Join a worldwide movement, and GoByBike!

While some British Columbians swap their bikes for skis as winter sets in, Smithers’ Sheena Miller is doing both. With fat tires on the bike and skis on the bike trailer, she is perfectly equipped for rides in the snow.

Further south in the Comox Valley, Sue Vince doesn’t typically need snow tires at this time of year, but she enjoys the invigorating clear air of winter biking.

“If I dress appropriately for the weather, cycling in the winter months is exciting. I tend to speak to more people and feel more connected to my community,” she says.

Cycling is part of everyday life for Sheena and Sue in winter, but many other British Columbians have never tried it! BC’s Winter GoByBike Week February 6-12, 2023 is a great opportunity to try it out. By doing so, you will not only be joining cyclists across the province, but also cyclists around the world!

This year’s Winter GoByBike week includes International Winter Bike to Work Day, which is Friday 10th February. Countries such as Canada, the USA, Croatia, Germany and Poland are taking part in International Winter Day by bike to work. We encourage BC Workplaces to team up and encourage employees to bike to work on Friday, February 10,” said Terri-Lynn Gifford, GoByBike BC Society Provincial Program Director.

All participating establishments will be entered into a drawing to win tickets to the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival and the Bicycle Film Festival Virtual Worldwide!

Stuart Westie, a retired teacher living in Williams Lake, began tracking his fitness in 2011 and soon began compiling an environmental record to share with friends and family each year.

For fun, for training, for the planet

Stuart Westie, a retired teacher living in Williams Lake, began tracking his fitness in 2011 and soon began compiling an environmental record to share with friends and family each year. In 2022, he only drove his vehicle a total of 12 days for a distance of about 700 km, while he drove his bicycle for a total of 280 days for a distance of about 7,000 km!

READ MORE: Cariboo senior has tracked its shrinking environmental impact for over a decade

“Cycling is such a huge source of happiness and fulfillment in my life,” says Stefan Curtis of Revelstoke. “My mental and physical health has never been better since I became a cyclist. I felt inspired by #wintergobybikeday 2021 and on this occasion I managed to cycle my first winter century [100 km in a single ride]. It was chilly and although it took a few stops to warm up my hands and toes I had a blast!”

Stefan Curtis from Revelstoke was inspired by Winter GoByBike Week 2021 to cycle his first century in winter, completing over 100km in a single ride!

Tips for winter riding

If you have never ridden a bike in winter, GoByBike BC recommends you give it a try. Bike for exercise, stress relief, fun or a new challenge! For those who already have experience cycling in the winter months, GoByBike BC encourages you to use your bike for transport as much as possible during the GoByBike winter week and to log all your rides to see how many kilograms of greenhouse gases you are emitting save by entering the atmosphere.

For winter riding resources, go to gobybikebc.ca/resources/winter-riding-resources. From today through February 6th, GoByBike BC is also offering three FREE Winter Cycling Webinars – learn more about winter riding and get ready for Winter GoByBike Week! Sign up here: gobybikebc.ca/cycling-education/webinars.

In 2022, 2,733 British Columbians took part in Winter GoByBike Week and traveled 99,000 kilometers, saving 21,000 kilograms of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere. This year, GoByBike BC hopes to inspire 3,000 people to try winter biking and log all their mileage at logmyride.gobybikebc.ca.

“Please log all your bike rides so we can track how many kilograms of greenhouse gases we can save by choosing GoByBike over the car,” says Gifford. “The more rides you register, the more prizes you can win!”

Submit your rides to win great prizes:

Gift certificates to your favorite bike shops Tickets to bike film festivals GoByBike neck warmers A $25 chance to win Visa gift cards for people who log a bike ride A $50 chance to win Visa gift cards for people who log 2 bike rides A chance to win worth from $100 for a Visa gift Cards for people logging 3+ bike rides and more!

Learn more at gobybikebc.ca!

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