This week was a very eventful cycling week for us here at cyclealberta.ca. We scouted out two new routes and attended the Tour de Bowness criterion race. The two routes added this week are polar opposites to each other in that the Granary Road Leighton Arts Center route is great for beginning cyclists and the Nanton to Chain Lakes route is only recommended for the most experienced cyclists. Please check them both out and if you have ridden the Nanton to Chain Lakes route please let us know your opinion. I would recommend putting the Tour de Bowness on your calendar for 2024. It was loads of fun!
Photo of the Granary Road Leighton Arts Center route on Aug 2, 2023. A perfectly peaceful evening.
Cycle Alberta 
I have done the Nanton / Chain Lakes route many times. The last time I went that way (2021) I made a loop to the Bar U Ranch and Cayley for about 115 km with 800 m of elevation gain. It is a fairly demanding route but the scenery is nice, particularly in the spring when the flowers first come out. The section right out of Nanton may be a bit intimidating for the first 10 km due to a very narrow (essentially none) shoulder. Hope this helps. George
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Thanks George. We did not start in Nanton so missed the narrow or no shoulder section but did notice it on our drive out.
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Great photos. Looks like a lovely ride. Thanks for your post. Very inspiring.
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