Our Local's Guide to Visiting Vancouver by Bike
In between our travels, we had the best time exploring Vancouver by bike this summer! Vancouver is our home, and lucky for us it's also very bike-friendly, so we were stoked to partner with Brooklyn Bicycle Co & With the Locals to create our own Vancouver by bike tour. Below are some of our favorite places to visit in Vancouver by bike!
Brooklyn Bicycle Co
We love our new bikes from Brooklyn Bicycle Co and we can't wait to take them with us on our road trips! They make getting around the city so much more fun (and stylish).
Elaine has been casually biking for years, so she was excited to trade in her cruiser for the Driggs 7 city bike, and the 7 speeds help make Vancouver's hills a whole lot easier. Taylor is a super-beginner cyclist, so she went for the Willow 3 cruiser in this adorable baby blue, and it's impossible to ride it without getting compliments from strangers!
Biking in Mount Pleasant
This little corner near Kingsway and Fraser in Mt. Pleasant is one of our favorites, it’s full of good food, good coffee, and friendly neighbors! Savio Volpe is a delicious and fresh Italian restaurant that’s ideal for long, late dinners over fresh pasta and good wine. When it comes to local coffee roasters, Matchstick Coffee is one of the best in the city. Check out the Black Lodge across the street for after-dinner drinks in a Twin Peaks-themed bar!
A French cafe and home goods shop inside a house, Le Marche St George is definitely a hidden gem of Vancouver. Located in a neighborhood with no other shops nearby, it's perfect to bike to when you're exploring the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood. Whether you want an authentic crepe or a latte served in a bowl (French style), this is the perfect place to catch up with friends...or make some new ones!
Vancouver’s first cold-pressed juice company started out as a “juice truck,” but it's since become one of the most beloved small businesses in the city. Heading down the hill towards downtown, you'll find Juice Truck in Mt. Pleasant, and you'll probably see their juices for sale in many businesses around the city. Plus, their pineapple wallpaper in the restroom is totally selfie-worthy.
If you need a little pick me up, look out for the Kafka's Coffee and Tea truck to get energized! You can get growlers of cold brew, which are perfect for strapping on to your bike and riding off to the beach or a picnic in the park. Stay tuned to their Instagram for their location, which is usually in Mt. Pleasant or along the seawall.
You’ll find the most gourmet and delicious ice cream sandwiches at Beta 5 Chocolates in the Strathcona Warehouse District. It might seem like it's in the middle of nowhere, but it's just a quick bike ride away from the False Creek seawall and so worth adventuring to! Plus, there's a ton of new street art and murals in the area.
Vancouver’s sea walls are such a gorgeous ride around the city and an easy way to get downtown on your bike, but we love taking the aquabus around False Creek seawall too! Science World is a big sparkly dome building that was built for Expo 86, and it's so magical at night time!
After you've cruised down the seawall, stop by Pazzo Chow in Chinatown for some fresh yummy Italian food, or cool off with some homemade ice cream. It's right off the bike lane!
Gastown
It's super easy to take the False Creek seawall from Mt. Pleasant to Gastown, but you'll want to lock your bike up in Gastown and adventure on foot because traffic is a little crazy. If you're looking for cool and curated vintage in Vancouver, Hey Jude Shop is where you want to be. They have a mix of vintage and home goods, and everything is as beautiful as their shop is.
Vancouver has a great coffee scene, and Revolver Coffee is one of the best. With a rotating espresso bar and some of the best seating in the city, this is the place to come enjoy a great conversation over a yummy Americano with the local creative community.
Tacofino is not only home to delicious tacos, but they also have the prettiest interior and a gorgeous patio. If you want to grab some tacos to go, check out their take out window and burrito bar - the fish taco is huge and soooo good. Definitely a fave spot for locals!
Part coffee shop, part flower shop, The Birds and the Beets is a bright and gorgeous spot in Gastown that's perfect for working or chatting with friends. They serve coffee, beer, tea, and food from local small businesses, and their bouquets are so gorgeous.
English Bay
Vancouver has mountains, water, and tons of beaches, and English Bay is just steps from the city’s West End - a quick bike ride from Gastown! You can chill and tan by the water, or you can hop on your bike to ride the famous Stanley Park seawall for the best ride in Vancouver. Seriously - the views are amazing!
If you're looking for more Vancouver, check out our Vancouver city guide here, or you can view our entire Vancouver bike tour on With the Locals' site here! With the Locals is similar to Local Wanderer in that we both LOVE local, but each of their cities is curated by a different person. So rad!
A huge thank you to Brooklyn Bicycle Co for our new bikes, they are the BEST and if you're looking for a rad ride, you should totally check them out :)
