Promoting cycling tourism- your area

[shootingstar]

Great for a jursidiction to have fun massive group event rides annually or so. And easier sometimes, if registrants/participants don't have to fundraise (or they pay alot just to ride by donating, without fundraising for ie. multiple sclerosis) True, they can draw people from several hundred miles/kms. away from their home city/state/province.

There are lots of opportunities for cycling in Vancouver without hills but any route over 30 kms., one does deal with a hill or 2 at least. Doable. Of course, there are always challenge of a local mountain, if you want it.

In my opinion, which may be biased, but after living and cycling in Toronto for 10 years, it would be variety of vistas and outdoor scenery in Vancouver area one would see as cyclist, that would override most hill-climbing requirements. Do come one day! Kelownagirl could speak in greater detail about bike routes in Okanagan Valley/B.C.'s wine region in interior British Columbia. But from what we experienced the cycling routes are confined withina a city/town or have been part of rail trail. Among the vineyard areas, it can be sufficiently hilly and steep in certain areas and remember it gets hot/dry there.. 35+ degrees C... There's nothing comparable to eastern & central Canada, climate-wise. But it is beautiful there, different from Niagara-on-the-Lake wine region. I've cycled in both wine regions east and west, several times in each.

We haven't been to Arizona yet..and too bad, we didn't take advantage when dearie's brother was living in Scottsdale, AZ.

As for a free vs. fee-based cycling city map that has street detail, guess it's a cost issue for Montreal and Vancouver. It does cost money to produce them, so..

Methinks to be a cycling tourist, to be cycling lots while travelling, it really requires time to research, plan and adjust a route as one moves along. Just figuring out decent routes within a strange city/town without local cycling enthusiast to assist, is abit like detective/scavenger hunt at times. One just has to have sense of adventure for the unknown ahead.