60km Bike Ride

A couple of years ago I had embarked on riding the south Calgary bike loop as outlined in Calgary's Best Bike Rides and Trails. It was a hot, sunny summer day, but with the bike I had at the time, I only made it to Fish Creek and was so sore at that point that I took the C-train back. That experience alone had turned me off from cycling for two years, but surely riding 30km shouldn't be that difficult?

A month ago I purchased a new mountain bike, but with the weather we've been having, haven't taken it out for any rides longer than 20km. I've been watching the COC calendar for easier mountain bike events, with little luck so far (again, mainly due to the weather), but I have been very curious by all the city rides that do get posted. You read things like "We will not go slow but also not fast, maybe about 17 km/hr average" or "Must be able to maintain a 20-22km/hr pace". But what exactly does that mean? So, when this infamous bike ride that I had quit two years ago was posted, I became curious as to whether or not I'd actually be able to do it. I didn't sign up for the event for fear that I'd be too slow, but I did set myself a challenge: Ride the 60km loop of south Calgary, and be back home in 5 hours.

Starting downtown, I rode through the East Village, past the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, through Carburn Park, and on to Fish Creek. My first stop was not until I reached the 26.6km mark at Bow Valley Ranch - no stopping for hills, no pushing my bike, just going at a steady pace. And I didn't hurt, nor was I feeling out of breath. East Fish Creek to me seems like a dull place. It was windy, it's flat, and there's nothing to see apart from grass. I find the western half, particularly west of Votier's Flats, much more exciting. There you have the creek, trees, winding trails, and simply more things to grab your attention. With another quick snack stop before starting up 37th Street, it felt like a pretty simple ride. Along the west side of the city one can maintain a good pace, and from the Glenmore Reservoir back downtown is all a very gradual downhill.

Best of all, here are my stats:

• Distance: 60.7km
• Maximum Speed: 40.1km/hr
• Moving Average: 17.0km/hr
• Moving Time: 3 hours, 35 minutes
• Outing Time: 4 hours, 10 minutes

In addition to the cycling, I posed myself a photography challenge: Do not take photos of everything along the way, but only focus on one topic. My topic for today was 'Numbers'. I had seen many unique signs particularly between the East Village and the bird sanctuary, but as I had decided at that point to not stop until I got to Fish Creek, did not start taking photos until I was there. Below are the few that I took.