a tribute to the ride.

Recently (after far too big a break), I was re-introduced to my bike. Its a mountain bike and before "life" got in the way I used to ride it 3 or 4 times a week. Of course it helped that I used to live only minutes from some of the best trails in North America, wasn't married, didn't have kids and so on. You get the picture. Thankfully , I've now managed to find a way to fit at least one weekly ride into my otherwise busy "real" life. My regular riding partners and I call this "Thursday Therapy".

This past Thursday we found ourselves on Mt. Seymour's CBC trail. It turned out to be an awesome ride, made possible largely due to the efforts of trail builders such as the North Shore Mountain Bike Association. In fact, the (soft)footprint of the NSMBA has been visible on every ride that I've been on this year. CBC, Oilcan, Seventh Secret, Pipeline, Espresso to name just a few trails have all benefited from the touch of the NSMBA. The result is a series of trails that are safe and considerate towards eco-systems, while providing sufficient challenge to all ability levels. My helmet goes off to these amazing trail builders of the North Shore.

It seems that since I've rediscovered this former passion, I've also become more aware of the cycling going on around me. Yesterday, while sitting on the patio at Vancouver's Frog and Firkin, my friends and I witnessed a very colourful gaggle of cyclists parading down Broadway. I have no idea what they were up to but it sure looked like they were having fun.

Words can't describe how happy I am to be back on my bike or how great it is to see so many others doing their part to keep their cars parked. I also appreciate a provincial government that is as supportive of transportation alternatives as the BC Liberals. On July 6 of this year Premier Campbell announced his intention to provide another $2 million toward the improvement of cycling infrastructure for 12 communities in the province. This on top of the approximate $50 million in cycling investment that is a part of the governments Gateway Program. Its great to witness a provincial government that is dedicated to funding transportation strategies that are good for the environment, sustainable and that promote healthy living.

For more information on the North Shore Mountain Bike Association and the trails of the North Shore, visit their site at www.nsmba.bc.ca