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 Shearwater to Golden.
For scale
As the crow flies772 km
Biking whole wayWe can't compute the bike route from the ferry dock but it may be rideable: please consult other sources.
By car1,237 km · 19 h 59 m
We found six ways to get you there, ferries doing the heavy lifting.
🎒 Riding a coach? Most BC coach operators want your bike bagged or boxed. Our field note walks through packing it, including an inexpensive packable bike bag we like: How to bike-and-bus in BC ›
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 · five legs📅 seasonal
Fill in the gap with a rental car.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaShearwater (Denny Island) →Bear Cove (Port Hardy)168 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop — check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.
🚲Travel 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.
🚙National Car & Truck Rental (Vancouver Island)One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimoor Budget (One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimo) (counter a short ride away on the 20/20A Hammond Bay / Dover)YZT (Port Hardy) →Downtown Nanaimo295 kmOne-way between Island branches — no drop chargeBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
🚲Travel 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.
⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Departure BayDeparture Bay (Nanaimo) →Horseshoe Bay53 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
🚎TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressHorseshoe Bay →Downtown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie)19 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚌Rider ExpressVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)Downtown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie) →Golden566 kmRides in the hold — bagged, wrapped, or boxed$50 per bike — non-refundable
🚲You arrive at Golden.
Option two · five legs📅 seasonal
Same as Option one, but a SkyTrain instead of the city bus.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaShearwater (Denny Island) →Bear Cove (Port Hardy)168 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop — check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.
🚲Travel the short hop from Bear Cove (Port Hardy) to YZT (Port Hardy), about 8 km.
🚙BudgetOne-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimoor National Car & Truck Rental (One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimo) (counter a short ride away on the 20/20A Hammond Bay / Dover)YZT (Port Hardy) →Downtown Nanaimo298 kmOne-way between BC Budget branches — bookable onlineBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
🚲Travel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo to Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way), about 1.5 km.
⛴️HulloHullo (Nanaimo – Vancouver)Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) →CXH (Vancouver)61 kmBook online ahead — 6 bike spots per sailing, 1 per guest$19.99 one way — $25 in personNo e-bikes — no trailers, 80 in / 50 lb max
🚲Travel the short hop from CXH (Vancouver) to Vancouver Canada Place, about 0.8 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Black Top Cabs, Maclure'S Cabs might help.
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place →Pacific Central Station (Vancouver)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚌EbusVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)or Rider Express (Vancouver – Calgary)Pacific Central Station (Vancouver) →Golden568 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
Runs the same Highway 1 corridor as Rider Express, so compare schedules and fares.
🚲You arrive at Golden.
Option three · six legs📅 seasonal
A transport smorgasbord: ferries, rental car, SkyTrain, city bus, and coach bus.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaShearwater (Denny Island) →Bear Cove (Port Hardy)168 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop — check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.
🚲Travel the short hop from Bear Cove (Port Hardy) to YZT (Port Hardy), about 8 km.
🚙BudgetOne-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimoor National Car & Truck Rental (One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimo) (counter a short ride away on the 20/20A Hammond Bay / Dover)YZT (Port Hardy) →Downtown Nanaimo298 kmOne-way between BC Budget branches — bookable onlineBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
🚲Travel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo to Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way), about 1.5 km.
⛴️HulloHullo (Nanaimo – Vancouver)Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) →CXH (Vancouver)61 kmBook online ahead — 6 bike spots per sailing, 1 per guest$19.99 one way — $25 in personNo e-bikes — no trailers, 80 in / 50 lb max
🚲Travel the short hop from CXH (Vancouver) to Vancouver Canada Place, about 0.8 km.
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place →Lougheed Stn Bay 5 (Burnaby)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚎BC Transit66 Fraser Valley ExpressLougheed Stn Bay 5 (Burnaby) →Downtown Chilliwack Bay B76 kmFront rack, no fee — 2 bikes, first come; space not guaranteedE-bikes under 25 kg only — lithium battery off the bike and carried on board
🚲Travel the short hop from Downtown Chilliwack Bay B to Chilliwack, about 1.3 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Chilliwack Taxi might help.
🚌Rider ExpressVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)Chilliwack →Golden474 kmRides in the hold — bagged, wrapped, or boxed$50 per bike — non-refundable
🚲You arrive at Golden.
Option four · six legs📅 seasonal
The same idea as Option three, on different routes.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaShearwater (Denny Island) →Bear Cove (Port Hardy)168 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop — check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.
🚲Travel the short hop from Bear Cove (Port Hardy) to YZT (Port Hardy), about 8 km.
🚙BudgetOne-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimoor National Car & Truck Rental (One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimo) (counter a short ride away on the 20/20A Hammond Bay / Dover)YZT (Port Hardy) →Downtown Nanaimo298 kmOne-way between BC Budget branches — bookable onlineBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
🚲Travel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo to Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way), about 1.5 km.
⛴️HulloHullo (Nanaimo – Vancouver)Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) →CXH (Vancouver)61 kmBook online ahead — 6 bike spots per sailing, 1 per guest$19.99 one way — $25 in personNo e-bikes — no trailers, 80 in / 50 lb max
🚲Travel the short hop from CXH (Vancouver) to Vancouver Canada Place, about 0.8 km.
🚝SkyTrainTransLinkVancouver Canada Place →Lougheed Stn Bay 5 (Burnaby)Roll on, free — 2 bikes per carAvoid rush hourE-bikes OK
🚎BC Transit66 Fraser Valley Express (FVX)Lougheed Stn Bay 5 (Burnaby) →Abbotsford50 kmFront rack, no fee — 2 bikes, first come; space not guaranteedE-bikes under 25 kg only — lithium battery off the bike and carried on board
🚌Rider ExpressVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)Abbotsford →Golden501 kmRides in the hold — bagged, wrapped, or boxed$50 per bike — non-refundable
🚲You arrive at Golden.
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Option five · seven legs📅 seasonal
Grab a window seat, the scenery's included.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Bella CoolaShearwater (Denny Island) →Bear Cove (Port Hardy)168 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
Doesn't sail every day, and not every sailing calls at every stop — check the BC Ferries schedule for your date.
🚲Travel the short hop from Bear Cove (Port Hardy) to YZT (Port Hardy), about 8 km.
🚙BudgetOne-way rental: Port Hardy – NanaimoYZT (Port Hardy) →Downtown Nanaimo298 kmOne-way between BC Budget branches — bookable onlineBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking
🚲Travel the short hop from Downtown Nanaimo to Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way), about 1.5 km.
⛴️HulloHullo (Nanaimo – Vancouver)Hullo Nanaimo Terminal (Port Way) →CXH (Vancouver)61 kmBook online ahead — 6 bike spots per sailing, 1 per guest$19.99 one way — $25 in personNo e-bikes — no trailers, 80 in / 50 lb max
🚲Travel the short hop from CXH (Vancouver) to Vancouver Canada Place, about 0.8 km.
⛴️SeaBusTransLinkVancouver Canada Place →Lonsdale Quay (North Vancouver)3.5 kmRoll on, free — bikes ride inside the cabin6 bikes per sailing at rush hour — weekdays 7–9:30 am and 3–6:30 pm; no limit other timesE-bikes OK — no charging on boardNo trailers — 185 cm max bike length
Bikes ride inside the cabin; during weekday rush hours there's room for six bikes a sailing.
🚎TransLinkR2 Marine Dr RapidBusLonsdale Quay (North Vancouver) →Park Royal (West Vancouver)4.5 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚎TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressPark Royal (West Vancouver) →Downtown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie)7.5 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK
🚌Rider ExpressVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)Downtown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie) →Golden566 kmRides in the hold — bagged, wrapped, or boxed$50 per bike — non-refundable
🚲You arrive at Golden.
Option six · four legs✈ the splurge⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule
A ferry, two flights, and a coach bus.
CarrierRideYour bike
⛴️BC FerriesCentral Coast ConnectorShearwater (Denny Island) →McLoughlin Bay (Bella Bella)3.7 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board
About one run a week: Wednesday out from Bella Coola, Thursday or Friday back from Shearwater.
🚲Travel the short hop from McLoughlin Bay (Bella Bella) to ZEL (Bella Bella), about 0.9 km.
✈️Pacific Coastal AirlinesVancouver – Bella BellaZEL (Bella Bella) →Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond)480 kmRides in the hold — small aircraft, limited spaceAbout $105 per directionNo e-bikes
✈️Flair AirlinesVancouver (YVR) – Calgary (YYC)Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) →Calgary AB683 kmRides in the hold — boxed, bagged, or wrappedBike feeReserve bike spotNo e-bikes
🚌EbusVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)Calgary AB →Golden215 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike
Runs the same Highway 1 corridor as Rider Express, so compare schedules and fares.
🚲You arrive at Golden.
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: Golden to Shearwater (best: bus + ferry + rental car)
Connections from Shearwater: Ocean Falls (best: ferry) · Ucluelet (best: ferry + rental car + carpool) · Surrey (best: ferry + rental car + SkyTrain) · Calgary, AB (best: ferry + rental car + bus)
Connections from Golden: Field (best: bus) · Harrison Hot Springs (best: bus) · Brentwood Bay (best: bus + SkyTrain + ferry) · Haida Gwaii (best: bus + train + ferry)
Check out BC Bike Stops in Golden