biking in Stanley Park?

[poss]

Last time we were in Vancouver, we bicycled all through the park. My elderly husband is no longer able to bike now, but he uses a fine recumbent tricycle at home. Any chance there'd be same to rent near the park?

 

Thanks.

[lyteforce]

I can't say I've seen recumbent bikes at any of the rental places, though I haven't really paid too much attention. That said, I believe the one right at the Vancouver Convention Centre offers mobility scooter rentals - not sure if that would be a last resort to still be able to hit the seawall.

[martincath]

Sorry Poss, totally missed this post of yours first time around. There's only one recumbent bike rental place I know of, and it is not at all convenient for the park (you could cab there, but you'd have to cycle a couple of miles extra over a bridge to get to the park - and it's $85 a day, with no hourly rentals).

 

Tandems are available at pretty much all of the rental places, and adult trikes can be found at a few e.g. English Bay if it's purely a balance issue for DH.

[poss]

Thanks for both replies.

 

Not interested in mobility scooter at this point, but may some day come to that. My husband is upper 80's and balance not good enough for bike. He's tried "regular" adult trikes and didn't find them at all pleasant. He loves his groovy 21-speed, racy-red recumbent trike; it's enabled us to continue to do a fair amount of biking, one of our pleasures. Perhaps he'll give the trike another try; if not, we'll enjoy Vancouver's other pleasures and be happy we enjoyed the bicycling last time around.

 

Btw, I so badly want to do Capilano, but heights, especially with swaying, make me very nervous, and while my husband has no trouble at all with balance when walking, somehow the idea that he could lose his balance up there makes me even MORE nervous.

 

Another question: Are the most interesting trails in that area fairly flat, or are there "impediments" of various kinds.

 

Thanks!

[martincath]

If it's trails near Capilano you mean, avoid like the plague - the North Shore looks so beautiful because it's pretty much sea straight to mountains; even sidewalks and roads in parts of North & West Van are horribly steep.

 

Now you've confirmed it's DHs balance that's the issue with biking, and that you are also not good with movement/heights, I'd would advise against considering Capilano for your tourist dollars! Unless you can actually cross the bridge you miss out on most all of their trails and the treewalk; even with the newer cliffwalk on the near side it's god-awful value for money if you don't get the whole bridge and stuff on the other side...

 

Most trails inside Stanley Park are very gentle - and you can stick to the Seawall, which as the name suggests follows around the coast with very little height variance, and still see a great deal of good stuff without venturing up a hill at all.

[xlxo]

Btw, I so badly want to do Capilano, but heights, especially with swaying, make me very nervous, and while my husband has no trouble at all with balance when walking, somehow the idea that he could lose his balance up there makes me even MORE nervous.

One idea is to get up early one morning and head to Capilano solo while he can sleep-in at the hotel or enjoy room service in your absence. Otherwise an evening visit while he's at dinner.

 

Capilano is open from 9am til 8pm in the summer.

[poss]

I'm confused. The trails and tree walk on the other side of the bridge: They're not the ones to avoid like the plague, right? They're nice and gentle, or no? Smooth path, or lots of roots and stuff?

 

Can't go the separate activities route at this point.

 

Still very much want to do Capilano, bridge and all, but no doubt 'tis better just to enjoy the Park and maybe Grouse or something like that.

 

Thanks!

[martincath]

I'm confused. The trails and tree walk on the other side of the bridge: They're not the ones to avoid like the plague, right? They're nice and gentle, or no? Smooth path, or lots of roots and stuff?

 

Can't go the separate activities route at this point.

 

Still very much want to do Capilano, bridge and all, but no doubt 'tis better just to enjoy the Park and maybe Grouse or something like that.

 

Thanks!

Yes, you got the right idea despite my less-than-stellar grammar. The free, publicly-accessible trails around the area Cap is in are the ones I meant you to avoid.

 

The trails ON the property at Cap are pretty flat (the treewalk is a series of mini-suspension bridges, so they obvious bend and flex like the big one - more so if anything due to their lower weight).