Bike to Shop

Bike to Shop showcases the positive relationship between biking and business, and that biking is good for business and community. We encourage and support people that it is easy, fun, and convenient to bike to shop. This includes overcoming perceived barriers like how to carry things by bike, lack of knowledge of bike routes to shopping areas, motivation to try for the first time.

HUB Cycling offers online resources, maps and free registration. In different neighbourhoods across Metro Vancouver, local businesses offer free goods and services for those that register and bike by. Some neighbourhoods also have Knowledge HUBs to provide a more visual presence and additional resources (including bike maintenance and maps). 
 
Bike to Shop is expanding its geographic reach significantly this year, from two participating municipalities in 2020 to ten this year (and three neighbourhoods to 20!), engaging more suburban communities.
 
HUB Cycling raises awareness and motivates participants to register for Bike to Shop through marketing, prizing, education, peer influence (going with friends or posting on social media, etc).

Find out more about the relationship between bikes and business:

Marketing to Cyclists Guide

Small Businesses are Learning to Love Bike Lanes

Are Bike Lanes Good for Small Business

Article: I turned my office into a cycling cafe

'Part of an evolution': Downtown business partners with cycling group

If you're wondering the best and safest routes to visit the Bike to Shop neighbourhoods, check out our great bike map resources at bikehub.ca/maps.

If you’re entirely new to biking to shop, don’t fret! Follow HUB Cycling on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for tips and tricks on how to easily make cycling to shops a part of your routine, or check out The Commuter Bike Shopper’s Checklist or How to Shop by Bike. 

Mobi by Shaw Go is offering free 24H passes on August 8, 13, 14, and 16. Use promo code mobi2shop. Take as many 30 minute (or less) rides as you want in 4 hours.  Rides longer than 30 minutes incur overage fees.

We want your business to be part of Bike to Shop. Register for FREE and we will promote your businesses and get people on bikes in your stores.

To be eligible, you must be in one of our Bike to Shop Neighbourhoods and offer a free promotion during the event. We offer stipends to those that need financial assistance to take part.

Not sure what to offer? Our Business How-To Guide has a wealth of information including ideas for promotions and how to plan for people.

If you registered before July 21, we mailed you promotional posters with a link to the Eventbrite registration (QR code). We recommend putting at least one poster inside your business in a highly visible location, and others outside (on the door/window or on a posterboard nearby).

If you registered after July 21, you can download and print the poster here.

Questions? Contact outreach@bikehub.ca.

There are loads of great prizes to win during Bike to Shop.

Early Bird Prize - Register before July 30 for a chance to win a $50 Compass Card from TransLink

Knowledge HUBs - All of our Knowledge HUBs have their own prize draws. Check out the full schedule to find a Knowledge HUB in your community.

Social media prize - Win a $100 gift card to Whole Foods. Details to come.

Volunteer prizes - Volunteer at one of our Knowledge HUBs for a chance to win a swag bag from TransLink and Let's Go Biking

Post-event survey prize - Submit this survey for a chance to win a gift basket from Left Coast Naturals

Help spread the word about Bike to Shop! Share ways that you like to bike to shop, products that make it easy to do so or your favourite bike-friendly businesses with us on social media Don’t forget to tag us and use the hashtags: #BikeToShop and #Bike2Shop.

Check out our Bike to Shop media kit for social media posts, newsletter posts, and graphics that you can use to promote the event, and help get more people to your business.

If you're using our email signature graphic, we recommend adding the URL ‘bikehub.ca/biketoshop’ to the image in your email signature so that when it is clicked from someone's email signature, it takes you directly to the registration page.

Collaborate

We would love your organization or business to get involved in Bike to Shop. Please contact Kate Shen here if your organization would like to donate pre-packaged snacks for our Knowledge HUB Stations or donate prizes (valued at $50-$100).

Volunteers

We are looking for volunteers to help run our Knowledge HUBs and assist with flyer/poster distribution. Volunteer roles at Knowledge HUBs can include setup and take-down of event supplies, counting cyclists who pass by and stop at the station, and encouraging people to register for the event. Volunteers for flyer distribution would help with walking into local businesses with flyers to encourage them to take part in the event. 

Check out the volunteer role description here. 

By volunteering, you will receive perks such as free snacks and a HUB Cycling t-shirt. 

Sign up here to volunteer with Bike to Shop!

Park your bike near your closest bus stop or station at a bike parkade or bring it with you on transit (100% of TransLink's fleet is accessible to bikes). Three different types of bike parking are available at SkyTrain stations, bus exchanges, and West Coast Express stations across Metro Vancouver.

1. Bike Lockers
Reserved locker for your bike. Available at most SkyTrain stations and some bus exchanges. Learn More.

This just in! TransLink is set to install solar-powered on-demand bike lockers at six transit hubs in Metro Vancouver, including SkyTrain stations. Two of the locations are Langley's Carvolth Exchange and Port Moody's Moody Centre Station. Read more here. 

2. Bike Racks
Standard outdoor racks for locking your bike up. Available at all SkyTrain stations and most bus exchanges. Learn More.

3. Bike Parkades
To make shopping by bike even easier, TransLink has built bike parkades so now you can park your bike and hop on the SkyTrain! Located at Main Street–Science World, King Edward, Commercial–Broadway, Joyce–Collingwood, Metrotown, Maple Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Bridgeport, Lafarge Lake-Douglas, Burquitlam and King George stations. Bike Parkades are indoor parking facilities where customers can lock up their bike for the day. Learn More.