This is written as imaginary correspondence between Byron the Bicyclist and sundry others.
Dear Byron;
Hi, I am Wanda the Wannabe Bicyclist. I biked as a kid but haven’t put my foot to bike pedal for many years. Can you suggest a nice safe route? I would rather not ride on city streets yet.
Signed; Wanda the Wannabe Bicyclist
Dear Wannabe Wanda;
I have a few suggestions for quiet places to try biking. One is a trail from the 108 Ranch Heritage site going south toward the golf course. The trail has very gentle slopes and some nice views. This is where we taught our son to bike. Doing the whole loop will take you about an hour.
Closer to town, we often bike along the very scenic Mission Road starting just south of the one lane bridge at Sugar Cane Mission Road, which has very little traffic. Except for one hill, it has quite doable grades on a hybrid or mountain bike. It is very scenic and passes the Onward Ranch with great views of this small part of San Jose Valley. It is also a great route to see cattle, wildlife and many bird species. (So, before you go, install Merlin, a free bird identification app and see how many different species it identifies.) On Mission Road, you could bike about nine kilometres as far as Highway 97. It takes about an hour out and an hour back taking the same route.
Better yet, you could ride right in town on the city streets and Boitanio Park. When, you ask? In the evenings when it is fairly quiet. Pause and watch some disc golf.
The more bicyclists come out; the more motorists will learn to get used to us.
Enjoy your bicycle “wandering,” Wanda. Enjoy the fresh air.
Signed; Byron the Bicyclist
Bert Groenenberg has been walking and bicycling in the Williams Lake area for over 30 years.