NOTE: This episode originally aired in October of 2023. Since then, Brendan and Amanda and family have moved from Whistler to Nelson, BC. They now own a family car, which they mostly use to get to the mountain to ski. They continue to cycle year-round.

Peter Ladner brings in son Brendan and daughter-in-law Amanda to expose the reality of life as a bikes-only family in Whistler, BC. We talk ice, snow, studded tires, e-bikes, singing kids, irate drivers, and Whistler's political will ... or notable lack thereof.

Read about the Whistler Climate Action Plan at
www.whistler.ca/climate-action/big-moves

Please feel free to reach out to Amanda Ladner at amandabelle@gmail.com if you'd like to talk Whistler, bikes, or family cycling.

Support the show

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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.

A trail should move more than bodies; it should move history into the open. We sit down with Elder Ruth Adams of Tsawwassen First Nation to explore the Great Blue Heron Way: a bold, Indigenous‑led active transportation route that reconnects communities along the Fraser River and the Salish Sea while reviving stories long pushed aside.

Support the show

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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.

Two beloved BC fondos disappeared this year — and not because riders lost interest. We sit down with veteran organizer and Panache Cycling Sports CEO Jon Watkin to unpack the real reasons: traffic control costs spiralling to double-time rates, six-hour minimums, and newly required engineered traffic plans that turn a single intersection into a budget breaker. Jon explains where safety policy helps, where it overreaches, and how a one-size-fits-all approach can sink small, community-driven rides.

From there, we pivot to what’s thriving: gravel. Jon lays out why gravel cycling has become the most welcoming doorway into the sport, and how municipalities and tourism boards, eager to rebuild after the pandemic, are partnering to bring high-quality events to Vancouver Island and beyond.

Learn more about Jon's races at www.panachecyclingsports.com

Sign up for the BC Gravel Series 2026! https://www.bcgravelseries.com

Speed traps on Bowen Island: https://rcmp.ca/en/bc/careers/volunteer-programs/speed-watch (To set up a speed watch program, contact your local RCMP.)

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.

'Slow down cars and save lives' sounds obvious, but how do we actually make that work on the ground? Where does funding for speed enforcement come from, and when fines are charged, where does the money actually land? New Westminster Mayor Patrick Johnstone debunks the myth of the speed-trap 'cash cow' and takes a clear-eyed look at BC’s pause on active transportation funding, the politics of 30 km/h residential limits, and why automated speed enforcement could be the fastest way to real safety gains.

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.

The width of a queen-size mattress. That’s the picture we keep coming back to when we talk about BC’s new minimum safe passing distance for cyclists. But how can police actually prove a too-close pass, and what tools — from dashcams to clear signage to fines — will result in safer daily rides? Corporal Michael McLaughlin, Media Relations Officer for BC Highway Patrol (RCMP), joins us to unpack what’s enforceable, what’s cultural, and where advocates can focus to move the needle.

Bill 24 (safe passing distance legistlation)

Share the Road Cycling Coalition (ON)

ICBC - Road Safety

Road Safety - BC Government

Okanagan Gran Fondo death

Cops for Cancer fatality Prince George

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.

Imagine riding along dedicated trails through ancient forests and pristine valleys, stopping at local cafes and wineries along the way. This vision of cycle tourism isn't just a cyclist's dream – it's a billion-dollar economic opportunity, as Let's Go Biking author Colleen MacDonald reveals in our captivating conversation.

Colleen brings unparalleled expertise to the discussion, having completed 150 cycling trips across 44 countries and authored three definitive guidebooks on cycling in British Columbia. Her philosophy is refreshingly practical: build cycling infrastructure for locals first, then connect communities, and finally invite the world to experience what BC has to offer.

Whether you're a cycling enthusiast planning your next adventure, a community planner interested in sustainable tourism, or simply someone who appreciates BC's natural beauty, this episode offers a compelling vision of how cycle tourism could transform our province while preserving what makes it special.

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To read more about Colleen's adventures, order her books, or connect with her about Cycle Tourism, visit www.letsgobiking.net

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.

Trail Rep for the Fraser Valley Mountain Bike Association, Founding Member of the Mission Community Cycling Coalition, former bike-shop owner, and also motorcycle enthusiast Rocky Blondin reveals how the once-clear distinction between motorized and non-motorized vehicles has become dangerously blurred.

In BC pedal-assist e-bikes are classified as bicycles, but this has opened the door to much more powerful devices exploiting regulatory gaps. From teenagers racing modified e-scooters at 80km/h on sidewalks to disguised electric motorcycles damaging mountain bike trails, these situations create real safety hazards.

Despite these concerns, Rocky remains enthusiastic about electric mobility's transformative benefits. Listen in to hear his innovative solutions such as a "green sticker" system to identify compliant devices, and how 'right to repair' can support the cycling industry as well as making e-bikes more sustainable.

Reach out to Rocky at bruce.rockford@gmail.com

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.

What does it take to transform a car-dependent small town into a place where cycling feels safe and accessible? Ruth Lloyd is finding out firsthand in Williams Lake, BC.

As a returning resident to her hometown, Ruth experienced the stark contrast between places where active transportation was normalized, and her pickup-truck dominated community where, as in many small cities or towns, the highway consititutes Main Street. Rather than accepting the status quo, she co-founded Streets for All Williams Lake and began methodically building support for cycling infrastructure through creative advocacy.

Ruth's approach blends journalistic storytelling with strategies such as lending an e-bike to the mayor to bring him onside. Now she's tackling an even bigger obstacle: provincial highways that create barriers within communities.

Find out more about Streets For All Williams Lake 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.