Bike Sense

Peter is joined by Gordon Hobbis, son of Cap Hobbis, founder of Caps Bicycles of BC — once the largest chain of bike dealerships in Canada — who in 'retirement' now runs his own bicycle museum in Maple Ridge. Gordon takes us on a wild ride linking early two-wheel transport to climate disruption following the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora, and then brings us into the modern era: how bike...

Bike lanes can feel like a simple street design choice, so why do they set people off like a cultural lightning rod? We sit down with City of North Vancouver Councillor Tony Valente, who’s been on the front lines of active transportation advocacy and the backlash that comes with it, to unpack what’s really driving “bikelash” across BC and beyond. We get into the political reality that traffic data...

We talk with Phil McIntyre-Paul, a key organizer behind the Splatsin to Sicamous Corridor —a 50-km rail trail and active transportation greenway running parallel to Highway 97A between Sicamous and Armstrong in the North Okanagan. You'll hear how CP Rail's 2009 abandonment kicked off a long, messy acquisition process, why political turnover nearly derailed the project, and how Splatsin l...

We sit down with Patrick Lucas, founder and director of the Indigenous Youth Mountain Bike Program , to unpack how riding and trail building can become a doorway to confidence, health, and a renewed relationship with the land. What starts as kids building “stupid looking jumps” turns into something much larger: community-designed trails, youth skills training, and outdoor spaces that people actual...

What rural road maintenance means for active transportation, and why it matters in BC communities where the highway is the only route. A freshly "maintained" road shouldn't make a stroller unusable or shred a bike tire. But that's exactly what can happen when seal coating replaces repaving on rural BC highways. Area Director Andy Davidoff of the Regional District of Central Koo...

Bikepacking is active transportation at its most adventurous, and it's far more accessible than it looks from the outside. The real magic, as today's guest explains, is how quickly it becomes doable once you understand the basics. We sit down with Moe Nadeau, Nelson, BC route builder and newest member of the BC Cycling Coalition board. Her work has helped make the West Kootenays one of b...

Your bike doesn’t become “unrideable” when a chain wears out or a wheel goes out of true. It becomes unrideable when you can’t get it fixed quickly and affordably by someone who has the necessary skills. That person is becoming ever harder to find, and that’s the gap we dig into with Zoé Kruchten, a bicycle mechanic and community engagement specialist with more than a decade in mechanical work, ad...

Rob Fawcett is a community builder on Pender Island who helped transform a dangerous, shoulderless road into a 2-km off-road, multi-use active transportation corridor. In this episode, we sat down with Rob to hear how the Gulf Islands community raised $150,000 in pledges to unlock a BC Active Transportation grant and built something that kids can bike to school on and older residents can actually...

Cycling culture doesn’t magically appear when you paint a bike lane. It shows up when someone learns how to balance, brake, scan, signal, and ride with confidence in the real world. Alexis Thibeault, StreetWise Manager at HUB Cycling, joins Peter to dig into what cycling education looks like in British Columbia right now and what’s still missing. We talk about the earliest building blocks of learn...

A city whose first cycling network plan stated 'No Bike Routes Downtown' now leads Canada in cycling mode share, and ranks among North America’s best cycling cities. We sit down with Tim Hewett, Senior Transportation Planner and Streetscape Designer for Victoria , BC, to unpack how a compact capital stitched regional trails into a safe, welcoming urban network that people actually use da...

A bicycle-towed, electric lane sweeper is quietly changing how cities and communities keep bike lanes safe. Peter sits down with Sunshine Coast engineer and former bike mechanic Cedric Eveleigh to unpack the origin story, the design choices behind his hybrid sweeper, and the grassroots momentum that turned broom-wielding volunteers into a movement with real tools and measurable impact.  Share this...

Pedestrians and cyclists in BC are killed and injured at a rate that would never be accepted in any other public space. We ask a simple question with a complex political answer: if automated speed enforcement cuts injuries and deaths so reliably, why isn’t it everywhere it’s needed? Dr. Brandon Yau, Medical Health Officer with Vancouver Coastal Health , helps us unpack how speed and red light came...

NOTE: This episode originally aired in October of 2023. Since then, Brendan and Amanda and family have moved from Whistler to Nelson, BC. They now own a family car, which they mostly use to get to the mountain to ski. They continue to cycle year-round. Peter Ladner brings in son Brendan and daughter-in-law Amanda to expose the reality of life as a bikes-only family in Whistler, BC. We talk ice, sn...

A trail should move more than bodies; it should move history into the open. We sit down with Elder Ruth Adams of Tsawwassen First Nation to explore the Great Blue Heron Way: a bold, Indigenous‑led active transportation route that reconnects communities along the Fraser River and the Salish Sea while reviving stories long pushed aside.  Support the show *********************************************...

Two beloved BC fondos disappeared this year — and not because riders lost interest. We sit down with veteran organizer and Panache Cycling Sports CEO Jon Watkin to unpack the real reasons: traffic control costs spiralling to double-time rates, six-hour minimums, and newly required engineered traffic plans that turn a single intersection into a budget breaker. Jon explains where safety policy helps...

'Slow down cars and save lives' sounds obvious, but how do we actually make that work on the ground? Where does funding for speed enforcement come from, and when fines are charged, where does the money actually land? New Westminster Mayor Patrick Johnstone debunks the myth of the speed-trap 'cash cow' and takes a clear-eyed look at BC’s pause on active transportation funding, t...

The width of a queen-size mattress. That’s the picture we keep coming back to when we talk about BC’s new minimum safe passing distance for cyclists. But how can police actually prove a too-close pass, and what tools — from dashcams to clear signage to fines — will result in safer daily rides? Corporal Michael McLaughlin, Media Relations Officer for BC Highway Patrol (RCMP) , joins us to unpack wh...

Imagine riding along dedicated trails through ancient forests and pristine valleys, stopping at local cafes and wineries along the way. This vision of cycle tourism isn't just a cyclist's dream – it's a billion-dollar economic opportunity, as Let's Go Biking author Colleen MacDonald reveals in our captivating conversation. Colleen brings unparalleled expertise to the discussion...

Trail Rep for the Fraser Valley Mountain Bike Association, Founding Member of the Mission Community Cycling Coalition , former bike-shop owner, and also motorcycle enthusiast Rocky Blondin reveals how the once-clear distinction between motorized and non-motorized vehicles has become dangerously blurred.  In BC pedal-assist e-bikes are classified as bicycles, but this has opened the door to much mo...

What does it take to transform a car-dependent small town into a place where cycling feels safe and accessible? Ruth Lloyd is finding out firsthand in Williams Lake, BC. As a returning resident to her hometown, Ruth experienced the stark contrast between places where active transportation was normalized, and her pickup-truck dominated community where, as in many small cities or towns, the highway...

Transportation Engineer Allan Kindrat' s groundbreaking work on the Cycle 16 multi-use path connecting Smithers and Telkwa recently earned a Gold Award from the Planning Institute of BC, recognizing two decades of persistent community advocacy finally bearing fruit. The project represents a watershed moment for active transportation in BC. What began as a grassroots initiative championed by t...

What does it take to transform personal tragedy into meaningful policy change? Eleanor McMahon 's story provides a masterclass in effective advocacy that transcends political divisions while saving lives on our roads. After losing her husband Greg — an Ontario Provincial Police officer — to a careless driver in 2006, McMahon channeled her grief into founding the Share the Road Cycling Coaliti...

Is it all over for trains on the abandoned E&N Rail line stretching 289 kilometres along Vancouver Island? Alastair Craighead, Chair of Friends of Rails to Trails Vancouver Island , thinks so, and is one of many people working with regional districts, municipalities, businesses and land-owning First Nations to convert these derelict tracks into a world-class trail network. Peter Ladner talks w...

How can we transform young children into lifelong cyclists? Maya Goldstein 's innovative Kids on Wheels and School Bike Bus programs teach biking to children as young as age two, and bring out as many as 60 kids at a time to ride to school together. Listen up to find out how you can get your local young'uns on two wheels before car culture takes hold – wherever you live! Bike Bus resourc...

Conflicts between motorized vehicles (ATVs, dirt bikes) and non-motorized users (cyclists, hikers) present ongoing challenges for multi-use trails – particularly when the trail spans almost 30,000km! Trails BC Director Léon Lebrun shares his 29-year journey with the Trans-Canada Trail, revealing how this ambitious project went from concept to reality while still facing significant challenges in Br...