People at HUB

I grew up cycling in '80s Beijing when there were more bikes than cars, then took a break from riding before rediscovering my love for bikes on the streets of Vancouver.

Cycling has since become one of my favourite ways for exploring cities, islands, and nooks and crannies of the world. It's been a treat as a bike ed instructor to facilitate and witness the remarkable moments of joy, courage, connection, freedom and self­reliance people find on their bikes.

I consider myself to be an incredibly fortunate person to have been born and raised in the spectacular city of Vancouver and the lower mainland. With our mild climate, mountains, ocean and lakes I have been able to take advantage of an array of outdoor activities throughout my life. One of which has always been cycling. What was once a means of transportation as a young child has become an integral part of my lifestyle. From biking to / from work, participating in fund raising rides such as The Ride to Conquer Cancer”, to camping adventures and to stay healthy and fit. 

In 2019 I decided to retire from the position of Vice President at a Property Management frim. I realized I wanted to retire from the hectic pace of management and to take a slightly different path in my semi-retirement. In the spring of 2019, I found myself working for a cycling tour company taking visitors around our beautiful city on bikes. Early in 2020 I joined HUB and was later hired as an instructor for their bike programs in schools. I happy to say that I have been able to turn my passion for cycling into the best part-time retirement jobs a person could wish for. 

Cycling has been part of my life since the age of 6. That’s a lot of commuting, touring, errands, mountain paths, and navigating congested city streets. Cycling is a part of my everyday work and fun with family and friends. I am driven by my passion for making real change to benefit our environment, enhance opportunities for healthy living, and decrease our dependence on the car. With HUB Cycling, I will help students confidently make cycling a routine and safe life skill.

My "love" of bikes is a practical one. Growing up, it was simply an inexpensive way of getting around town that didn't rely on my parents or bus fare. My cycling got more serious when I took a job as a bike messenger in Winnipeg, MB. At that stage, I needed to get the gear and bike maintenance skills to deliver packages across this prairie city through wind, rain, snow and sun. Since moving to the West Coast, I've left that behind for a 7-gear, Dutch-style bike that will get me from point A to B in comfort.     

In addition to commuter cycling, I have dabbled in education in a variety of community settings, including adult literacy, digital skills, teaching English, and rec programs for children and youth. I'm excited to teach others about safe, urban cycling. 

This job combines two of my greatest passions: teaching and cycling. Cycling is so much more than transport or exercise, it is a representation of what a better future might look like. The economic and environmental implications of a society built around human powered transport are extraordinarily positive. Rising house prices and cost of living in our city coupled with the looming prospects of the climate emergency therefore illustrate the importance of educating youth on the capabilities of the bike. My personal passion for cycling melds with my love for the outdoors as the activity allows me to interact with previously unnoticed features of the lower mainland. Having recently developed an interest in the mechanics of bicycles through the building of the bike I’m standing with, I can now move through my city on a piece of machinery built by my own hands and powered by my own legs. This passion is not required to realize the benefits provided by city cycling but I hope that at least some of my students are inspired to share it. As I study to become a teacher I could not think of a better environment to test and learn new skills than the one provided by HUB.

Cycling has always been in my life since a kid! From the day I learned to ride through Pedalhead's summer camp I've always enjoyed the freedom of cycling and the satisfaction of teaching others how to enjoy cycling as well! I began volunteering with Pedalheads at 13 and once I became an instructor at the camp, went on to teach for another 5 years! Now I am proud to represent HUB and teach cycling to new riders in brand-new ways and environments!

Started riding bicycles at 5 years old. It meant freedom with my friends. We rode everywhere. Then from 6 to 10 I rode to school every day until we moved across the street from my school. Riding just for fun until 15 when I got a job as a caddy and then at 16 at Safeway, riding as a bike commuter. By now I inherited my brother’s Raleigh 3 speed which I loved and cherished. 

At 16 I got my drivers licence and the bike got parked except for the occasional ride for pleasure. 

At 40ish I found myself out of shape and overweight. I tried commuting to work and soon parked my car at the office to use during the day. Every week day in all weather I rode to the office and learned there was no bad weather just bad gear. 

My wife became an avid cyclist and together we rode longer rides and discovered bike touring. Wow!!

I am now 76 years old and still riding with the bicycle being my first transportation choice even though I am not as strong as I once was.  I will share cycling with anyone interested. 

First learning to ride on a Schwinn Stingray with "apehangers" in Yosemite National Park, my love affair with the bike has evolved from family camping trips to commuting and mountain biking internationally. Whether getting to school on the west and east coasts of the US, teaching English in Japan or living in Vancouver since 2000, the versatility and fun of "going by bike" has been a constant pleasure. Over the last 10 years, I have been an active member of the HUB community, volunteering with Bike to Work and School events as well as my local committee and now working as a Bike Ed Instructor. Along with raising a teenage daughter, I am thrilled to be actively involved in promoting the benefits of cycling, especially among the youth of British Columbia.  

I am a recent transplant to Metro Vancouver from the rural interior. I have enjoyed the feeling of freedom and excitement of cycling since I was a kid. I remember stealing my older brother's super awesome BMX to rip around our family farm and around my hometown after school to the swimming hole or up a logging road. When I moved to Kelowna ten years ago for university I started commuting to and began to see the health and community benefits of cycling. There is no better way to experience a city and interact with the landscape than from the seat of a bike. I hope to spread the joy and satisfaction I feel from cycling to others and help educate a new generation of cycling enthusiasts.

Am I a cyclist? Hmm, not really. I grew up on a farm driving grain trucks - not much opportunity for bike riding. In university, biking was a mode of necessity, not an identity. Do I enjoy the freedom of biking instead of being stuck in my car in traffic? For sure. Do I like rockstar parking in front of the grocery store? Yup. Do I enjoy skipping the gas bill? 100%. Do I relish being fit enough to keep up with the kids? You bet. So….maybe I am a cyclist. Sometimes. And more often now. You could be too.

Working with HUB following a 30 year career in public education Phil is delighted to have the opportunity to combine his love of cycling, his joy for teaching and learning, and his desire to make the world just a little bit better all in one place.

Mahshid comes with a whirlwind of diverse experiences. From studying Drama and fine art in Iran to delving into TV and Video Production in Canada, her journey has been nothing short of adventurous. As an art teacher abroad and dabbling in roles like a Radio Technician and Studio Camera Operator in Canada, she’s had the opportunity to explore various paths. But now, it's time to share her ultimate passion for cycling with all of you!

“My cycling story takes me back to when I was a little girl in Iran. My parents bought me a bike, and taught me in our backyard.Oh boy! I stumbled and fell countless times. But with each fall, I rose up again, determined to conquer the two-wheeled wonder. "Let go, Dad, I can do it," I finally called out with unwavering confidence. That's when the love affair with cycling began, and it made me feel truly liberated and free.” 

Growing up in Esfahan, where it was illegal for women to ride bikes, presented a challenging twist. Her dad, fearing for her safety, took her bike away, and that sense of freedom became a distant memory. Yet, she never gave up on finding it again. After moving out of Iran, she reunited with her passion for cycling through bikepacking journeys to refugee camps in Turkey. And guess what? The flame has never died out since! Now, if she is not bikepacking, you can bet she is exploring the city as a car-free cyclist, or in social bike events where freedom, fun, and friendship await! Pedal power, here we come!

I grew up on Coast Salish territories, in so-called South East Vancouver, and have been avidly riding my good ol’ Kona mountain bike since I was 15. Biking has been my primary mode of transport, through the different neighbourhoods of the city I have lived in my early adulthood. I love to bike fast with my roommates and friends. Following a big crash with a parked car when I was 15, I have gotten a lot better at not turning my entire bicycle when looking behind me to check if my friends are still there. I love to take my bike, all packed and saddled for camping, on the ferry for an adventure far from home. I love figuring out and getting to know my bike, its mechanics, what it can hold, what feels comfortable for me; its and my limitations. I’m interested in getting kids acquainted with the fact that biking is breezy, empowering, exciting, and no huge deal! Outside of biking, I love to draw, joke, play and dance with my friends and my little baby cousins. And I like to play cards with my grandparents… Weehee let’s go on a bike ride!

My first biking experiences began on a farm in Northern Alberta riding the windy, gravel roads with my trusty CCM Mustang named Apollo. With a transistor radio swinging from the handle bars and hockey cards stuck in the spokes, I discovered that unforgettable feeling of independence and freedom peddling across the big sky horizon to play a baseball game in town or find the next best spot to search for arrowheads and cow skulls!

My relationship with cycling began in Toronto in my early 20’s. Dodging streetcar tracks and bad drivers while commuting was my only exposure to biking. After moving out to “Vancouver'' in 2018, I quickly made connections within the bike community through volunteering at Kickstand Bikes and Chill Rides. I have been slowly teaching myself bike mechanics and I love going into Kickstand to work on my bike and learn new things. After moving out west I also discovered the bliss of bikepacking and have embarked on a variety of wild adventures on my two wheels. Being able to carry all I need on a bike is one of the most empowering feelings I’ve ever had. Cycling to me is an intense connection with my mind, body, spirit and community. There isn’t enough space on this page for me to tell you how much cycling means to me! I’ll just say… I am so grateful to have found cycling and I am so excited to spread my bike joy onto others. 

I was always a fan of cycling - doing little touring trips as a kid with my parents in Lithuania, as a teenager observing in awe my older brother pulling tricks on a bmx, or as an adult ditching my car commute to work for a bike ride in the summer months.

Salutations! I'm Grace and I'm excited to work with the community through bike education. I love moving by cycle and bicycling has really moved me!

Biking has been a means by which I can connect with my body, process difficult emotions, and become more confident in myself. I am a big proponent of walking up the steep bits, putting my bike on the bus, and going however short or far I want to that day. I am excited to share this love for biking with youth and pals alike, and know I will discover much more to add to the ever growing list of reasons to love pushing my pedals

Hey, I’m Quin (They/Them). I fell in love with biking when I moved to “Victoria, BC” from southwestern Ontario, in my early 20’s. It was a fun and fast way for me to get around the city. Fast-forward 10 years to now, and I’m still stoked about bikes and cycling. Excited to be part of the HUB Instructor team; let’s go!

I discovered cycling when I moved to Vancouver from Taiwan eight years ago. At first, it was just a way to get around the city with a friend—an alternative to transit that let me explore at my own pace. But what started as simple commuting soon turned into weekend rides, longer tours, and eventually bikepacking adventures around Vancouver and the Pacific Northwest. Now, cycling has become a passion, not just for the joy of the ride but as a way to promote sustainable transportation and healthy living.

With experience teaching AP Psychology in high school classrooms and working with middle and elementary students in tutoring and educational settings, I’ve seen firsthand the impact of hands-on learning. That’s what draws me to HUB Cycling—the opportunity to introduce young riders to the freedom and confidence that comes with cycling in a safe, welcoming environment. I’m excited to be part of the HUB Cycling team, helping more people discover the joy of riding more often.

It started in my old driveway. My brothers and I would walk our bikes up the tiny slope and let our bike carry us down to wheehee! It was so fun. We would do it for hours. When we got older, we would bike everywhere together. To places even today I cannot discover again. Perhaps it was because I never grew up with TV or the internet that I fell in love with the outdoors at a very young age. And, it was my sparkly purple bike with rainbow streamers that brought me closer to nature. To this day, I still find myself occasionally, purposefully lost somewhere with my bicycle. 

Cycling has brought me some of my life's fondest memories. And now, it has brought me to HUB, a place where I get to combine my love for teaching and cycling. Along with the HUB team, I hope to bring the joy and benefits of cycling to kids from all backgrounds so that they may ride away to create their own beautiful bike memories.

My husband and I recently relocated to Vancouver after living for many years in Northern BC. I am so excited to be able to use my bike to get everywhere I need to go and am looking forward to  exploring more areas of the province by bike.

I am inspired to assist all new cyclists, from children to seniors, and help them adopt this healthy, environmentally friendly, and economical mode of travel.

I am grateful to have grown up, learned how to cycle, and now reside as an uninvited guest on the traditional territory of the xwməθkwəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlil̓wətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. My bike journey began going on adventures with my Dad when I was a kid. Enjoying the wind in my hair and the sweet treat at the end, I felt alive as I went to new places and explored on my bike. As I continue cycling, I love the places a bike can take me and all the new locations I can explore while having a blast! With cycling taking me to new gems everywhere, I am excited to work with the HUB team and have fun on our bikes :)

I am very excited to join HUB Cycling this season as a Bike Education Instructor and share my passion for cycling with everyone else!
I started cycling with my dad when I was a little kid. Since then, cycling has always been a leisure activity to me until I started to take cycling seriously and participated in road races. I don’t race now, but I still enjoy cycling as always. And of course, your passion turns into your career and here I am! Can’t wait to meet everyone :)

I’ve been getting around by bike since I built up my first single-speed with my brother's help when I was 16. Since then I’ve built up many bikes, though I mostly ride ones with multiple gears now. I’ve been working and volunteering with community-based cycling programs for the past 15 years in both mechanical and youth education capacities. Since moving to Vancouver in 2017 I’ve been lucky to have been involved with all of Vancouver’s great community bike shops. I also ran my own small bicycle repair shop with a friend for 3 years and can regularly be found volunteering at Kickstand Community Bikes. I’ve always found a lot of joy in sharing knowledge and skills to make cycling a more accessible way for folks to get around and am excited to now be able to do that with HUB!

My biking journey got off to a pretty hilarious start—I didn’t learn to ride until I was almost 10. While other kids were zooming around, I was that kid power-walking my bike like it was some kind of speed challenge. My mom swore I was still faster than half of them. Fast forward twenty years, and I made up for lost time by becoming a bike courier in Germany—safe to say, I went all-in!

Besides zipping around as a bike courier, I also went full nerd and studied geology and physics. I’ve always been fascinated by how the world works, but even better than learning cool science facts is sharing them in a way that actually makes sense (and isn’t boring). Over the years, I’ve given museum tours, taken kids on outdoor adventures, and basically turned science into a hands-on experience—because who wants to just read about rocks when you can climb them?

Now, I’m pumped to be part of HUB, where I get to combine my love for biking and teaching. Helping young people gain confidence on a bike while sneaking in some learning? Sounds like the best kind of win-win!

I began my cycling journey as an adult when I got tired of running 10 kilometres with my dog, Riley–every day. During that time, I found a new sense of freedom and was pushed by the question, “Where can I go?” It wasn’t long until I sold my vehicle and commuted everywhere by bike. Since then I’ve been a professional bike courier, became the first Canadian to complete a triple everesting, founded an inclusive scavenger hunt on bikes-Rileys Rips, and have found the answer to "Where can I go?" As far as I want, as long as I have plenty of snacks and drinks.