My wife and I will be visting Victoria for 3 nights (2 full days). It sounds like Victoria is a biking city. So one morning/afternoon, we'd like to rent bikes and explore the area a bit.

I read about the Galloping Goose trail. It looks like a great trail, but it also looks like it heads out of town and gets away from the coastline.

We'd like to be able to explore both the coastline and the neighborhoods. Maybe stop somewhere for lunch, or go to a park and have a picnic.

Any other recommended routes?

Thanks!

Check out Lochside Trail it has some of what you're after.

http://www.crd.bc.ca/parks/lochside/index.htm

More info here

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path...ia-Winery-Tour

As you head up toward Sidney you could stop @ a Winery maybe head into Sidney itself.

http://www.marleyfarm.ca/

http://www.churchandstatewines.com/

http://www.sidneybooktown.ca/

Hey ekjojo

I went to B.C. Bike Rentals on Douglas St. right near the Royal BC Museum downtown ($7/hr.)and took the recommended cycle through Beacon Hill Park and then took a left onto Dallas Road and kept with the roads hugging the shoreline as far as Oak Bay. While it's sharing the road mostly, the road was very quiet and had many beautiful lookouts.

Enjoy! Victoria and the Saanich Peninsula are beauties.

DAN

hi ekjojo, my favourite route which i do most sundays is to go out dallas road past beacon hill park; it becomes hollywood crescent, then cresent road, then king george terrace ( short sharp uphill and turns into beach drive at macneil bay. u can follow this up through the uplands where it merges w/ cadboro bay road and go down hill to cadboro bay village. have a coffee or lunch at olive olio's and head over to the beach at gyro park or continue over to ten mile point.
this route hugs the shore; there r lots of coastal access points like willows beach/ esplanade cattle point, etc
a detour to the right at the king george terrace/ crescent road name change takes u down to harling point , the chinese cemetary and a wonderful little beach below maquinna road as well. the end of beach drive is through the uplands, one of the poshier parts of greater victoria w/ many beautiful older house.

victoria is a great bicycling town and if u respect traffic laws , cars will respect u.
give me a shout if u need more info
cheers
AndrewDavid

Wow -- thanks everyone for the great suggestions.

Thanks again DAN for the biking tips.

AndrewDavid -- how long does your trip typically take on Sundays?

We're looking at maps of these routes and are excited to try them.

One question on the vineyards. Are they easily accessible with bikes? Or would we have a better experience if we drove out one day to visit them?

ekjojo

if u peddle straight thru about an hour. there r as i indicated plenty of places to stop and all the neighbourhoods along the route have character

re the wineries: i do a trip every summer up in the cowichan valley about an hour north of town. there r a half dozen +/- that r usually open, merridale cidery ( hand made hard cider. at least 2 have restaurants, a blueberry farm, chees factory etc. that rout is about 40km and is a leisurely day counting travel time up from town

cheers
AndrewDavid

AndrewDavid
Are you suggesting that ekjojo should cycle to the Cowichan Valley or drive there? It is an easy drive, but an easy cycle over the Malahat's 1,156 foot summit?

AndrewDavid -- is the end of May too early to be visiting the wineries? We'll have a rental car, so we could take an afternoon or morning and drive around.

no the end of may is fine , into june finer