Bike Sense

The BC Cycling Coalition
  • 5.0 (23)
  • Places & Travel
  • Updated Biweekly

Bike Sense: the podcast of The BC Cycling Coalition.Join Host Peter Ladner as he interviews guests to talk about all things related to cycling advocacy, education, and road safety in BC. Listen to stories that can influence changes that make active transportation and mobility safer, more equitable, and more accessible, so we can meet our climate, health, social justice, tourism and economic development goals. Please visit our website at bccycling.ca to find out more about what the BC Cycling Coalition is doing and how you can join and support us.

  1. 2d ago

    From Penny Farthing to E-Bike: A Local and Global Bicycle History

    Peter is joined by Gordon Hobbis, son of Cap Hobbis, founder of Caps Bicycles of BC — once the largest chain of bike dealerships in Canada — who in 'retirement' now runs his own bicycle museum in Maple Ridge. Gordon takes us on a wild ride linking early two-wheel transport to climate disruption following the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora, and then brings us into the modern era: how bike retail changes with online shopping, massive model variety, and the explosion of e-bikes. We also dig into Canadian bike manufacturing history including how tariffs protected local brands, how free trade reshaped the market, and why large-scale bicycle manufacturing largely disappeared in Canada.  Also: Gordon’s research trips to Davis, California, where the first U.S. bike lanes opened in 1969; the rise and fall and rebirth of bicycling in China; and how bicycles revolutionized dating and helped women transcend restrictive social rules. Finally, Gordon explains how a bike refurbishment charity and mechanic training led to Western Canada’s only bike museum, in Maple Ridge, BC — and how you can come for a visit.  Did we say it was a wild ride?! We're picking up speed, and on a replica 1888 Penny Farthing it's seven feet down to the ground — so hang on to your riding cap! ************** Visit the Two Wheeled Time Machine Museum HERE.  And if you're looking for a bike or some two-wheeled wisdom come on down to Caps Cycle, still going strong in New Westmister and Langley. Support the show *********************************************** The Bike Sense podcast with Peter Ladner is produced by the BC Cycling Coalition – your voice for safer and more accessible cycling and active transportation in British Columbia. Membership in the BCCC is now FREE! The future of this podcast depends on people like you becoming members at  BCCycling.ca. Please join us. Got feedback or ideas for future episodes? Please drop us an email at admin@bccycling.ca. Bike Sense podcast technical direction and production by Carmen Mills.

    31 min

  2. Jun 23

    How The City of North Van is Beating Bikelash

    Bike lanes can feel like a simple street design choice, so why do they set people off like a cultural lightning rod? We sit down with City of North Vancouver Councillor Tony Valente, who’s been on the front lines of active transportation advocacy and the backlash that comes with it, to unpack what’s really driving “bikelash” across BC and beyond. We get into the political reality that traffic data and safety studies don’t always win the day, especially when distrust in institutions is rising and online culture wars seep into local debates. Tony shares why he prefers the term 'mobility lanes,' and how protected cycling infrastructure is bigger than bikes: it can support e-scooters, e-bikes, and seniors using low-speed mobility devices who don’t belong on sidewalks or in fast traffic. The through-line is freedom and safety, not tribal politics. Support the show *********************************************** The Bike Sense podcast with Peter Ladner is produced by the BC Cycling Coalition – your voice for safer and more accessible cycling and active transportation in British Columbia. Membership in the BCCC is now FREE! The future of this podcast depends on people like you becoming members at  BCCycling.ca. Please join us. Got feedback or ideas for future episodes? Please drop us an email at admin@bccycling.ca. Bike Sense podcast technical direction and production by Carmen Mills.

    33 min

  3. Jun 3

    How a First Nation Saved a Rail Trail—And Changed the Region

    We talk with Phil McIntyre-Paul, a key organizer behind the Splatsin to Sicamous Corridor—a 50-km rail trail and active transportation greenway running parallel to Highway 97A between Sicamous and Armstrong in the North Okanagan. You'll hear how CP Rail's 2009 abandonment kicked off a long, messy acquisition process, why political turnover nearly derailed the project, and how Splatsin leadership changed everything by securing critical sections and bringing regional districts and municipalities into a shared model for acquiring, building, and managing the corridor. We also zoom out to the larger Sicamous to Osoyoos vision—and how this rail trail connects with the Okanagan Rail Trail, the Kettle Valley Rail corridor, and the Trans Canada Trail to form a destination cycling network with real economic and active transportation impact for rural BC. Support the show *********************************************** The Bike Sense podcast with Peter Ladner is produced by the BC Cycling Coalition – your voice for safer and more accessible cycling and active transportation in British Columbia. Membership in the BCCC is now FREE! The future of this podcast depends on people like you becoming members at  BCCycling.ca. Please join us. Got feedback or ideas for future episodes? Please drop us an email at admin@bccycling.ca. Bike Sense podcast technical direction and production by Carmen Mills.

    44 min

  4. May 22

    Riding Toward Reconciliation: The Indigenous Youth Mountain Bike Program

    We sit down with Patrick Lucas, founder and director of the Indigenous Youth Mountain Bike Program, to unpack how riding and trail building can become a doorway to confidence, health, and a renewed relationship with the land. What starts as kids building “stupid looking jumps” turns into something much larger: community-designed trails, youth skills training, and outdoor spaces that people actually use every day.  Patrick shares what he’s learned about consent and respect in outdoor recreation, plus the real-world partnership work that trail clubs can do when building on Indigenous territories. We explore surprising outcomes like women-led running groups becoming the biggest trail users, and how schools and community members use the same trails for language learning, harvesting, and wellness.  Support the show *********************************************** The Bike Sense podcast with Peter Ladner is produced by the BC Cycling Coalition – your voice for safer and more accessible cycling and active transportation in British Columbia. Membership in the BCCC is now FREE! The future of this podcast depends on people like you becoming members at  BCCycling.ca. Please join us. Got feedback or ideas for future episodes? Please drop us an email at admin@bccycling.ca. Bike Sense podcast technical direction and production by Carmen Mills.

    30 min

  5. May 7

    The Road Nobody Repaves: Rural BC Highways and the Active Transportation Gap

    What rural road maintenance means for active transportation, and why it matters in BC communities where the highway is the only route. A freshly "maintained" road shouldn't make a stroller unusable or shred a bike tire. But that's exactly what can happen when seal coating replaces repaving on rural BC highways. Area Director Andy Davidoff of the Regional District of Central Kootenay joins us from the small hamlet of Thrums, BC to examine a problem hiding in plain sight: in rural and compact communities, the provincial highway is the active transportation corridor. It's the walking route, the school route, the only route for people who don't drive. When that surface deteriorates, it doesn't just inconvenience cyclists; it cuts off walkers, mobility device users, and anyone without a car. From there, we move from problem to advocacy: a push to end a 2-tier approach to active transportation infrastructure funding and a UBCM resolution calling on the province to formally recognize rural highways as active transportation infrastructure. Support the show *********************************************** The Bike Sense podcast with Peter Ladner is produced by the BC Cycling Coalition – your voice for safer and more accessible cycling and active transportation in British Columbia. Membership in the BCCC is now FREE! The future of this podcast depends on people like you becoming members at  BCCycling.ca. Please join us. Got feedback or ideas for future episodes? Please drop us an email at admin@bccycling.ca. Bike Sense podcast technical direction and production by Carmen Mills.

    27 min

  6. Apr 23

    Putting Nelson on the Map: Bikepacking for All in the West Kootenays

    Bikepacking is active transportation at its most adventurous, and it's far more accessible than it looks from the outside. The real magic, as today's guest explains, is how quickly it becomes doable once you understand the basics. We sit down with Moe Nadeau, Nelson, BC route builder and newest member of the BC Cycling Coalition board. Her work has helped make the West Kootenays one of bikepacking.com's featured route network hubs in North America, helping put BC's active transportation scene on the global map.  Moe shares the story behind the West Kootenay Bikepacking Route Network —  five routes designed to be accessible to everyday cyclists, not just hardcore adventurers — and what it actually takes to build a route from scratch. Along the way, she shares stories from riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from Banff to Mexico, plus what long-distance bike travel teaches you about planning, patience, and self-reliance. Moe also explains why she founded Building Momentum Bikepacking to support women and non-binary riders with skills workshops covering route planning, on-trail mechanics, bike fitting, pelvic health, and period care, lowering the barriers so more people can access cycling as both recreation and travel. We also talk honestly about e-bikes in the backcountry (charging and weight trade-offs), and how welcoming all kinds of riders helps diversify the whole cycling community. Whether you're an experienced bikepacker or just getting started with active transportation in BC, this episode will have you eyeing the West Kootenays for your next adventure. Support the show *********************************************** The Bike Sense podcast with Peter Ladner is produced by the BC Cycling Coalition – your voice for safer and more accessible cycling and active transportation in British Columbia. Membership in the BCCC is now FREE! The future of this podcast depends on people like you becoming members at  BCCycling.ca. Please join us. Got feedback or ideas for future episodes? Please drop us an email at admin@bccycling.ca. Bike Sense podcast technical direction and production by Carmen Mills.

    27 min

  7. Apr 6

    Why Canada Needs Trained Bike Mechanics Now

    Your bike doesn’t become “unrideable” when a chain wears out or a wheel goes out of true. It becomes unrideable when you can’t get it fixed quickly and affordably by someone who has the necessary skills. That person is becoming ever harder to find, and that’s the gap we dig into with Zoé Kruchten, a bicycle mechanic and community engagement specialist with more than a decade in mechanical work, advocacy, and research. Zoé shares the national push behind the Canadian Bicycle Industry Skills Coalition, including a workforce survey aimed at finally producing real labour market data on hiring, skills, pay, and training bottlenecks. We also talk wages, shop closures, e-bike repair, and why policies like France’s Repairability Index matter for sustainable transportation and AT. Visit the website of the Canadian Bicycle Industry Skills Coalition (CBISC) to find out more: https://bicyclemechanics.ca Support the show *********************************************** The Bike Sense podcast with Peter Ladner is produced by the BC Cycling Coalition – your voice for safer and more accessible cycling and active transportation in British Columbia. Membership in the BCCC is now FREE! The future of this podcast depends on people like you becoming members at  BCCycling.ca. Please join us. Got feedback or ideas for future episodes? Please drop us an email at admin@bccycling.ca. Bike Sense podcast technical direction and production by Carmen Mills.

    28 min

  8. Mar 26

    The Worst Place To Bike (Pender Island) FINALLY Gets A Bike Path!

    Rob Fawcett is a community builder on Pender Island who helped transform a dangerous, shoulderless road into a 2-km off-road, multi-use active transportation corridor. In this episode, we sat down with Rob to hear how the Gulf Islands community raised $150,000 in pledges to unlock a BC Active Transportation grant and built something that kids can bike to school on and older residents can actually enjoy. Some are calling it Pender Island’s new linear park. Rob breaks down what it takes to deliver trail infrastructure on an island with no municipal government, where roads belong to the Ministry of Transportation, and big capital projects almost never happen. We also zoom out to the bigger vision: a connected network of shared-use trails across the Gulf Islands that could transform how people get around by bike, on foot, or by e-bike. And with provincial active transportation funding now 'on pause,' Rob shares what comes next, and why this community isn't waiting around. March 25, 2026: CRD announces official opening of Schooner Way Trail! Click HERE for details. Read about the Trail in The Pender Post HERE Support the show *********************************************** The Bike Sense podcast with Peter Ladner is produced by the BC Cycling Coalition – your voice for safer and more accessible cycling and active transportation in British Columbia. Membership in the BCCC is now FREE! The future of this podcast depends on people like you becoming members at  BCCycling.ca. Please join us. Got feedback or ideas for future episodes? Please drop us an email at admin@bccycling.ca. Bike Sense podcast technical direction and production by Carmen Mills.

    31 min
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5
out of 5
23 Ratings

About

Bike Sense: the podcast of The BC Cycling Coalition.Join Host Peter Ladner as he interviews guests to talk about all things related to cycling advocacy, education, and road safety in BC. Listen to stories that can influence changes that make active transportation and mobility safer, more equitable, and more accessible, so we can meet our climate, health, social justice, tourism and economic development goals. Please visit our website at bccycling.ca to find out more about what the BC Cycling Coalition is doing and how you can join and support us.

Information

  • Creator
    The BC Cycling Coalition
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    47
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Bike Sense
  • Show Website
    Bike Sense

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