The Cycling Salt Spring committee was created in 2019 February, merging Island Pathways Helmets For Life program (started in 2000) and the Bicycle Working Group (started in 2009) with the Salt Spring Bike Club (informally operating since 2013). Upcoming meeting dates and times are posted in News & Blog section of this website.
The Bike Club spearheaded the creation of the Lions’ Commemorative Bike Park in Ganges, in the SE corner of Mouat Park. It was built and opened by 2018 August — a great success that led to their joining Island Pathways to continue improving cycling safety and infrastructure on island.
Since Island Pathways creating in 1988, it has been dedicated to improving cycling on Salt Spring. Its initial and ongoing goal was to get a bikeway through the island. This multi-use, roadside regional trail through the island will connect Salt Spring Island to the regional trails on southern Vancouver Island. Salt Spring is the last major section of the main loop to be completed.
check out Island Pathways booklet
“How to Build a Bikeway Through Salt Spring Island“
The History of Efforts to Create a Multi-Use, Roadside Regional Trail Connecting the Three Salt Spring Island Ferry Terminals, 2017
Island Pathways efforts to improve cycling safety and infrastructure on Salt Spring Island include:
- Helmets For Life program, putting 700+ quality, well-fitted helmets onto the heads of Salt Spring elementary school children. (They pay $10 each, with the rest of the cost covered by stalwart donors, the SSI Lions and SSI Firefighters. Helmets are supplied by Salt Spring’s Outspokin’ Bike Shop for wholesale price + $5 each.)
- Bike Rodeos to teach safe-riding to young riders, partnering with the RCMP
- annual Bike to Work & School Week sponsorship, since 2012
- CRD’s quarterly bike counts on island, since 2013
- vital contributions to the 2013 Pedestrian & Cycling Master Plan: Salt Spring Island Edition, with its Cycling Community Compendium, key to SSI bikeway planning and design
- special events, eg. 2018 30th Anniversary celebration on the Ganges pathways; Velo Village 2012, a 3-day weekend, award-winning extravaganza prior to Velo City 2012 in Vancouver; 2010 Cycling Forum; 2011 Easter Bicycle Parade
- publishing AV, newsletters, brochures, posters, and online — see our Publications page
- helping get 36 bicycle racks around island, partnering with businesses and other organizations to cover costs.
Ongoing and Future Work, spearheading:
- E-Bike charging, present locations, more to come:
Harbour House
Salt Spring Golf & Country Club
SSI Library
Rainbow Road Pool
Portlock Park
Country Grocer (2)
El Loco Taco
Outspokin’ Bike Shop may have one; Country Grocer has an outlet for mobility scooter use. - social ride and events
- help create more connected, shared pathways
- sanctioned Mountain Bike trails
GOOD THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT CYCLING ON SALT SPRING ISLAND
- Salt Spring Bike Routes
- from a PDF our out-of-print Heritage Map with Bike Routes, free download with lots of useful information for cyclists
- Share the Road” brochure for cyclists and drivers on Salt Spring, printed by Mainroad Contracting, which maintains Salt Spring’s roads
- Bike racks: Salt Spring Island bus service features bike racks on all busses at no extra charge
- Bus schedules and information can be found on the BC Transit website
- Article for cycling tourists: “A Salt Spring Gander”, Cycle Therapy magazine, Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition, Fall 2013, pages 8-9
SALT SPRING’S PLACE IN THE
(INFORMALLY NAMED) SALISH SEA TRAIL NETWORK
Click on the map or here for a letter-size, printable JPG.
Click here for a Google map of the circuit and its sections.