How Was Your Ride Today? Week of April 18th

Submitted by RichieRich on

Spring is in the air (in Kamloops), roads were reasonably clear and dry coming in, unshovelled sidewalks and some pathways were treacherous, think we'll start seeing hints of spring by week end?

How was the start to your week?

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Brrr.... Cold morning in

Submitted by marcpro on

Brrr.... Cold morning in Calgary SE today, -12C and the paths were snow covered in many places. The roads were no better, with a mirror like icy surface nicely polished by cars.

My toes hurt as they thawed in the shower.

But, what the heck, my van only has 1/4 tank of gas left, and I want to try to stretch it to next weekend, so off on my bike I go!

It was cold.

Submitted by gyrospanner on

It was about -10 when I started out at about 7 am! I had to go rummaging through my box of "Winter Stuff" to get my neoprene toe covers and winter mitts out once again, hopefully for the last time this year!

Paths were in great shape. My friend told me that he had gone for a run through Bowmont Park yesterday (Home Road to Nose Hill Drive & back) and that the paths hadn't been cleared. The City must have done that late in the afternoon or something?

Even though it was cold, I did feel like it was spring, as the sun was high in the sky and beaming down on my face - it felt great!

Got my new winter bike ready

Submitted by winterrider on

I finally got my winter tires home (from the office where they sat all week) and got them on my new winter bike on Saturday. Took it for a spin down to Bow Cycles for a whack of new part to kit it out, then rode home and stayed up late on Saturday reorganizing all my saddle bags, tools and old bicycle parts, and washing all winter cycling attire.

I'm all ready now for a full winter's worth of riding... next winter :)

I rode the nice road bike in this morning! Felt good, even if a little nippy out.

I'll join the chorus and say

Submitted by Julie Gregg on

I'll join the chorus and say "dang, it was cold". I had bare ears and face and was wishing they were covered up, full length pants and winter mitts helped tho'. Grateful for full daylight and bare pathways & downtown streets.

at least

Submitted by theorangejacket on

it was sunny so psychologically it feels better, but yeah, it was a brisk morning, I'm glad I dressed for it.

Update on the 26th street/ Bow trail SW quagmire, they have now built a ramp over the pipes so we don't have to dismount to get across that area!

I heard there was a water main break and lanes are closed on Crowchild SW heading North- the cagers route. I look forward to some Schadenfreude (pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others) on my ride home (evil laugh)

Not bad

Submitted by Nosaj on

Having not ridden in over three weeks due to surgery it felt great to be back on the bike. I did overdress though, but saw -12 and paniced a bit. Wish I could say that the sun helped, but getting to work at 5:30 the sun is not yet shining :( soon though. Either way, glad to be back on the bike

Optimistic

Submitted by RichieRich on

Some dude riding into downtown via Edworthy... spandex shorts. Mind you his legs were uber-hairy. But it's minus 8C out there! yikes.

Townie... on a single speed flat bar skinny tires, pommy-hat asquew, too-tight jeans just a little too short, honkin' belt w/ studs hanging too low, too much ginch hanging out the back end yelling gimme-a-wedgie.

what's next?

Bowmont MUP

Submitted by RichieRich on

I biked home today via the MUP from Home Road along to Silver Springs, then the steep hill down to the construction area near the dog park, too a right and back up the MUP into Silver Springs. There are no snow chunks anywhere. Very few wet spots - these may be a little slick in the morning, but nothing significant. Yesterday I rode the sidewalk/MUP up Nosehill from Bowness all the way past Crowfoot and it was totally clear. Slicks should be fine if you're a little cautious in the morning.

Bowmont - "Cop Shop*" to Home Road

Submitted by gyrospanner on

* Define "Cop Shop" - the top of the ravine by Slver Springs plaza where there is (was?) a Police Station.

I've been riding this stretch every day and other than a few spots of ice that are maybe one foot long and not a hazard, it is in great shape! You'd swear it was summer except that it has been -9C in the morning lately and you'd swear it was November!!

The City cleared the MUP on the weekend & it's great!

great ride this morning

Submitted by Dionysis on

Not as cold as it has been the last few days and the sun is just rising now at 6 A.M.! Sure is better than driving in with all the speed demons on the road these days.
So when will the osprey return to the nest just east of Crowchild on the north side of the river? And where are all of our friends, the geese?

I too have been watching the

Submitted by Julie Gregg on

I too have been watching the osprey nest, so far no action...but the number of geese paired and laying about on the grass seems to be increasing every day. I hope the babies don't come until it warms up, how can an egg hatch in these cold temps?????

No ospreys in Bowmont either

Submitted by gyrospanner on

I've been watching for them, and still, no show!

I have only seen one small patch of crocuses in Bowmont, rather than the usual hillside full, which makes me think that spring nay have been cancelled.....

I saw it too

Submitted by theorangejacket on

it was magnificent! I got a good look at it but my ornithology skills are so lacking that I couldn't tell you what kind of giant bird it was. Fearsome looking though

Cool!

Submitted by gyrospanner on

I remember a few years ago somebody (maybe Telus?) had a camera on a peregrine falcon's nest.

It's really nice to have "a diversion" that you can escape to a few times a day during work. It sort of keeps you grounded!

Designated bike paths better than busy main roads

Submitted by marcpro on

I found a different road for my commute to work, using Acadia Dr / Willowpark Rd instead of Bonaventure Blvd (Calgary).

Much nicer ride, I have lots of room on the side, and no heavy traffic competing for the lane. Maybe it adds a couple of minutes to my commute, but it adds many years to my life!! Designated bike paths (even if shared with the road) are definitely better than busy main roads.

And riding at -3 this morning sure beats the -12 of Monday morning.

I'm starting to like this bike commuting! And it's only my 5th day. My manager saw me in the parkade yesterday morning, and he's impressed, 150kms per week!

Three for three

Submitted by amf673 on

This is my third day of riding this week and my third day of abuse from motorists:

  • Monday called an "Idiot"
  • Tuesday had a lit cigarette flipped at me
  • Wednesday I am a "Freak".

Can't wait for Thursday!

Two of them

Submitted by amf673 on

Two of them on 10th St NW. That stretch of road must be a designated 'abuse cyclists' zone. I can ride all day around the city without a problem, but when I hit 10th ...

If it is rush hour I avoid 10th and go up through Crescent Heights, but at non-rush times it should be OK.

Hopefully that is my abuse for a while!

Two of them

Submitted by amf673 on

Two of them on 10th St NW. That stretch of road must be a designated 'abuse cyclists' zone. I can ride all day around the city without a problem, but when I hit 10th ...

If it is rush hour I avoid 10th and go up through Crescent Heights, but at non-rush times it should be OK.

Hopefully that is my abuse for a while!

Keep going.

Submitted by BCDon on

Ignore the idiots and keep going. I've had cans, bottles, drink boxes heaved out of cars and school buses at me. I've been hailed by loudspeakers, grazed by mirrors and deliberately pushed into the curb (well other than I hopped it) and all manner of things.

But, I've also had people in vehicles patiently waiting behind me as I cycled up a very steep cobblestone road at a less than walking pace, trucks pull into oncoming traffic to give me more room, people "parting" to each side of the road as I blasted down between 2 lanes and again "all manner of things".

If we can rise above the crap and shrug it off to the other person haveing a bad day (or bad life :)) and definitely bad Karma and continue on with a smile, WE WIN!

Oh and for casual wear, I have now switched to sandals all the time to go with shorts. So if you see me out wandering about, I'm one of the guys in shorts and sandals (up to now I've been wearing socks and shoes but I've decided it is Spring so sandals it is).

Wow, people really suck sometimes!

Submitted by furey on

I've only encountered one experience of being yelled at, but we were heading in opposite directions so all I heard was a muffled "f&$%ing bikes". So far, I've never had anything thrown at me. How do you even react to something like that? What is wrong with people? That really sucks, but hopefully you really are done for the year.

Neither stud nor slick worthy

Submitted by cmpearce on

Slightly more chilly than last week, but nonetheless a very lovely ride during sunrise.

And will 'they' ever do better to relieve the obstruction to cyclists near the Science Centre and Zoo Parking lot construction !?!?
ARrghh.

Zoo route

Submitted by tbbruck on

I rode that route last weekend. They still had the detour through the Science Centre. Don't know if anything's changed since then, but judging on how far they had gotten when I biked by, I wouldn't bet on it.

the weir

Submitted by Dionysis on

Do you know if the path running between the new weir and Deerfoot Trail is open or is it still closed for construction vehicles? My Saturday morning rides used to include that path but for the last couple of years I have had to switch over to the south side of the river at the zoo.

Zoo route

Submitted by cmpearce on

I rode the Zoo Path several timeslast week, where it floods, and it was open...ish. The two barriers across the path are still present but were both open on one occasion. Path was mostly clear of snow and ice. That was before the snowfall on the weekend, however.

ride out of the SE

Submitted by flyfishagain on

I thought this morning was a little warmer than yesterday. The pathway is in pretty good shape out of the south east. You have to watch out for a couple spots around the overpasses but nothing I would consider a major problem. It is also nice that you do not need a headlight to see the pathway as the sun is up early enough.

Nosecreek conditions?

Submitted by RichieRich on

can anyone shed some light on current conditions please? Sounds like the zoo area is still a bit of a navigational gong-show, but for the sake of a longer ride I'd love to do the 'Crik again instead of the memorial drive MUP.

From Edgemont Blvd /

Submitted by brodie on

From Edgemont Blvd / Shaganappi, hopped the barricade and then down through Macewan Park / Berkshire Blvd to the MUP at Berkshire and Beddington. All good, at least in the afternoon: lots of melt water on the path, so might be icy in the mornings. Patchy ice in the underpasses (41st ave / 32nd ave was the worst). Route around Fox Hollow good, but quite a bit of gravel on the 32nd ave section just west of Deerfoot. Bit of mud/gravel down towards the science center. MUP gates for section along river behind zoo are open.

At the north end, not sure what the ravine is like: tried the path from Edgepark Blvd / Edgemont Blvd over to the ravine that (sort of) parallels Country hills, but too much loose snow. That ravine is usually pretty good, though, except for the section from EdgeBrook Blvd to Shaganappi (and the last time I was through there about a week ago, Shaganappi underpass was a solid sheet of well polished ice)

From Chestemere to Max Bell

Submitted by 900 on

Well, the path to Chestemere is back to gong show status.
The ride took a lot longer on the road bike this Am than it usually would... considerable walking and jogging.
From Chestemere:
-First 2-3 K rideable some ice, some snow.
-Around the "tree farm" deep snow, not rideable, MAYBE a light person with really fat tires in the early AM could ride the crust... not happeing with my 23-700C's.
easily a KM of jogging there.
-Along the Golf course.. LOOKS like they plowed.!!. ye-ha.
-Glenmore to the ring road overpass construction.. 25% is rideable, the rest is walk/tripod/ride.
-Ringroad overpass construction is OK when frozen, mud fest for 20 steps when it's not.
-Ringroad overpass back to Glenmore, a good 1/2 dozen spots require walk/tripod/ride the frozen puddles or thru the water depending on the temp.
-Glenmore to inglewood golfcourse.. just a couple strips across the path...very rideable..
-Under deerfoot to 17.gong show again, I rode "up top" to avoid this section.
Still I enjoyed the ride, I bet the slush will be easier to ride this afternoon!

From Chestemere to Max Bell--UPDATE Thurs 21st April

Submitted by 900 on

WAAAAYYY better last night and this AM, what a huge difference.
Where it was not rideable yesterday AM, By this AM you could just breeze thru.
There are quite a few places where the path necks down to a foot or two wide, but apart from under the bridges, it's all ridable.. road bike ridable.

I still got muddy feet at the ring road overpass construction, but the workers there are making efforts to make it better. So unless this afternoons predicted flurries turn ugly.. See you all on the pathway to Chestemere.
HAve a great and safe long W/E!

Warm Days?

Submitted by gyrospanner on

Do you promise? I'm still thinking that spring got cancelled....

Even so, I have committed myself to some spring cleaning around the house and a spring tune-up on my bike (new chain, new cassette, new RD, new F. Brake).

Funny thing is, house cleaning always seems like such a chore, but new bike parts & tuning actually is rather satisfying (sort of like tuning skis, there's this weird Zen thing that goes on, "You are One with your Equipment, you are One with your Sport")....

Cheers

Path flooded near Westwinds LRT

Submitted by kat on

The path that goes along the west side of Metis Trail just south of the McKnight/Westwinds LRT is completely flooded. There are fences on both sides of the path so no way to just go around the puddle. I tried going through it, hoping it wouldn't be too deep and turned back when the water got past my knees.

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