 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.
๐ŸšŽBC Transit20/20A Hammond Bay / DoverDeparture Bay (Nanaimo) โ†’Downtown Nanaimo Exchange3.3 kmFront rack, no fee โ€” 2 bikes, first come; space not guaranteedE-bikes under 25 kg only โ€” lithium battery off the bike and carried on board
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo Exchange to Bay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch, about 0.5 km.
๐ŸšŽBC Transit70 NCX Nanaimo - Cowichan ExpressBay D at Downtown Nanaimo Exch โ†’Duncan46 kmFront rack, no fee โ€” 2 bikes, first come; space not guaranteedE-bikes under 25 kg only โ€” lithium battery off the bike and carried on board
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Duncan.
Option two · three legs📅 seasonal📱 schedule erratic — check the Poparide app
A carpool saves the day.
CarrierRideYour bike
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesPort Hardy โ€“ Bella CoolaOcean Falls โ†’Bear Cove (Port Hardy)204 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop โ€” check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Bear Cove (Port Hardy) to YZT (Port Hardy), about 8 km.
๐Ÿš™BudgetOne-way rental: Port Hardy โ€“ Nanaimoor National Car & Truck Rental (One-way rental: Port Hardy โ€“ Nanaimo) (counter a short ride away on the 20/20A Hammond Bay / Dover)YZT (Port Hardy) โ†’Downtown Nanaimo298 kmOne-way between BC Budget branches โ€” bookable onlineBike rides inside โ€” SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo to Downtown Nanaimo Exchange, about 0.6 km.
๐Ÿš—PoparideHwy 1 rideshare (Victoria - Duncan - Nanaimo)Downtown Nanaimo Exchange โ†’Duncan47 kmOnly some rides take bikes โ€” look for the bicycle icon on the listingSchedule is variable โ€” check Poparide for driver-listed dates and times
Only book rides that say they permit bicycles (bike icon on the listing).
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Duncan.
Option three · five legs✈ the splurge⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
Fly most of the way, then let transit finish the trip.
CarrierRideYour bike
โ›ด๏ธBC FerriesCentral Coast ConnectorOcean Falls โ†’McLoughlin Bay (Bella Bella)39 kmRoll on, free โ€” no reservation neededE-bikes OK โ€” no charging on board
About one run a week: Wednesday out from Bella Coola, Thursday or Friday back from Shearwater.
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from McLoughlin Bay (Bella Bella) to ZEL (Bella Bella), about 0.9 km.
โœˆ๏ธPacific Coastal AirlinesVancouver โ€“ Bella BellaZEL (Bella Bella) โ†’Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond)480 kmRides in the hold โ€” small aircraft, limited spaceAbout $105 per directionNo e-bikes
๐ŸšSkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) โ†’Vancouver Canada PlaceRoll on, free โ€” 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Vancouver Canada Place to CXH (Vancouver), about 0.8 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Black Top Cabs, Maclure'S Cabs might help.
๐Ÿ›ฉ๏ธHarbour AirVancouver Harbour โ€“ Victoria HarbourCXH (Vancouver) โ†’Victoria Belleville Terminal98 kmFront wheel must come off$20 handling fee โ€” bike weight counts toward your baggage allowanceNot on the Twin Otter โ€” other floatplanes are fine; confirm when booking
๐ŸšฒTravel the short hop from Victoria Belleville Terminal to Legislature Exch (Belleville St) Bay G (Victoria), about 0.7 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Bluebird Cabs, Sidney Taxi might help.
๐ŸšŽBC Transit66 CVX Cowichan - Victoria ExpressLegislature Exch (Belleville St) Bay G (Victoria) โ†’Hwy 1 & Boys Rd (North Cowichan)46 kmFront rack, no fee โ€” 2 bikes, first come; space not guaranteedE-bikes under 25 kg only โ€” lithium battery off the bike and carried on board
๐ŸšฒYou arrive at Hwy 1 & Boys Rd (North Cowichan).
Route facts last checked August 2026. We check that every leg here carries bikes, but policies and seasons change. Check times and book with the operator. Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
Explore more

Heading back: Duncan (Cowichan Valley) to Ocean Falls (best: bus + rental car + ferry)

Connections from Ocean Falls: Shearwater (best: ferry) · Tofino (best: ferry + rental car + carpool) · Surrey (best: ferry + rental car + SkyTrain) · Calgary, AB (best: ferry + rental car + bus)

Connections from Duncan (Cowichan Valley): Galiano Island (best: bus + ferry) · Squamish (best: bus + ferry) · Chase (best: bus + ferry + SkyTrain) · Prince Rupert (best: bus + rental car + ferry)

Check out BC Bike Stops in Duncan (Cowichan Valley)