I am looking at housing in these two areas and I am wondering what the commute to downtown is like. I've been riding year round from Parkdale and I would like to continue riding as much as possible. I have gone up both the trail adjacent to Crowchild and the Douglas Fir (at least I think that is what it is called). The Douglas Fir has grades that will work, but the trail next to Crowchild just isn't much fun -- too steep at the end of the day. I am not sure if the Douglas Fir can be ridden year round. Any thoughts on seasonal issues on this trail and alternative winter routes would be very helpful. Thanks.
Commuting from Spruce Cliff/Wildwood to Downtown
Submitted by margaretmary on
Usually good
Submitted by mikewarren on
I don't live up there, but fairly often ride up that trail in the winter. It is usually fine with good CX tires (non-studded).
mike at mike dash warren dot com
easy access
Submitted by critninja on
i live in rosscarrock and use the "golf course" trail regularly - winter included. the only time that trail is tough is when there is lots of soft snow - otherwise it is a great route.
you could also use the edworthy road during heavier snow depths.
also, you can use the bike routes up through scarboro, across crowchild, and then through shaganappi to 33rd st sw to access wildwood/spruce cliff.
www.bikebike.ca
Concur
Submitted by mike runs on
I never had an issue with the golf course road except during very deep snow.
That paved trail by Crowchild almost made me quit winter biking - it got VERY icy in the winter with runoff. I slid down that hill one too many times on my butt.
Old Quarry Trail
Submitted by gyrospanner on
If you're talking about the wide gravelled trail, they call it the Old Quarry Trail. I love it, it is a really fun ride! I sometimes go out of my way to ride there on my commute.
The only negative thing I can say is that when you go home it is an uphill ride. But not a killer....
Good Luck
I ride that nearly every
Submitted by El Jivaro on
I ride that nearly every day. Deep winter is not as bad as early spring when some warm weather puts a nice glaze on the trail.
We live in Wildwood and the commute is one of the best parts of living there.
Thanks
Submitted by margaretmary on
Thanks to everyone who replied to my post re: commuting from Spruce Cliff/Wildwood.
I use two routes from Wildwood to Downtown
Submitted by LogicStudio on
There are two routes that I ride every day I can. (I live in Wildwood)
1) The first is to go to the top of Spruce Cliff (closest to the dog park) and take the big, paved hill into Edworthy Park. Cross the bridge to the North-side of the pathway system and ride merrily into town on the cleared paths.
2) The second route I use is to go down Spruce Cliff to Cedar Crescent (the apartment buildings, across from the strip mall). There is a gate and gravel (or snowy) road. This leads to a trail which leads to a railroad crossing and lands you onto the bike paths on the south side (you can also cross over almost immediately to the north side using the Crowchild pedestrian underpass).
I'm riding the Cedar Crescent path in the snow and it's a little slippery - so I was thinking of switching to the Edworthy Park South entrance hill in the mornings. From Wildwood (I live a block in from the communuty hall) it is 10K using the Edworthy Hill and 8K using the Cedar Cresent path. (from my home).
Strangely, the "quarry" was located at the top of Edworthy Park Hill, but the "quarry" road that seems to be discussed is actually the one on the EAST side of the Golf Course - whcih I have never riden.
winter
Submitted by mikewarren on
I prefer the gravel road in winter, as it's usually in better shape than the Edworthy (road) hill, which is very often a literal sheet of ice on the corners near the top -- there seems to be a leaky pipe or just really good melting going on there. Would be good to provide updates here as to what shape the Edworthy hill is in.
(Note: I don't live up there, so mostly I'm riding out there at night to get into Springbank and it's of course much harder to see ice then ... so perhaps I'm overly biased ;) )
Perched water table
Submitted by Cword on
On both sides of the road.
Before the road was paved the deep ditches would handle run off much better than the current arrangement.
I ride down the gravel/snow
Submitted by LogicStudio on
I ride down the gravel/snow trail in the am and up the hill in the PM. At the moment, it appears the "glacier" hasn't formed and last night it was a fine ride up the hill. I'll post updates as often as people like becuase I am there every day.