[oarsman]

Some days, I just don't feel like heading home directly from work, so I take one or another of the "scenic" routes. These almost always involve a combination of trails, MUTs, pavement and gravel roads. Today was one such day. It was sort of cloudy, but the sun kept poking through. The temperature was perfect, about 20 degrees.

I am lucky that I can take many different routes home, including using transit (which will be another post some day). This was my "Northern Route". The total distance is, I don't know, maybe 35 kms? No computer on this bike. I would say about half the distance is on trails. The MUTs I take are mostly in the suburbs and quite empty. Quite different from downtown Vancouver, where I end up.

So to start:

#1: Begbie Square, New Westminster, BC - that is Sir Begbie (the hanging judge) himself
#2: 4th Avenue Hill - my least favourite: brick pavers, steep, and only two blocks from the office, so nowhere near warmed up
#3: Trail in Queen's Park, New Westminster, BC
#4: Willow in Hume Park, New Westminster

OK, I have no idea what happened here, but the photos are actually in inverse order. But, I am sure you can figure it out!

 

[oarsman]

Into the woods

After going through Hume Park, with the willow, it is into the woods, more specifically, the trail along the Brunette river which runs from Burnaby Lake to the Fraser River (although I am riding upstream, away from the Fraser). After leaving the river it is back onto a different trail system that skirts Burnaby Mountain.

#1 Forest beside the River
#2 Under the Freeway
#3 Abandoned Railway trestle
#4 Burnaby Urban Trail
#5 Some oil tanks along the way

 

[oarsman]

North through Burnaby to the sea

The system of trail, muts and lightly travelled roads head north and west ending up at a series of trails that wend their way along the cliffs above Burrard inlet.

#1 Burnaby Mountain urban trail - paved part - very empty even though it was about 5:30 PM
#2 The Frances/Union bike route goes right into Downtown Vancouver. I followed it for some way west before turning north towards the mountains.
#3 The TransCanada trail will eventually go from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It is really a conglomeration of numerous smaller trails which are being slowly joined together
#4 Yes, BEARS live here (and we are no more than 7 or 8 km from downtown)
#5 Blackberries: mmm, yum - bears like them too!

 

[oarsman]

Along the cliffs

This is my favourite part of the ride. The trail is gravel, sometimes packed, sometimes, uhh, not. It is a fairly popular place for walking dogs, but more so on the weekends.

#1 Heights trail, the inlet is to the right and, well, down.
#2 Oil refinery: there was a spill not long ago when a construction crew ruptured a pipeline, but that was a bit to the east of here
#3 My bike below the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge (so named because it fell during construction in the late '50s killing a number of workers)
#4 The Ironworkers Bridge and the railway bridge. I waited for awhile, but alas, no trains
#5 A cycling commuter crossing the bridge

 

[oarsman]

Into the city

The Ironworkers Bridge is more or less the dividing line between Burnaby and Vancouver. From there the route goes along the port. I have included a few photos, but may do a whole posting at some point of the port. You can also see that traffic rears its ugly head for the last bit (about 3 km from home)

#1 Looking back to the two bridges. Everyone calls the road bridge the "2nd Narrows" which used to be its name. Its official name is the following mouthful: "Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing"
#2 Centerm - one of the main container docks for the city
#3 Traffic on Powell street - it was all too good to last.

 

[MB1]

With all those great photos (and there are some really nice views there) I still find myself staring at the bike.

 

[tarwheel2]

BC, huh? You need to throw a big Potlatch for all your RBR friends.

 

[oarsman]

The bike does attract attention

With all those great photos (and there are some really nice views there) I still find myself staring at the bike.

I am regularly stopped by a fellow cyclist (or in the process of being passed by same) to ask questions about the bike. Often it is not even cyclists, I have been stopped at red lights and received comments about it. Everyone seems fascinated by the couplings and can't quite believe the bike fits in a suitcase (will have to take pictures of that at some point).

To me, it is certainly a beautiful bike which gives me a lot of pleasure (though I actually think my DeKerf road is even more attractive) but its practicality is what really appeals.

 

[Ridgetop]

I still love the classic look of that bike. Great pics.

 

[Guest]

Thank you.

All familiar and friendly.

I lived in New Westminster for many years and have ridden all those routes, Lived in Massey Heights area of New West about mid way between Queen's and Hume Parks.

Used to take the kids to both of them.

All the trails through Burnaby are very familiar, I ride them whenever I come back to town.

Great pics, thanx again.

 

[undies]

Beautiful! I need to get back up to BC soon.

 

[qwertzy]

As "long ways home" go, that is an amazing ride.
I'd be tempted to do that every day.
I really like your pictures, esp. of the bridges.
Oh and I really like your bike too.

 

[oarsman]

I am tempted everyday

As "long ways home" go, that is an amazing ride.
I'd be tempted to do that every day.
I really like your pictures, esp. of the bridges.
Oh and I really like your bike too.

While I would love to do that ride every day, or at least several times a week, it takes a bit too long and life keeps intruding (naughty, naughty life).

But, when I have nothing really planned for the evening I try to take this route or my other "scenic" ride home (that one goes south, along the Fraser River. I will post pictures at some point). I usually get to do so once a week. I also tend not to take this route home in the winter both because it is a bit too dark on the trails and they tend to get a little muddier than I would like even for the big tires on the Atlantis.

 

[Cervelo-er]

That is the best looking Rivendell I have ever seen. I love the dark green...and it's a perfect fit for the cloudy, rainy backdrop of your BC riding. Love it!

 

[oarsman]

The photos don't do the colour justice

That is the best looking Rivendell I have ever seen. I love the dark green...and it's a perfect fit for the cloudy, rainy backdrop of your BC riding. Love it!

The colour is sort of a pearl olive green, with a surprising amount of gold-brown. It looks quite different depending on the light and I just cannot capture its iridescence with the camera. I had it painted locally (when I got the couplings installed)