This bike tour may have a serious message, but we plan to have fun while making it!

Who Can Participate?
People of all ages and from all walks of life are welcome to join this tour, all with their own goals and motivations - this diversity is what will make this campaign an effective one.

When and Where is the Bike Tour?

The tour is from Nelson to Victoria, from June 30th – July 22nd, 2007. The overall map of the route and the schedule can be found on the home page.

How Do I Register?

Please read our Code of Conduct before registering online, whether for the full tour or a significant portion of it. Our one condition of registration is that you must agree to follow this Code.

Register Here

The Campaign Coordinators will then send you a detailed information/registration package. You need to fill out and sign the waivers and forms in the package and mail them to the Campaign Coordinators, together with a non-refundable advance fee of $40.00 per participant, in order to be fully registered.

To make our planning easier, we ask that you register by mail at least two weeks in advance of the starting date (i.e. your forms must be in by June 15th).

What if I Want to Join for a Day?

You are very welcome to join us on our tour, even if only for a half-hour cycle with us through town. However, if you join us for a day or more without registering in advance, you will have to make your own food and camping arrangements. We are developing daily route maps and accompanying notes that will show and describe the start, rest and finish points and times for each day, so that you can find us easily.

What Will the Bike Tour be Like?

We will be bicycling at a pace of 35-70 kilometres a day (fewer km on days where there are community events scheduled, more on camping days) through some beautiful parts of BC, taking one day off every five days. This pace should give us time to schedule in swims, rest stops and other fun activities. More details will be posted here on the daily maps of the route and accompanying notes.

Many days will involve events organized by host communities along the route. These community events will depend upon the host group, but could include bike rides through town, a potluck or picnic, the sharing of stories, postcard-signing sessions, music, and other activities. More details on the community events will be posted here.

How Will We Eat?

Breakfasts and evening meals will be made and eaten communally; lunches and snacks will be made in the morning and eaten along the way. Everyone will share the cooking and cleaning duties. When we are hosted by a community, a picnic or potluck may be organized by our hosts to feed us.

Where Will We Sleep?

Communities will host us on many of the nights of the tour, especially when we stop for late afternoon or evening events in the community. However, some nights will be spent camping out in the vast natural space that BC has to offer!

What are the Arrangements for Our Safety?

The Vernon-based organizers and bike riders will be receiving a customized training course in bicycling safety offered by a certified Can-Bike instructor. A safety protocol and emergency response plan are being developed in consultation with the instructor.

How Fit Will We Need to Be?

You will need to be very fit and have trained for the ride. Do not assume that biking to work will give you sufficient fitness. Remember that we are bicycling across BC, so there will be some very long uphill climbs on some days! Previous cycling experience must include single day rides of more than 70 kms and 3+ sequential days of 50 kms or more. Every effort will be made to ensure that you successfully complete the tour. However, if you suffer exhaustion or an injury that makes continuing impossible, you will have to drop out.

How Will Children be Involved?

This is a family-friendly event - after all, this campaign is about the future of our children, here in BC and elsewhere. Many of the participants, including the Campaign Coordinators, are parents of young children and we will be bringing them with us on the tour.

However, there are safety issues involved in bringing children along on a bike tour – and these differ depending upon the age of the child. Below are our plans for accommodating children of different ages:

- Children over 12 years are expected to bicycle the entire route, or the portions of the route that they have registered for, with their parents or guardians. All expectations for their equipment, safety and fitness that are applied to the adults (see the Code of Conduct) apply to them as well.

- Children aged 6-12 years are not expected to bicycle the entire route. Instead, we are making arrangements for a 14-person support vehicle (using low emissions fuel) that will carry children of this age from campsite to campsite, together with a rotating group of parent/guardian caretakers at a ratio of 7 children: 1 caretaker. Please note that this means that the number of children of this age that can be accommodated will be limited by the capacity of the vehicle, so register soon if you want to bring your children! We will be organizing a fun, educational daily ‘summer camp’ schedule for the children. At times, the children will join the bike tour, but only when the organizers have determined that the roads are sufficiently safe. As such, all children must come equipped with a bicycle helmet and a mechanically sound bicycle. Solitary bicycles are acceptable, but Trail-a-bikes and tandem bikes are encouraged. If on solitary bikes, children must be able to bicycle at least 10 kms at one time, at a pace of 10 kms/hour, and should be able to steer and brake in a controlled manner.

- Children under 6 years may not ride a solitary bicycle for reasons of safety. Instead trailers, Trail-a-bikes and tandems are recommended. These children must be accompanied at all times by their parents or guardians. Because of this, the campaign cannot support children of this age with the transportation and childcare arrangements that are being set up for children aged 6-12 yrs. Parents are asked to take complete responsibility for the transport and care of these children on the tour.

Will We Have a Support Vehicle for the Bike Tour?

We are working to secure support vehicles that produce low levels of GHG emissions. A donor has loaned us a Pruis car that can run errands, and pick up our broken bikes, injured bikers, etc. We are also seeking the loan of (or else we will rent) a biodiesel-fueled van or bus to take the children and our camping gear.

What Gear Will I Need?

You must bring a helmet approved for cycling use in BC (Motor Vehicle Act, Section 184) and your own mechanically sound bicycle with front and rear lights. Most mountain bikes and touring bikes will suffice. You will need to attach a rack and panniers for personal baggage (although support vehicles can carry most of your camping equipment). A recommended gear list will be sent to you with your information/ registration package.

How Much Will it Cost?

You will be asked to pay a reasonable sum per day (probably $20.00/day for individuals, $30.00/day for families) to cover administration, camping, food and vehicle costs. You must mail the campaign a non-refundable advance fee of $40.00 per participant with the signed waivers and forms that will be sent to you after you register online. You will be asked to pay the remainder of the fee in person at the onset of the tour.

How Do We Join the Tour or Return Home?

You are encouraged to form bike tours of your own to join us on our route from your own communities, or to return home at the end of the trip. Your kilometres will still be counted!

You may need to make arrangements for other forms of transport to support you in joining us, or in returning home. We ask you to please try to minimize your greenhouse gas emissions when doing so. Some suggestions are: please don't use an airplane, please do use public transport such as a bus or a train, and if a car is necessary, please try to carpool, use cars with alternative fuels (e.g. electricity, biodiesel), or cars that are hybrids or high in fuel efficiency.