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Recent Cycling Adventures

June 11, 2021

Ride of the Week!

Week 6:

The Badlands Tour – Drumheller Dinosaur Trail is the recommended ride of the week. With temperatures rising it will be a great week to explore this scenic part of the province on your road bike. At just shy of 50 km this adventure includes a ferry crossing, two leg burning climbs and geological wonders. After cycling Highwood pass last week, this should be a snap. This ride is recommended for Beginner and Intermediate cyclist.

We cycled this route on June 12. What a fantastic day!

What a thrilling descent down the Red Deer River valley into Drumheller.
Continue reading “Recent Cycling Adventures” →

Canmore – Lake Minnewanka Loop via the Legacy Trail (Spring Road Closure Option)

Cascade Mountain snowcapped in the Spring
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Ride Statistics

Ride Difficulty Rating: Beginner to Intermediate

Distance: 55.6 km

Estimated time: This ride takes approximately 3 hours Based on cycling speed of 20 km/hr

Continue reading “Canmore – Lake Minnewanka Loop via the Legacy Trail (Spring Road Closure Option)” →

Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise, Route Combinations

It is possible to connect from Canmore to Lake Louise through bike pathways, low volume side roads, and the Bow Valley Parkway to experience a variety of biking options that are pretty much limitless. The following are just a few of the possibilities.

2021 Biking Season: The Bow Valley Parkway will be closed to motorized traffic for a portion of this year. This is an amazing opportunity to cycle this historic route without having to worry about sharing the road with cars. Please check with Parks Canada to verify the timing of the closure.

Start of the Bow Valley Parkway

Canmore through to Lake Louise : Two groups could leave from either end and then exchange keys as they pass on the Bow Valley Parkway. This avoids the downtime required for a car shuttle.

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Ride Statistics

Ride Difficulty Rating: Intermediate

Distance: 80 Km

Estimated time: Based on cycling speed of 20 Km per hour it would take roughly 4 hours

Continue reading “Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise, Route Combinations” →

Highwood Pass: Through Route to Longview; Gate to Gate to Gate; Kananaskis (North Gate) to Summit; Longview to Summit; South Gate to Summit…the options are endless

Highwood Summit – June 6, 2019 Is that snow??!!

Note: As of June 3, 2021 the road surface is not as good as in past years. For the North gate to Summit route there are sections of rough pavement as well as a few herds of mountain sheep to contend with on your swift descent. Our current recommendation, is to do this route from the South gate to the Summit as the road is in better condition. On Sunday, June 12, 2021 there were cyclists reporting that it was snowing at the summit.

Through Route to Longview – Ride Statistics

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Ride Difficulty Rating: Expert , also an expert level of logistics and planning required!!

Distance: 98.9 km…darn, just shy of a metric century ride

Estimated time: 5 hours based on cycling speed of 20 km/hr, but you might be quite a bit faster because there is quite a long descent on this route.

Continue reading “Highwood Pass: Through Route to Longview; Gate to Gate to Gate; Kananaskis (North Gate) to Summit; Longview to Summit; South Gate to Summit…the options are endless” →

Grand Valley to Bottrel : Foothills Challenge

An Iconic Landmark
Cyclists take note
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Ride Statistics

Ride Difficulty Rating: Intermediate to Expert

Distance: 64.6 Km

Estimated time: Based on cycling speed of 15 Km per hour it would take roughly 4 hours. Hilly terrain justifies a lower average speed.

Continue reading “Grand Valley to Bottrel : Foothills Challenge” →

Calgary to Chestermere

June 13, 2019 Irrigation Canal along the Calgary to Chestermere Route
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Ride Statistics

Ride Difficulty Rating: Beginner but can be used as a longer early season training ride

Distance: up to 80 Km (out and back)

Estimated time: Up to 4 hours based on a cycling speed of 20 km/hr

Continue reading “Calgary to Chestermere” →

Century Ride from Turner Valley

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Update: until ~June 6, 2021 there is construction (repaving) of the road from Black Diamond to Longview so we would recommend avoiding this route for the next few days. But…after that, it will be a treat to cycle this section of new pavement. It does look like they are widening the shoulder so hopefully that will result in a safer cycling experience.

Ride Statistics

Ride Difficulty Rating: Intermediate

Distance: 101.7 km (or round it to 100 km! and call it a century ride)

Expected time: 5 hours based on 20 km / hour average cycling time

Continue reading “Century Ride from Turner Valley” →

Madden-Water Valley-Cremona (Short Version)

Cycling quiet country Twp Road 292 towards the Water Valley Golf Course on a beautiful summer day. This cyclist is practising safe cycling by wearing a brightly coloured jersey and cycling close to the shoulder.
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Ride Statistics

Ride Difficulty Rating – Intermediate

Distance – 58.7 km

Elevation Gain – 470 km

Maximum Grade – Uphill grade 3.3% at km 19.3 , downhill grade 3.2% at km 52.6 just before you turn south off Twp Rd 292 onto RR 35

Continue reading “Madden-Water Valley-Cremona (Short Version)” →

Sundre to Bearberry

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Heading South on the 584. A nice long smooth downhill stretch.
The BearBerry Community Hall. This is real ranch country and the General Store, which is right next door to the Community Hall, is popular with the motorcycle crowd.

Ride Statistics

Ride Difficulty Rating: Intermediate due to the distance

Distance: 84.3 km

Estimated time: 4 hours and 15 minutes based on cycling speed of 20 km/hr

Continue reading “Sundre to Bearberry” →

Legacy Trail – Canmore to Banff with Vermillion Lakes extension Out and Back

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The Legacy Trail is part of The Great Trail (previously called the Trans Canada Trail). It is well marked and a dedicated pathway for non-motorized modes of travel between Banff and Canmore. The trail is used by Olympic calibre roller skiers, distance runners/walkers/wheel chair athletes and cyclists of all abilities. You will note the ‘Be Kind to Slower Cyclist’ signs along the route. This past year we have noticed the addition of Max 20 km/hr speed signs.

Ride Statistics

Ride Difficulty Rating – Beginner

Distance – 55.5 km (a shorter option at only 44 km is to exclude the Vermillion Lake extension and turnaround at Banff)

Estimated cycling time – 2.75 hours if you go all the way to Vermillion Lakes, 2 hours if not. Based on 20 km/hr cycling speed.

Continue reading “Legacy Trail – Canmore to Banff with Vermillion Lakes extension Out and Back” →

Banff to Lake Louise

Getting organized for the Banff to Lake Louise ride : Start of Bow Valley Parkway at Vermillion Lakes
Stunning views along the Parkway
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Summer/Fall 2021: Part of this route is closed to motor vehicle traffic this year which provides a unique opportunity to cycle the Bow Valley Parkway without any motor vehicle traffic. Check the Parks Canada website before heading out.

Ride Statistics

Ride Difficulty Rating –  Intermediate. The majority of this ride has grades less than 2%, and as an out and back you can always turn back at any point. It is a nice gradual uphill ride but just 5 km out from Lake Louise there is a steep uphill grade to the turn off to Lake Louise, then a steep downhill grade into town.

Distance – 111 km out and back

Estimated cycling time – 5.5 hours assuming 20 km/hr

Continue reading “Banff to Lake Louise” →

Mountain View – Bearspaw to Cochrane Out and Back

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Route with Cochrane Hill extension

Ride Statistics

Ride Difficulty Rating – Beginner for shorter route, Intermediate with add on.

Distance – 44.1 Km out and back (with short loop near the end), 52.3 km with Cochrane hill alternative extension for Intermediate and Expert riders

Estimated cycling duration – Just over 2 hours…

Continue reading “Mountain View – Bearspaw to Cochrane Out and Back” →

Big Hill Springs Out and Back

Look at that Alberta sky!!! June, 2020 Bearspaw Rd
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We are currently considering a revision of this route due to increased traffic volumes on this route, especially over the first few kilometres…so stay tuned and if you ride it, please send us some comments on your experience. Thanks.

Ride Statistics

Ride Difficulty Rating – Beginner

Distance – 44.2 Km out and back

Estimated cycling time – 2.5 hours

Continue reading “Big Hill Springs Out and Back” →

Sundre Timber Trail With Optional Extension on the Burnt Timber Road

Main Route

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Optional extension

Ride Statistics

Ride Difficulty Rating – Beginner for short loop, Intermediate with the optional extension

Distance – 49.2 km circle route, option for an additional 44.0 km out and back

Estimated cycling time – 2.5 hours with out the extension

Continue reading “Sundre Timber Trail With Optional Extension on the Burnt Timber Road” →

Four Hills of Banff

Map includes distance markers (in white) from the Cascade Pond parking area. Points of interest are labelled 1-4. Look at those switch backs up the Mt. Norquay road!
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Ride Statistics

Mt Norquay road has been recently paved so it is a nice smooth ride up the six switch backs. Watch for mountain sheep on this steep road.

Ride Difficulty Rating – Intermediate and Expert

Elevation Gain – 848 m

Distance – 49.7 Km combination of loops and out and back routes

Estimated cycling time – 3 hours due to steep grades

Continue reading “Four Hills of Banff” →

Lake Louise to Waterfowl Lake Out and Back

†

Beautiful Bow Lake. May, 2016
This is an out and back ride starts at Lake Louise. Points of interest labelled 1-3.
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Ride Statistics

Ride Difficulty Rating –  Expert due to the distance and elevation gain and grade up to and down Bow Summit

Distance – 120.7 km out and back Elevation Gain – 1309 m

Estimated cycling time – 6 hours assuming 20 km/hr.

Continue reading “Lake Louise to Waterfowl Lake Out and Back” →