Live here, Shop here: Community rides, and community pride at Duncan’s Experience Cycling
Published 7:00 am Friday, December 26, 2025
Experience Cycling is more than a business, it’s a riding force in community, and positive relationships.
Celebrating 30 years in the community Will Arnold officially bought out, and took over Experience Cycling in 1995. Since embarking on this ride, his favourite part about being a small local business owner has been meeting people and hearing their stories.
“Sometimes I come in and see people who knew me from my days in Victoria, or from what I do in the community,” said Arnold. “I think the relationships is my favourite by far. When I first started I’d see a lot of young teenagers in the store and now I see them coming back with their own children, it’s really unique seeing that.”
Arnold said he always encourages people to shop locally; when it comes to bicycles it saves people from having to travel further north or over the Malahat to get it serviced where they bought it from.
“Staying local provides you with the access of supporting and maintaining the bike, and having that relationship with the bike shop,” said Arnold. “I think it’s really important to shop local, that way the money can still go back into our community.”
Arnold said as a local business Experience Cycling is asked by the the community to be a support for different causes from Nourish Cowichan to Rotary, or other fundraisers such as assisting with sports for families. Experience Cycling, which is a member of the Cowichan Trails Stewardship Society, just donated $800 worth of merchandise for their big Christmas fundraiser. Arnold was one of two local business owners recently recognized for his outstanding leadership and commitment to the Cowichan region at the Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce AGM on Nov. 25.
“It was awarded to me on my dad’s birthday, who passed away eight years ago,” said Arnold. “So that was really special to me.”
Arnold was recognized for his support of Tour de Rock, helping to get people off the street, as well as the highway clean-up he does every Saturday with a group of volunteers starting from his store at 8 a.m, to the Chevron. Through the help of fellow community members it officially became know as the ‘Cowichan Clean Up’ which sees an average of 10 to 15 helping hands every Saturday.
“I had noticed the garbage in the community getting worse so I started going out in the morning myself,” said Arnold. “We’ve helped 12 people get into rehab, which we are pretty proud of, that’s from all walks of life from people living on the street to people in high businesses.”
Community member Lance De Bree, who is now six years clean, was one of those 12, trading in street life for the road to recovery all while keeping the highway and community clean. For the past three years De Bree, who was also hired full time by Duncan Butcher, has been hitting the street every morning at 7 a.m. Nine local businesses including Duncan Butcher, Dairy Queen, and Experience Cycling each chip in $100 to pay him which goes towards his child support.
“It’s not always about the money, it’s about the relationships,” said Arnold. “I think what I’m really proud about is all the businesses that provide Lance with payment. It has kept our streets really clean and it shows. People who live on the street, it’s not their choice, it’s something that has happened. I think sometimes we forget they are all human, and that we need to look past their circumstances and just say hi to them.”