You can shop for a bike any time of the year.
But a cycling advocacy group and the city of Coquitlam are hoping you’ll go shopping with your bike this month.
August is Bike to Shop month and HUB Cycling along with the city are teaming up to host a special celebration station event at the Coquitlam Farmers Market on Aug. 11 in the Dogwood Pavilion parking lot (1655 Winslow Ave.) with free valet parking that comes with a $5 voucher to spend at the market for the first 20 visitors who use the service.
As well there will be free snacks, maps of cycling routes and HUB swag along with useful tips about getting around town by bike, how to secure your ride and even transporting your shopping items.
Cycling and other active transportation modes are a growing priority for Coquitlam, said the city’s transportation planning manager Thomas Thivener.
“Coquitlam is closely examining the role of micromobility — the use of light transportation modes such as bikes and scooters, both human-powered and electric-assist — as part of the update to the city’s strategic transportation plan,” he said, adding the plan will provide an updated, long-term vision that integrates such new ways of getting around into the city’s transportation network.
Already, Coquitlam has achieved more than 115 km of bike routes that include neighbourhood bikeways, bike lanes and 32 kilometres of separated multi-use pathways. Currently the city is working on an extension of the greenway along Guildford Way that, when complete, will provide a separated route from the Port Moody border to Lafarge Lake.
Maps and information about all the routes are available on the CoquitlamConnect app.
As well, the city has installed bike maintenance stations at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex and the City Centre Aquatic Complex that allow cyclists on the got to make simple repairs like pumping up their tires, and adjusting brakes and derailleurs.
