by Rebecca Slaven | Cycling to Victoria is perfect for a long weekend and even better if you’re able to take a day off and avoid the ferry crowds. The route from Swartz Bay to Victoria is (almost) completely flat and mostly shaded, which makes it a great ride even during the final hot days of summer.

You can either take public transit or cycle to Tsawwassen. Each method has its disadvantages. The route to Tsawwassen is not the prettiest or the most straightforward. However, public transit brings with it a risk of delay. To take public transit, hop on the Canada Line to Bridgeport, and then take bus #620. Each bus has two racks for bikes, so cross your fingers that you’ll be first in line because the #620 only leaves once every 40 minutes.

You’re best off following a Map My Ride route or checking out HUB because I’ve gotten temporarily lost every time I’ve ridden to Tsawwassen. Whichever route you follow, you’ll have to take the George Massey bike shuttle, which is free and large enough that I’ve never seen it fill up past capacity. The waiting area simply has a bench and a small sign and so it’s easy to miss. The driver is very nice about being waved down by latecomers. Nevertheless, check the schedule carefully before leaving and try to get there early because there are large gaps between shuttle times, with not a lot to do in the area.

Once at the ferry terminal, you’ll be directed up to the front and loaded on after the big trucks and before the cars. The ferries have one or two bike racks and when those are full, cyclists simply lock their tires to their frames and prop bikes against the side of the ship.

When you’ve arrived at Swartz Bay, follow the cycling signs off the ferry to the Lochside Trail, which is fairly straightforward the whole way. There’s one point early on at which it looks like you may need to go on a bridge to cross the road but continue on the flat path to the left, instead. The only bridges you should be crossing are the wooden ones close to the city.

If you have time for a break on your route, stop at Sea Cider. The tasting room has a gorgeous view and the ciders are excellent. The completely vegetarian food from Re-bar makes for a perfect end to a long ride and their cookbook is definitely worth picking up while you’re there.

When heading back to Swartz Bay, stop at Fol Epi and pick up a sandwich to take on the ferry. I can’t believe I didn’t know about this place until my last visit to Victoria. I’ve missed out on so many delicious macarons! Happy late summer cycling…

MORE FIELD TRIPS

——————————————————————————–

Rebecca Slaven is a librarian, writer, and cyclist. Her subject specialities include law, beauty, and croquet. Her format specialty is the how-to guide. She mostly rides her bike to work but has cycled as far as San Francisco. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.