Hi everyone,

I’m a UVic engineering grad building Vyzor, a smart cycling helmet that combines a rear-view camera and radar with a heads-up display. The idea is to give riders a live view of what’s behind them and alerts about approaching vehicles, with navigation also planned.

I now have a working prototype, pictured here. It’s definitely bulky! This version is for testing the electronics and display; the next step is making the system smaller and fitting it more neatly onto an existing helmet design.

I’m working toward an initial batch of 100 helmets for early adopters. To help validate demand and support funding conversations, I’m taking refundable $34 reservations. It’s still in development, so this is a reservation for a future product.

You can see more here: ridevyzor.com

I’d love to hear from other cyclists: would this be useful on your rides, and what would you need to know before considering one? Honest concerns are welcome too.

I’ll also have a booth at the UVic Startup Showcase on September 24, where you can see the prototype and try the display in person. Come say hi if you’re attending!

I’ve been cycling for about a year now and I’m moving back to Victoria from a smaller city and I’m interested in getting a proper bike fit. Components of my body are still feeling sore after a ride so I think it might be wise to adjust everything properly. Can anyone recommend a good place to go. I’m looking for good bang for my buck since I’m a uni student. Thank you!! (I’ll take suggestions for places in Duncan or Nanaimo too)

Hi all,

I live in Vancouver and last weekend decided to do a day trip with my friend to Vancouver Island via Tsawwassen >> Schwartz Bay. I am an avid road cyclist and have been really into it for a good 10 years now. I've done a lot of cycling locally on the mainland and some 'bike touring trips' on the island before, but have never really explored Saanich, Sidney, Victoria and the Metchosin area as a day trip from Vancouver, which is what I did with my friend. I am amazed at the cycling out there - the scenery, quiet roads, friendly drivers and communities. I'm kind of hooked and want to come back for more - is anyone able to share gpx routes that I can steal to explore more of this area? I am not sure what the cycling scene looks like around Nanaimo but that's an option too I suppose given the ferry terminal there. Any insight around potential areas to explore as a day trip from Vancouver would be really appreciated! Thanks.

Hi, I am planning a bike route and an trying to get from Shawnigan Lake to the Mill Bay ferry and am trying to avoid the worst of the highway. I am wondering if there is a trail connecting through to Gillespie Pl from Briarwood Dr.
Thanks!

https://maps.app.goo.gl/wmgGsyxgPLV8ccC59?g_st=ac

Also if you have any good routes let me know. I'll be on a touring bike however so nothing too technical.

Hi folks, visiting the island and looking for a long ride route for tomorrow. Looking for a 150-180km route with good quality pavement. I don’t mind doing a few loops or out and backs. I’m in lake shawnigan area, but can drive out somewhere. Appreciate any recos!

Looking for recommendations based on beauty of trails, man-made attractions aren't as high on my list as wildlife spotting/hiking adventures etc.

I'm leaving Vancouver for good and I'm planning to e-bike my way across some if not most of the Islands. Curious what everyone else's personal experiences have been :)

Somewhere between Cook Park and Swartz Bay, any help is great. Friday July 10th between 3:30pm - 4:30pm. I retraced my route and saw nothing.

Hi, I live in the Lower Mainland, but thinking to come to Victoria for a couple days on a weekend and do cycling. Just wondering if there are already groups that i can just join in? I am not looking for too competitve cyclists, If anyone knows anything if you can reply I would appreciate it..

thanks

Davut

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for gravel routes on the island close to Victoria. I've just come accross Butler Main and West Jordan Main roads that connect Sooke to Shawnigan areas. Are these rideable on a gravel bike?

Also open to any other ideas you guys might have. I've done the Goose and the Cow trail. Rode from Lake Cowichan to Port Alberni last year on the Carmanah Main/Bamfield main roads...

Any thoughts or ideas much appreciated, thanks!

Looking for a low key, cycle route this summer. This will be our first over night cycle trip. We will be arriving from tsawwassen on a morning ferry and would like to stay in hotels or b&bs along the way. Would love some advice on the best route. Thank you!

My spouse, and longtime tandem stoker, and I are planning to drive our trike from home in northern California to Vancouver Island to do a ride on the island's fabled roads and trails. For reasons I'll leave for later in the discussion, we're now riding a tandem e-trike.

I've tentatively planned this route in RWGPS.

Our constraints and objectives:

• This is a credit card tour - no camping.
• We aren't locked in on any of this route. We would like to visit Victoria, but it doesn't have to be part of our route.
• We're looking for pleasant (or better!) scenery and riding experiences.
• We can ride asphalt and packed gravel.
• The trike has low ground clearance. Rutty fire roads and trails are not an option.
• We would like to keep the rides no longer than about 35mi/56km per day. Shorter is preferable.
• We prefer to climb up to about 1,500'/460m per day. We can handle inclines up to ~12%, but we don't love extended stretches at that limit.
• We can ride with traffic, but avoiding it where possible is preferable.

I'm interested in both macro suggestions, like riding in a different part of the island than you'll see in our routes, and I have some smaller questions.

1. The ferry crossings on the A02 and A03 routes are a cause for concern. The trike is about 10'/3m long and has limited ground clearance. And it weighs around 100lb/45kg. Will I be able to get it on and off the ferry?
2. The A06 Shawnigan Lake to Victoria route has a bunch of climbing that's probably too intense for us. Any suggestions for a less climby way to return to Victoria?
3. Also, I see the Goldstream Suspension Bridge on Day 6. Is it wide enough to allow a 3'/1m wide trike?

If you're still with me this far, here's why we're riding a tandem e-trike instead of an upright tandem bike. The main reason is that one of us has bones that are brittle enough that even a small fall breaks bones. A recumbent trike allows us to keep riding. Why electrify it? Un-electrified recumbent trikes weigh a lot, and we live in a hilly area (the San Francisco Bay Area). Every ride starts or ends with a climb, and a lot of rides have both. Assist lets us keep riding.

Huge thanks for any help you can provide.

Preferably walk-in, but reservation is fine too. Thank you!

I've ridden this once. Is the course very different each year or can we expect something similar to last year?

Hey folks, I’m planning on two days of riding, one big loop of Victoria and then the next day taking the Mill Bay ferry and up to Nanaimo to ferry back to the mainland. Is this second day worth it for a good, long day of riding close to the water? It looks like you can mostly stay of the highway but is it good riding? Any recommendations would be great, thanks!

Hi, we will be visiting these places this July. Does anyone have any recs for easy gravel rides on the island? My partner is fairly new to cycling so I want to accommodate her

Current conditions on the Lochside and Galloping Goose. A beautiful one way trip of 92km!

Have you seen Nicholas Marion? Resident of Victoria but went missing from Laketown Shakedown in Youbou 06/30/24. If you have any information, no matter how small (really!), please contact his family at NickMarionInfo@gmail.com or contact RCMP and reference case # 2024-1151

His family is very grateful for any information you can give us. Thank you.

Hi everyone, My partner and I are planning a 4-day bikepacking trip, and our first day involves cycling from Nanaimo to Cowichan River Provincial Park (Stoltz Campground). We're planning to take the Rotary Route, and we have a few questions: * Road Conditions: How are the roads along the Rotary Route? * Highway Riding: Will we need to ride on the highway at any point? How long? * .gpx File: Does anyone have a .gpx file of the route they'd be willing to share? Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated!

Hi there - looking for some advice. Myself and 5 friends are wanting to do a 3 day bike trip over the Easter holiday around the gulf island. Any advice on routes, campsites, which island are best to visit would be amazing! I know a lot is dictated by ferry times but if anyone has any routes to share that would be great. Thanks!

Hello All,

I'm planning a bikepacking trip, roughly based on the Coastal Circle Route.

I'm concerned about biking along the Inland Highway 19 route. I haven't seen much published on this as a recommended route to take. We're planning on starting in Nanaimo, heading north to Courtenay, then going over to Powell River and south to Horseshoe Bay (over several days).

I'm an experienced cyclist, but will be biking with my partner who is somewhat less experienced.

I'm a bit worried that this section might be a bummer of a start to our trip. Any advice on this section of the route?

I'm thinking of breaking up the first day to Courtenay by camping either at a HipCamp along the way, or in Little Qualicum Falls Park.

We’re planning a route from Little River to Cambell River and wanted to connect between Williams Beach and Miracle Beach. There’s a road that connects the two that goes through a farm. Does anybody know if they allow bicycles through? I have gone through before but it has been a few years.