Our Cityride is Coming to Vancouver August 18th!
Join thousands in Vancouver’s 2nd annual Our Cityride on August 18! The mass participation ride and festival was created to bring together communities to promote cycling as a family friendly and fun activity to empower people. It’s a chance to showcase the benefits of cycling for all ages and abilities as a fun way to stay active.
Our Cityride is a non-competitive, family-friendly ride and festival that has partnered with the City of Vancouver, the Vancouver Parks Board and other stakeholders to ensure the success of the event. The organizers see it as a great opportunity for the city to showcase itself, especially among other international and like-minded cities hosting similar mass participation rides.
To take part in Our Cityride all you need to do is register online and pay the $20 fee. Participants who are under 18 years can register for free! Everyone who registers will be entered to win a round-trip for 4 from Vancouver to Amsterdam courtesy of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
We caught up with the founders of the ride, Charmaine Crooks and Mark Ernsting, and asked them a few questions so we could learn a bit more about the ride!
MM: How did Our Cityride Vancouver get started?
OC: As former Athletes , my co-Founder Mark Ernsting and I (Charmaine Crooks) wanted to find a unique way to give back, by bringing communities together through a fun accessible sport for all event. As respective business owners, working in the areas of sport and major events, we saw that there was a real gap in mass participation cycling events focused around communities in a non-competitive festive atmosphere. We came together to develop a vision and signature event with a charitable component, which is how Our Cityride was created!
Our vision for Our Cityride is to be a global series, starting in Vancouver and other key locations. The rides are all inclusive and a great way to experience the City before and after the ride at the Festival.
With support from the City of Vancouver and Vancouver Parks Board, we have partnered with KLM and local partners to ensure a fun and successful event.
MM: Can you tell us a bit about yourselves?
OC: I am a Five Time Olympian, Charmaine Crooks, C.M and Mark Ernsting, PhD is a former Pan Am Games cyclist. Respectively, we have been in sport and major events for over 30 combined years. We manage the operations and marketing of Our Cityride and work with a variety of event partners and volunteers to execute the event.
Our Cityride is organised under our 365 International Sport Foundation (365ISF). 365 ISF delivers and supports charitable initiatives that bring communities together through sport and donates bikes to local charities, some of which will be in attendance at the event.
Our Cityride co-Founders, Mark Ernsting and Charmaine Crooks. Photo by: Julian Bowers
MM: Who should attend Our Cityride?
OC: The event and Festival is open to everyone and there is lots of activities at the Festival for the non-riders too. Everyone who takes part in the ride must be registered at www.ourcityride.com.
The general public can come and enjoy the festival and expo taking place in David Lam Park from 1-8pm and the ride begins at 5pm.
MM: How long is the ride? Where does it start and end?
OC: Our Cityride is a non-competitive bike ride through a car free designated street route and past iconic sites of the City. Our Cityride is open to all ages and kids under 18 are free. The ride is just over 20K and starts and stops at David Lam Park in Yaletown. It will pass through key areas of the City core including Yaletown, Gastown, Coal Harbour, and iconic Stanley Park.
MM: Following the ride there is a festival. Can you share any details?
OC: The Festival will showcase live entertainment and feature a beer garden, food trucks, free bike valet, expo and a kids zone with lots of fun activities. There will be Grand Prize draws trips from Vancouver to Amsterdam on KLM and other great participant prizes announced at the festival.
MM: What are you the most excited for?
OC: Truly exploring and experiencing the City on bike as a community is something we are excited about being part of. For some, this might be the first time riding on city streets so should be exciting to see the smile on everyone’s faces at the end of a fun ride.
MM: Anything else we should know?
OC: The event is just $20 and free for anyone under 18 years old.
Lots of free give-aways and prizes. Every participant will be automatically entered for Grand Prize trips from Vancouver to Amsterdam on KLM, $500 RYU gift card and local sport events tickets. See contest rules for more information.
Our Cityride will feature an engaging and scenic urban route, that will begin and end at David Lam Park, to encourage everyone to ride together through the heart of Vancouver, BC.
Our Cityride will showcase an exciting festival area at David Lam Park that will feature a variety of Food Trucks, a Beer Garden, an Entertainment Stage, a Kids Zone, an International Expo Zone and a Bike Valet.
Our Cityride Expo will feature:
