Cycling in Alberta

The province of Alberta offers all kinds of terrain for every kind of rider out there. All the major cities have great pathways. The mountain parks have designated ares for riders. Many of the roadways have large paved shoulders for the road riders.

Calgary and Edmonton offer some of the longest urban pathways in north America.

Road Riding

Alberta offers many great areas to ride and some excellent routes. Some of the more popular routes are the 230 kilometre Jasper to Banff parkway ride and the 300+ kilometre Golden Triangle ride. Some of the high elevation mountain roads close in the winter and don’t open until mid June hence the popular Highway 66 (west of Bragg Creek) and Highway 40 (Highwood Pass) routes.

Check out some road riding routes at www.veloroutes.org and type in Calgary.

Mountain Biking

Alberta has many dual purpose areas such as Canmore Nordic Centre which caters to Mountain bikers in the summer with 60 kilometres of trails. Canada Olympic Park is another such area which was built for ski jumping and bobsledding in the 1988 winter olympics and now has dirt jumps and an area with ramps and elevated routes like the Vancouver north shore.

Some of the more extreme riding areas are not as well known as many others. Areas such as Moose Mountain and at the Fernie ski area can provide one with all the adrenaline that you crave. Also rides like Big Elbow loop will challenge your stamina and courage.