This weekend was also the official opening of the Central Valley Greenway, which can take riders from New Westminster Quay to Science World.

Tobias had set up a mechanic stand for free checkups and consultation, while I joined the ride from Trout Lake (John Henry Park) to The Winston Overpass near Sperling SkyTrain Station (google map doesn’t show the overpass).

VACC who was coordinating the rides from New Westminster and Trout Lake saw approximately 350 people join us on the rides. I had a awesome chat with a couple of the riders, while we rode to the celebrations, about The Tree and why we made it.

Some common questions we received about The Tree were:

Why did you decided to make it?

We wanted a bike with a higher level of Canadian manufacturing and a more robust bike made for the rigors of our West Coast climate.  We were generally frustrated with the quality and spec of commuter bikes coming from Canadian and other manufacturers.

What makes it so special?

Everything about this bike was selected for durability and serviceability taking into account the wetness of our climate in the fall, winter and spring.  It’s really a win win, the environment wins and so does your pocketbook.

How is this Bike Greener then your average bike?

The powder coating yields less waste, is more durable, and lasts longer. Canadian manufacturing is generally regulated by higher environmental and social standards than China, Taiwan, Vietnam and Mexico.  To top it all off Bikes on the Drive is donating 1% of the sale of the Tree to Canopy, a fabulous environmental organization.

All Bikes can be fixed, so why are the parts important?

We service a ton of bikes each year and we see which parts are lasting through the rigors of year-round Vancouver commuting and which ones are under performing. Sometimes a part, like a hub costs 90 cents more for an upgraded seal and will last several times longer than its cheaper counterpart. Obviously we spent the 90cents.

Not all parts can be easily repaired. Often replacement is the only course of action available should a repair be required.  Using the hub example again, it is not always easy or possible to get new cones for some of the newer hubs that come stock on new bicycles.  We chose a hub for which Shimano has been making the cones for years, the part is wide available and easy to service at virtually any bike shop your touring heart desires.

Mass Arrival

Although some parts of the trail are still being worked on, I am amazed but the quality of the route that has been made. Giving more people the opportunity to bike to work is one of the best things we can do to affect the sustainability of our city.

Once we had arrived at the BBQ I dropped into to see Tobias was as busy as ever at our Mechanic Stand and one of the largest bike valet set ups I hve ever seen. The BBQ food was awesome.

Such a Grind

After checking in with Tobias I saw the Ethical Bean station at the BBQ and a bike powered, coffee grinder. Yes, a grinder was all peddle power, and while they had some trouble with the brewer (mainly, it was a little over-worked due to the size of the crowds that showed up), the volunteers certainly put in a great deal of highly appreciated effort to get some peddle powered coffee to the weary cyclists.

All in all it was quite a well attended event with well over 1600 people in attendance. And we found this bike route quite a joy to ride and know why it is called a greenway – because of the route being more field than street. Congrats to all who developed this greenway. We at Bikes on the Drive hope it is a sign of many more similar things to come.

Category: News

Tags: Advocacy, bicycle, burnaby, celebration, commuter, culture, greenway, ride, sustainable