
Ride Statistics
Ride Difficulty Rating: Beginner
Distance: 28 km
Continue reading “Springbank Tour”Ride Difficulty Rating: Beginner
Distance: 28 km
Continue reading “Springbank Tour”Ride Difficulty Rating: Easy
Distance: 39.7 km
Continue reading “Bearspaw Tour”As promised we have compiled a list of the Seven Closed (to motor vehicle traffic) Roads for you to put on your bucket list. Here they are:
Canmore – Lake Minnewanka Loop via the Legacy Trail – 56 km (Lake Minnewanka)
Banff to Lake Louise – 111 km (Bow Valley Parkway)
Highwood Pass – Multiple Distances
Sheep River Ride – Spring Road Closure Delight – 35.4 km (Please see our 2022 update on this route)
Allen Bill to Forget-me-not Pond – 38.3 km (Elbow Falls)
Great Divide Highway 1A from Lake Louise towards Field
An eighth option is Morraine Lake Road. This one does not make it on the list officially, as usually there may only be a one to two day window to ride this without motor vehicles and it varies year by year.
Did we miss any closed roads that are road friendly? Please let us know.
Note: as of Aug 7th, 2022 there is road upgrading being done on Horse Creek Road so this route it not paved the whole way as a result.
Ride Difficulty Rating: Intermediate
Distance: 81 km
Estimated time: 4 hours based on cycling speed of 20 km/hr
Continue reading “Cochrane to Water Valley out and back”Ride Difficulty Rating: Intermediate with option for a Beginner ride by turning around at Madden
Distance: 69.4 km
Estimated time: 3.5 hours based on 20 km/hr cycling speed
Continue reading “Goldenrod, Madden, Dog Pound Panhandle”Ride Difficulty Rating: Beginner
Distance: 47.2 km
Continue reading “Grand Valley Road out and back”Ride Difficulty Rating: Intermediate based on potential for heavy traffic and minimal road shoulder.
Distance: 40 Km
Estimated time: 2 Hours based on a cycling speed of 20 km/hr.
Continue reading “Brown Lowery Millarville Loop Extension”Well, I would call that a wrap! The snow hit hard and fast in Calgary this week after a fantastic road cycling fall season. We will be back testing and recommending fabulous road cycling routes in and around Calgary in the spring. In the meantime, to keep your mind on cycling join a spin class, set up your basement trainer, join some cycling specific off season training (I am joining Dynamic Cyclist for their winter training online program and no they do not sponsor us), listen to a cycling podcast like The Move (again, no sponsorship), or rewatch some cycle racing footage, what ever it takes to keep learning about this fantastic sport. Consider reading some cycling books like The Midlife Cyclist by Phil Cavell or Maximum Overload for Cyclists by Roy Wallack (both available at the Calgary Public Library).
This summer we challenged our selves to train and participate in the Whistler Gran Fondo. We did it, all 128 km, and over 2000m elevation gain (According to our Stavra stats). This event is enough to make a grown man cry and fall to his knees, especially this year as many recreational riders were met with no food and electrolyte when they reached the first two aid stations. In addition it was 32C in Whistler when we arrived. We experienced quite a few fit looking riders being picked up part way to Whistler by their families and others walking their bikes or taking a break by lying down in the ditch. We both reached out to the event organizers, and they have promised to do better next year. Unfortunately for us, there will not be a next year as this experience has sworn me off organized rides. We are committing ourselves to continue our quest to provide you, our followers, new and safe routes for the enjoyment of the sport.
Continue reading “Recent Cycling Adventures”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.
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”Ride Difficulty Rating: Intermediate
Distance: 58.5 km
Estimated time: 3 hours assuming 20 km/hr
Continue reading “Nanton to Chain Lakes – More Details Coming Soon”Ride Difficulty Rating: Beginner
Distance: 42.7 km
Estimated time: About 2 hours based on cycling speed of 20 km/hr
Continue reading “Horse Creek Road, Grand Valley Road Loop”
Ride Difficulty Rating: Beginner
Distance: 38.1 Km
Estimated time: 1 hour and 45 minutes based on cycling speed of 20 km/hr
Continue reading “Springbank”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”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)”Ride Difficulty Rating – Beginner
Distance – 26.4 km
Elevation Gain –190 m
Maximum Grade – Uphill grade of 2.2% early in the ride and downhill of 2.5% late in the ride (Perfect for Beginners!)
Continue reading “Madden to Dog Pound”Ride Difficulty Rating – Intermediate
Distance – 72.3 km
Estimated cycling time: Just over 3.5 hours based on an average 20 km/hr speed
Continue reading “Madden – Water Valley – Cremona”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”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”Ride Difficulty Rating – Intermediate
Distance – 52.7 Km pan handle loop
Estimated Cycling time – 3.5 hours
Continue reading “Road to Nepal”Ride Difficulty Rating – Intermediate due to the steep grades…not due to distance
Distance – 38.3 Km out and back
Estimated cycling time – 2 hours
Continue reading “Allen Bill to Forget me not Pond”Spring/Summer/Fall 2022: 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. As of the latest public notice (May 3, 2022) the section of the ‘Bow Valley Parkway east of Johnston Canyon to Banff will remain open to public vehicles EXCEPT from May 1 to June 25 and from September 1 to 30 in 2022, 2023 and 2024 where public vehicles will not be allowed (as part of the 3 year cycling pilot on the Highway 1A).’
All Creatures Great and Small!
Bow Valley Parkway cyclist reported both a black bear and a grizzly bear along the trail on the May long weekend. Be prepared and cycle in groups and bring your bear spray. CBC reported that Bow Valley Parkway cyclists are asked to mindful of salamanders crossing the road. So while you are scanning the horizon for the bears also take a look in your immediate road ahead for these little guys.
Ride Difficulty Rating – Beginner or 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 (Bow Valley Parkway Hwy 1A)”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”Note: as of June 26, 2022 the Big Hill Springs park is reported to be open after being closed all summer 2021. Another development noticed is that Lochend Road has had heavy traffic at times so use caution during these times.
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”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”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”
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”