I have this great plan to bike to Chilliwack, stay with family overnight and then bike to Sasamat. The only downside to the plan, aside from the likelihood of headwinds 100% of the way, is that I’m a bit lost for routes.
Anyone have suggestions for:
either Vancouver to Chilliwack/Abbotsford or a Surrey Skytrain station to Chilliwack/Abbotsford. I’m reasonably confident that if I get to Abbotsford I can find my way, however I’m totally unfamiliar with Surrey and have no idea about the best routes.
Chilliwack to Port Moody. I assume I’d go over the Golden Ears Bridge, not entirely sure about getting to/from it. If all else fails I’ll take the West Coast Express from Mission, but I’d prefer to ride.
I would take Barnet to Port Moody, Guildford to David to Coast Meridien, Left onto Lougheed, over the Pitt River Bridge then Dewdney Trunk Rd to Lougheed again. Cross the Mission Bridge. From there, there are a few options but just staying on Hwy 11 is the simplest. Once you get to Hwy 1, there are parallel roads on either side that are much nicer than riding on the Trans Canada itself. The one North of the highway is the nicer of the two.
Not the most direct route but nice riding.
From Surrey, another option would be to take Zero Ave out to Huntington.
From Surrey, another option would be to take Zero Ave out to Huntington.
I strongly advise avoiding zero ave. Lots of kids take their rice rockets out there to “race”, and few of them have the skills to drive safely in a parking lot.
Zero Ave is not that bad since they have installed the speed bump there. Lots of police as well on that road depending on the time of day. I have always liked riding 16th due to the shoulder which you do not have on Zero Ave. More traffic on 16th. I have done the ride from Surrey to Chiliwack and it was not that bad.
I have done the North Shore to Mission ride a lot of times in the past with the North Shore Tri Club and this ride as you describe it was very nice. Never went farther than Mission however but once you are there, getting to the WACK is no big deal.
Zero Ave is not that bad since they have installed the speed bump there. Lots of police as well on that road depending on the time of day.
That’s good to hear. Kids used to race up and down the street by my folks’ place as well, until 3 speed bumps were installed.
I know some people like to take Hwy7 (Lougheed) all the way - it’s a little busy until you get out opf Port Coquitlam, but after that it’s pretty nice.
Ok, I have biked form Kits to harrison hot springs and went on after work one day stayed over night then biked to Hell the next day.
Two options for the route to Chilliwack - riding is pretty good, maybe just avoid a Friday after work as you get the holiday traffic (I actually did it at this time and was not horrible but road is pretty quiet at other times).
Option 1 - Fair bit of climbing out the back of mission. If you are not looking for an epic and/or are time limited would recommend option 2.
Option 2 - Bit more riding on the lougheed through mission but you dodge the stave lake hills. Less hills and shoulder is pretty good through this section.
On both of the routes the ride from mission to agassiz is really nice. Have not ridden the last section to chilliwack (Have run from bridal to harrison though) but thing this would be pretty good riding and lots of back road options
Lots of gas stations, subways, coffee shops on the way. Wind can be from any direction on this ride. Road surface is a mix but pretty good.
Coming Back - is the reverse of these routes with the diversion to sasamat at Port Moody.
Obviously you could west coast to mission on the way out if you desired as well and ride this route form there. Have fun and let us know if you have any more questions.
Two options for the route to Chilliwack - riding is pretty good, maybe just avoid a Friday after work as you get the holiday traffic (I actually did it at this time and was not horrible but road is pretty quiet at other times).
Option 1 - Fair bit of climbing out the back of mission. If you are not looking for an epic and/or are time limited would recommend option 2.
Option 2 - Bit more riding on the lougheed through mission but you dodge the stave lake hills. Less hills and shoulder is pretty good through this section.
Option #2 is basically the route that I had planned on taking to start the KRAC Tour. I like that little jog you’ve got in Pitt Meadows as well. Should be a little nicer than Lougheed down that stretch.
yep, you want to dodge riding the Loughheed as much as you can through the ridge, meadows etc. Dewdney trunk is a lot more pleasant through this section and very few stops (I judge the success of some ride routes by how many times I need to “unclip”). Unfortunately you can’t dodge the traffic between port moody and the pitt meadows bridge but there is a decent bike lane/shoulder.
Few other cool diversions you can do - one is to alloutte lake. Obviously Harrison hot springs. The back road continuation to hope is also a good ride as is the ride out to hells gate - Not sure of the condition of No 1 past hells gate, heard it can get a little sketchier and not many services on this stretch.
.
Thanks all for the suggestions! I never thought of going up through Pitt Meadows etc. Lots ot Tim’s and Starbucks to keep me going on the way too.
I don’t quite have the distance under my belt this season to do the whole way to Chilliwack, I think I’ll take the Skytrain to Coquitlam and connect to Dewdney Trunk from there. Later in the summer I’ll try the whole thing as a preparation for the Grand Fondo, take the H2H route and get a few hills to make it a bit more realistic.
Unfortunately you can’t dodge the traffic between port moody and the pitt meadows bridge but there is a decent bike lane/shoulder.
There is, actually - at least most of it. I rode along that section of Lougheed for years and cursed it every time before a friend showed me a better way.
A much more pleasant route (with some bonus climbing!) is to go left on Clarke off Barnet. This is not really well labeled but it’s basically the last turnoff that you can make before St John St.
Clarke ends in a T intersection at Moody. Go left here and follow the road as it loops around onto Murray.
Follow Murray which becomes Guilford.
Turn left on Pipeline then right on David.
David goes all the way through to Coast Meridien (nice climb) or, for a flatter alternative, you can go right on Shaughnessy through a nice little park and then left on Lincoln (stop sign) which also brings you out to Coast Meridien.
This looks like a big diversion on the map but I’m not sure that it’s actually any slower if you go with the Shaughnesssy option. You miss so many lights and so much shopping mall madness this way
Personally, I don’t believe the dodge the Lougheed as much as possible scenario. Given it is the Highway, lights are generally in your favour and you can make good time.
If you’re worried about cars, sure, take the Trunk, but otherwise, Lougheed is great.
My parents live in Mission and I am in Coquitlam (bottom of North and Lougheed) so I take that route to Mission all the time. Growing up, often did the Mission to Harrison ride, which is great, scenic, and not to car crazy.
If I were to go from Sasamat to Chilliwack, I would head to the Lougheed, take it to Mission adn then back roads through Hatzic, Dewdney, Harrison, etc. Would be a great ride and something I might do during IMC training.
Tri-Cities Triathlon Club - This is the route we take most Saturday mornings.
Once we get to the bottom, you basically are already at the bridge, cross it to the airport in Pitt Meadows, which is Great Riding!
Unfortunately you can’t dodge the traffic between port moody and the pitt meadows bridge but there is a decent bike lane/shoulder.
There is, actually - at least most of it. I rode along that section of Lougheed for years and cursed it every time before a friend showed me a better way.
A much more pleasant route (with some bonus climbing!) is to go left on Clarke off Barnet. This is not really well labeled but it’s basically the last turnoff that you can make before St John St.
Clarke ends in a T intersection at Moody. Go left here and follow the road as it loops around onto Murray.
Follow Murray which becomes Guilford.
Turn left on Pipeline then right on David.
David goes all the way through to Coast Meridien (nice climb) or, for a flatter alternative, you can go right on Shaughnessy through a nice little park and then left on Lincoln (stop sign) which also brings you out to Coast Meridien.
This looks like a big diversion on the map but I’m not sure that it’s actually any slower if you go with the Shaughnesssy option. You miss so many lights and so much shopping mall madness this way
Personally, I don’t believe the dodge the Lougheed as much as possible scenario. Given it is the Highway, lights are generally in your favour and you can make good time.
I disagree. It’s not about safety, making good time, or close encounters of the road raging commuter kind. It’s simply that that particular stretch of Lougheed isn’t a terribly pleasant road to ride, and there are options such as Ladner Trunk Road that are far nicer. If one were commuting down that stretch on a daily basis one might make an argument for the straightest path - hell, I’m the guy that doesn’t know where any of the bike paths are in this city, and will take Granville to Broadway or 12th as a conduit across the city. I’ve also ridden through the Massey Tunnel and over both the 2nd Narrows as well as the Lion’s Gate Bridges on the road (hey - I was young and didn’t know any better). Traffic is one thing. Riding through suburban sprawl is an entirely different matter. Sure, Lougheed might be faster - but for a pleasure ride, when nicer options are readily available, why not take one?
Because even though I grew up there I get lost easily!
Agreed though, Lougheed from Mission to Maple Ridge is pretty bad road, especially in the rain on a cold superbowl Sunday (yeah, that sucked).
From Ridge to Pitt Meadows on the Lougheed isn’t bad though, but good alternates.
Personally, I don’t believe the dodge the Lougheed as much as possible scenario. Given it is the Highway, lights are generally in your favour and you can make good time.
I disagree. It’s not about safety, making good time, or close encounters of the road raging commuter kind. It’s simply that that particular stretch of Lougheed isn’t a terribly pleasant road to ride, and there are options such as Ladner Trunk Road that are far nicer. If one were commuting down that stretch on a daily basis one might make an argument for the straightest path - hell, I’m the guy that doesn’t know where any of the bike paths are in this city, and will take Granville to Broadway or 12th as a conduit across the city. I’ve also ridden through the Massey Tunnel and over both the 2nd Narrows as well as the Lion’s Gate Bridges on the road (hey - I was young and didn’t know any better). Traffic is one thing. Riding through suburban sprawl is an entirely different matter. Sure, Lougheed might be faster - but for a pleasure ride, when nicer options are readily available, why not take one?
