bicyclists -- share your favorite ride

ScreeField

Fellow cyclists, please share your favorite ride. I'll share to kick this off:

My favorite ride starts on a fairly straight paved road with no shade, a couple of hills at the start. Then through a neighborhood that's fast and flat with lots of curves (and a fun mile long strava segment). Next onto a paved trail lined with trees that becomes a 4 mile long stretch of gravel, rock, and loose sand with snakes and blind corners (around trees). Back to pavement down a busy road, through small neighborhoods, and a sprint up a short and very steep hill (another strava segment) before a nice downhill home.

It's about 14 miles, with a mixture of road, paved trail, gravel, and sand. I do this ride on a steel frame road bike with slightly wider gravel/trail tires. It's just the right duration for a lunchtime ride during the workweek.

Machka9

My favourite ride isn't in the country where I live now ... it's where I used to live.

Highway 11 in Alberta, Canada. Start somewhere in the area of a little town called Nordegg and cycle out to Saskatchewan River Crossing on the Icefield Parkway (the road that goes between Jasper and Banff) ... past Abraham Lake.

Hwy 11 is better than the Icefield Parkway (a popular cycletouring route) in many ways because it is smoother, has wider shoulders, has equally as gorgeous scenery, has less traffic, and is more remote.

Nordegg to Saskatchewan River Crossing is about 90 km ... makes for a decent out and back on a Saturday. Or you can round it up to a 200 km if you do a little bit on the Icefield Parkway. It is a somewhat challenging ride with rolling hills ... but the scenery is well worth it.

This is a collection of photos I took when I have cycled Hwy 11, and parts of the Icefield Parkway:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/machka-bb/collections/72157619203595712/

At the west end of Lake Abraham ...



Stunning even in early winter ...



Me riding beside Lake Abraham on a warm summer day ...

queenliz99

Ride of the Hiawatha outside Wallace, ID. It was amazing

Machka9

Where I live now, however, I haven't really got a favourite ride. I'm kind of still looking but everything is so incredibly steeply hilly here, all the routes I've been on are more work than pleasure. Maybe when I get fitter one will become a favourite.

queenliz99

Machka9 wrote: »

My favourite ride isn't in the country where I live now ... it's where I used to live.

Highway 11 in Alberta, Canada. Start somewhere in the area of a little town called Nordegg and cycle out to Saskatchewan River Crossing on the Icefield Parkway (the road that goes between Jasper and Banff) ... past Abraham Lake.

Hwy 11 is better than the Icefield Parkway (a popular cycletouring route) in many ways because it is smoother, has wider shoulders, has equally as gorgeous scenery, has less traffic, and is more remote.

Nordegg to Saskatchewan River Crossing is about 90 km ... makes for a decent out and back on a Saturday. Or you can round it up to a 200 km if you do a little bit on the Icefield Parkway. It is a somewhat challenging ride with rolling hills ... but the scenery is well worth it.

This is a collection of photos I took when I have cycled Hwy 11, and parts of the Icefield Parkway:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/machka-bb/collections/72157619203595712/

At the west end of Lake Abraham ...



Stunning even in early winter ...



Me riding beside Lake Abraham on a warm summer day ...

Canada is soooo beautiful!! Wow!!

ScreeField

Amazing places--both of you. I had the luck of being able to drive thru both areas when I was younger (Alberta Jasper/Banff and thru the Idaho panhandle into MT) and have always wanted to go back when I had more time to play. Thanks for sharing--makes me want to start planning a trip.

Machka9

I'm not a mountain biker, but we did this trail a few months ago, and I liked it enough to want to do it again as soon as spring comes.

09Feb15_PipelineTrack_12 by Machka, on Flickr

09Feb15_PipelineTrack_34 by Machka, on Flickr

09Feb15_PipelineTrack_30 by Machka, on Flickr

09Feb15_PipelineTrack_48 by Machka, on Flickr

saphin

My favorite ride is part of one of my routes, but it is best done just before dawn. Starting at the Lor Halus bridge, head up to Punggol Point then back down through sengkang riverside. Nice gentle undulations and as it is all beside water it's almost like having air conditioning on your ride. Unfortunately this is a popular area so if you get there any later than 6:30 am the bike track is overrun with walkers and you won't get to meet the otters. This picture is from the Lor Halus bridge looking up the reservoir

KarenJanine

I did a beautiful 6 day tour in Bavaria last year, covering a good stretch of the Romantische Strasse. Amazing scenery, very hilly, on and off road.

george7527

My favourite place to cycle is in Italy fantastic views climbing all the time to lovely villages up in the mountains

KittensMaster

A nice tunnel



The jagged mountainside



And all the climbing twists.

A fun but bit of work 60 mile ride.

jacksonpt

My next one.

kcjchang

Old La Honda to Skyline & Sand Hill Loop from midtown Palo Alto in the SF Bay Area. About 35 miles with health balance of climbs, rollers, and flats.