All about the ride!

A few months ago, thanks to Volunteer Vancouver and BoardMatch, I was introduced to the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition. I was looking to gain some experience with a volunteer Board and exploring ways to get more involved in my community and so, being an avid mountain biker (frequent mountain bike crasher) this seemed like a good match and a great opportunity.

Established in 1988, the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition (VACC) is a non-profit, volunteer operated organization that has committees in municipalities throughout the GVRD. Members are all passionate cyclists from all walks of life and with a variety of cycling experiences, passions and stories to tell. The goal of VACC members (as found at http://www.vacc.bc.ca/) is to "work to improve conditions for cycling in the lower mainland."

Before joining this Board, I attended a couple of meetings with the Vancouver committee. Not being much of an urban cyclist (unless you count a few trips around Stanley Park) and being relatively new to the area, I was still surprised by how much I didn't know about cycling in a city, within traffic and in all types of weather and conditions. I had never before even considered what some of the challenges faced by daily (or occasional for that matter) cycle commuters could be and, being a mountain biker I have largely focused my riding attention on things like "hucks", "skinny's", "teeters" and slippery roots and logs. Railroad crossings, traffic bulges and circles and cycle route signage just haven't been within my frame of reference, until now that is.

The VACC is made up of an incredibly intelligent and passionate group of people that seem to put the greater issues of cycling before all of the little reasons why people cycle. Our main purpose is simply to get more people out on their bikes. The work of the VACC is grounded in these following values:

1. We support a variety of styles and approaches to cycling.
2. We value education and role-modelling for safe cycling.
3. We respect those who use other forms of transportation.
4. We value cycling as a community building tool, and as a healthy practice for individuals and our environment.
5. We avoid funding or support that could compromise the integrity of our mission, purpose or values.
6. We seek positive legislative and policy change to make a lasting difference.
7. Our membership is open to all who share our goals and values.

These values are important as one of the things that drew me most to the VACC was how little it mattered that I was ignorant to a lot of the issues facing urban cyclists and cycling. That the people making up the VACC come from all points of many different spectrum's doesn't seem to matter since we are all joined somehow by a love for the ride. In all of its forms! My early experiences with this group have inspired me to "urbanize" one of my mountain bikes so that I may use it to be come more familiar with this great city that I call home. I would encourage cyclists from all stripes to check out the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition at http://www.vacc.bc.ca/ . Become a member, join a committee or just get inspired to go for a ride.