bike routes around calgary (more)

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mike's local guide to: bike routes

Some fun cross (CX) and road (R) loops I've done. I've been using my blog on BikeCalgary.org to share these; if you wish to comment on the loops, please do so there. Click on a ride to see it in the map below, or follow the links associated with it.

It might be easier to just use this Google-maps with a bunch of route options West of the City, including ways to get out.

CX - "Cochrane Retreat", country, ~80km — (Good for winter). CX loop through Cochrane, Retreat Road, Symon's Valley and up bike-paths through Nose Hill. [map, blog, permalink]
R - "Cemetary", inner-city, 40km — Nice little NW inner-city loop including the Confederation cemetary. [map, blog, permalink]
R - "Big Hill Springs", country, 90km — A nice loop out through Bearspaw, past Big Hill Springs and through Cochrane. [map, blog, permalink]
CX - "Symon's Gravel", country, 40km, — A decent, short loop past the jail, over Burma road and back in via Symon's Valley and Nose Hill. [map, blog, permalink]
CX - "Nose Hill Quickie", inner-city, 25km — A nice quick evening 'cross loop incorporating some of Hawkwood's parks and Nose Hill. [map, blog, permalink]
R - "NW Loop", city, ~50km, — Mostly-inner-city road loop in the NW. Includes Rocky Ridge, Burma and Symon's Valley and a few bike-paths. [map, permalink]
R - "bearspaw loop", city+country, ~60km — a loop with lots of variations possible. Note that on the map, google-maps' covereage in the new stuff in rocky ridge etcetera is "lacking". In particular, the bit along 112th avenue: it does go straight through with 2 blocks of dirt, or you can do a bit more of a loop around the dirt section by following the "major" roads around and back up to 112th/country hills. The bit from lochend to woodland road is paved and fine. The bit which looks like it goes through "nowhere" off Stoney Trail near Tuscany is a bike-path up the hill. [map, blog, permalink]
CX - "Big Hill Springs Advocacy-adventure", country, ~60km — [map, blog, permalink] Ever since I learned that a crotchety farmer had apparently succeeded in barring access to a public road allowance through "his" land, I've wanted to try riding this trail which I have used as a young'n (and nearby mountain bike trails for youthful practice). This nicely links up Big Hill Springs and Cochrane Ranch on a very-CX-ridable cow-trail/double-track. To avoid antagonizing the farmer needlessly, please don't make the cows run; stay well back and circle them widely.
CX - "Fall Field Adventure", country, ~70km, — [map, blog, permalink] Not for the faint of heart, and only after wheat/barley crops have been harvested. Utilising the great dirt road north of Rocky Ridge Road, this continues north down gravel, then road-allowance (good double-track), then cow-trails and finally simply angles north-east-ish across fields until one meets good double-track down fencelines which eventually lead to the 567 near Symon's Valley road, which is taken back into north calgary.
R - "NW Madden Loop", country, 120-150km, — [120km map, 150km map, permalink] A great loop out northwest Calgary to Madden and back via Symon's Valley, Centre Street and Northmount. I found all the farmer-traffic out of the city extremely couterous -- reminded me of Europe. At least some people can drive big trucks well. (A 150km variation is shown in green.)