(This story is sponsored by HUB Cycling.)

This summer, from August 17 to 28, bikers of all skill levels are encouraged to support local companies during HUB Cycling’s Bike to Shop Days. As our communities navigate the changes brought by COVID-19, local shops and independent retailers need our business now more than ever.

HUB Cycling created the Bike to Shop campaign to strengthen the local economy and to promote biking.

Registration for Bike to Shop Days is free. To sweeten the deal, tons of local businesses are offering free goodies and great discounts to participants from August 24 to 28, as part of the Shop Local Challenge. This is your opportunity to snag free scoops from Earnest Ice Cream, bike safety checks from Cycle City Tours and MEC, and bike-shaped cookies from Swiss Bakery (plus a 10 percent discount on treat purchases). Get coffee all week from SMAK Healthy Foods and a coffee (plus a cookie) at the plant-based Bonus Bakery. 

Not into coffee? Grab a can of pop and a small bag of chips from Twin Island Market.

Participants can also stop by BREWHALL for a free order of its Famous Fried Pickles or a soft pretzel when two mains are purchased. While you’re in the area, head to Faculty Brewery and get some free samples of Oddity Kombucha. Bikers can also pedal-up an appetite before visiting Donnellan’s Irish Pub for some drinks and free fries. Beer lovers can take advantage of $5 cans of Granville Island Brewing Co. beers and 10-ounce glasses for $3. 

Stanley Park Brewing, Hydra Vancouver, and the Vancouver Art Gallery are also offering special deals and discounts to participants. Pedal down to the Kwantlen Farmers Market in Richmond and pick up a refreshing beverage and a treat from one of their artisan bakers.

Register for Bike to Shop to redeem these deals. More businesses are constantly being added to the schedule so remember to keep checking back for the latest information.

By simply registering for Bike to Shop Days, registrants will be automatically entered to win a $250 voucher to Park Royal. Winnings can be redeemed at any of the mall’s stores.

After participants have felt the wind blow through their hair all week, they will be encouraged to fill out the post event survey for the chance to win a child’s Strider Bike.

By choosing cycling as a mode of transportation, people can improve their health, avoid gas and vehicle insurance fees, and protect the vulnerable environment. This is why HUB Cycling has spent more than 20 years removing barriers to cycling in Metro Vancouver. 

For more information on Bike to Shop Days, visit www.bikehub.ca/biketoshop/. Tune in to HUB Cycling’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more ways to win with Let’s Go Biking, Ethical Bean Coffee and Park Royal.