Community Postcard Series

We continue our Community Series with a postcard from Dan Ahong in Vancouver, Canada.

Just over a year ago, Dan instantly fell in love with spending time on his bike after being introduced by a good friend. All it took was a short ride around the local area and he was hooked. 

Having moved to Vancouver fairly recently, he shares how the city is set up to encourage cycling with its comprehensive system of bike routes, paths, lanes and greenways. “It seems that everything is accessible by bike. Quite often you actually run into bike traffic with commuters, which is pretty awesome.”

As Dan describes, the city offers “a plethora of diverse landscapes from lush green forests, metropolitan road riding and coastal views to long climbs up mountains and tons of mountain and gravel trails.”

Albeit being new to the area, he has already found plenty of routes and favourite places to ride. “I have done a few rides consistently, and I think my favourite is an out and back ride to Horseshoe Bay. It is relatively quiet roads with lots of undulation, beautiful houses, and moments riding along the water. My other favourite route is heading to the city of Richmond. In Richmond, the bike infrastructure is amazing and it is so flat. You can go out with a friend and just cruise for miles uninterrupted.”

"I normally ride alone and that took some adapting to at first. Initially, I would never go out unless I was with someone, but moving from city to city for my job, most of my riding is now done solo. I appreciate the solitude and it’s pretty therapeutic. Additionally, it helps add routine and discipline to my life. I do always try to meet new riders when out on rides or out anywhere and I have connected with a handful of absolutely stellar people. Shoutout to Jon, Janis, and Rebecca.”

Outside of cycling, Dan has a passion for cooking, photography and fashion. “I look forward to making new meals and the whole time spent prepping, cooking and eating. It’s a whole process, but it is so enjoyable to me. I try to add new recipes into my life once every couple of weeks.”

When not in the kitchen, he enjoys exploring with his camera by foot or by bike. “I love stopping to observe the landscapes or capturing moments that just catch my eye. I purchased a little point and shoot film camera to help document my riding through Vancouver. The grain and colours on film are just unmatched.”

“When it comes to fashion I would say my interest has grown throughout the years and developing a style that suits me has taken time. I appreciate simple pieces of clothing and putting different colours together with one part of the outfit being a highlight. A brand like Universal Colours allows me to extend my love of fashion over to cycling. I can still feel fly whilst riding my bike.”

Finally, Dan shares some of his top recommendations for anyone planning to visit.

“Take a ride around Stanley Park and enjoy the views of the water, bridges, and greenery. Once outside of Stanley Park, you could ride down to Kitsilano Beach to see the waves coming in, the sun, the mountains in the background and the abundance of people playing volleyball, basketball or simply people-watch.

For an amazing post-ride drink, I have to shout out to Barrio Coffee, who do an iced coffee with oat milk, espresso and honey shaken in a shaker cup. It comes out with a great creamy texture, the right amount of sweetness and a little foam head. Served in a solo cup, the first sip is refreshing and you get the froth moustache like a beer. Phenomenal.

Lastly, I would recommend you venture up to Deep Cove and try Honey Doughnuts and Goodies. Their doughnuts are no joke and a crowd pleaser. For terrific food, head to Guu with Otokomae just inside of Gastown. It’s a Japanese restaurant and I swear by it.”

We would like to thank Dan for taking the time to share what it is like to live, ride and move in and around the city of Vancouver. You can connect with him via the link below. 

If you would like to get involved and send us your Postcard, drop us a DM on Instagram - @universal.colours