Cycling Thread 2

[RichieRich]

Originally Posted by KTrain

Could you share the map for this? I didn't know it was a thing.

There are a few slightly different versions of you search ranging from 70’ish km up to about 115km. I did half of the 115km version which includes a bunch of hills in the NW too.

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/86227944
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/12704259
https://forums.beyond.ca/threads/410...n-2019-Edition

[KTrain]

Thanks. I searched after posting and saved this one (https://www.strava.com/routes/2096374). Looks to be similar to the 2016 route you posted.

Looks like a fun one to follow up with a few beers on the patio this summer.

[KTrain]

Originally Posted by ken0042

This is what we bought, in case anybody is curious:
https://calgaryebikes.ca/collections...-commuter-2024

How is it? My wife is looking for one as well to commute to work. She has a pretty nasty hill that's unavoidable so I'm try to find one that's basically going to carry her up the hill.

If anyone else has recommendations I'm all ears.

[Northendzone]

finally got my gravel rig back from the bike shop on friday and was able to get out for a spin around chestermere on saturday.

was hoping to log a 2hr/50k ride; however, i was about two minutes too slow.

Felt good to get some miles in.

Hopefully they finish my mtn bike this week

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by KTrain

How is it? My wife is looking for one as well to commute to work. She has a pretty nasty hill that's unavoidable so I'm try to find one that's basically going to carry her up the hill.

Saturday I took it for a ride with the intention of testing out the Douglasdale hill. Going from the ball diamonds SB to 130th. I went up and down the hill 3 times. The bike has 5 levels of power assist. The first time I went up I had it on assist level 1. I had to gear down but it was certainly way easier to go up the hill.

Second time I put it on assist level 5. I didn't gear down, and it was a super easy climb up the hill.

3rd attempt I just used the throttle, no pedaling at all. I was able to climb up the hill around 18 km/h; with one point slowing to 17. But at least now I know that if needed, it can power itself up.

When the two of us went out Saturday night, my wife was on the ebike and I used my road bike. She still "doesn't know" how to use the gears properly, and she has also never approached 20 km/h before so she was a little apprehensive. However I think with some time she will have no problems keeping pace with me.

The one thing I found myself was the profile was a little "too upright" for my liking. Mind you I am also looking at moving from my hybrid bike to a real road bike at some point. It's also important to note that we went with a small-medium size for her. Had this been my bike I would have gone with a large.

Thursday my road bike goes in for some repairs/ tune-up; so I will be using something else. I am leaning towards trying the ebike for my commute; as opposed to using the winter bike one more time. I'll let you know how it goes. We could also do a meet up at some point if she wants to see it in action.

[calgarygeologist]

Tomorrow is my first day back to the office and I'll be going downtown one day a week, maybe two. I plan bike to the office and I'm wondering if anyone knows what the parking lots are like at Edworthy Park or Shouldice Park in the morning. I'm commuting from Varsity but I hate riding up the hill out of the river valley so I'm hoping to drive to the Bow River pathway. I know that previously the Edworthy lot was always really busy and impossible to get a spot at and I assume it is still the same now. Is Shouldice better or super busy as well?

[surferguy]

Which hill do you try and climb? Have you considered the foothills hospital hill to the overpass leading to childrens hospital?

[M*A*S*H 4077]

The park and bike lot at Shouldice was half empty around 7:20 this morning when I rode past it.
The 29th street like Surferguy suggested is a great alternative to slogging up Home Road or going through Montgomery

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by surferguy

Which hill do you try and climb? Have you considered the foothills hospital hill to the overpass leading to childrens hospital?

I've only been up that once on an electric scooter but that could be an option. I've only ever been up Mackay Road and Home Road to get out of the valley and those hills kick my ass too hard. Maybe I can use 37th street up to the base of the hospital as that seems pretty easy.

[surferguy]

I wasn’t aware of the street numbers but I just checked the map. Yes 37th should be better than anything on the west side of Shaganappi. I’ve always gone from the shouldice parking lot and followed the path beside shagganappi to 37th and beyond. It’s not a brutal climb like the others.

[Bigtime]

The 37th street hill is a much easier climb than using 29th street.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

I'll have to check out 37th street, I use 29 as my "easy" way up when I'm feeling tired. Otherwise I usually just go up MacKay Road and suffer in peace and quiet as no one is ever on that road

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by M*A*S*H 4077

I'll have to check out 37th street, I use 29 as my "easy" way up when I'm feeling tired. Otherwise I usually just go up MacKay Road and suffer in peace and quiet as no one is ever on that road

37th is a grind about 1 block south of the pathway, but I find the pathway itself an easier gradient than 29th. Another option is to get on the pathway at Shaganappi and head up the pathway from there, I think that slope is less overall than grinding up 37th to the pathway.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

37th is a grind about 1 block south of the pathway, but I find the pathway itself an easier gradient than 29th. Another option is to get on the pathway at Shaganappi and head up the pathway from there, I think that slope is less overall than grinding up 37th to the pathway.

I've done that pathway up from Shaganappi and agree it is less overall grinding

I generally don't mind grinding up a hill at the end of a work day, nice way to blow off some steam, but it's great to learn about some of these alternatives

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by M*A*S*H 4077

The park and bike lot at Shouldice was half empty around 7:20 this morning when I rode past it.
The 29th street like Surferguy suggested is a great alternative to slogging up Home Road or going through Montgomery

That's what I see too. Lots of room to park when I go past it around 7am.

[Northendzone]

had to roll my eyes yesterday as i have been waiting for the bike shop to finish tuning my mtn bike (last week they had to order a new part).

yesterday i was out for a work related lunch, and i was not far from the bike shop. i called them after the lunch, hoping i could swing by on my way home to pick it up. They told me they had the aprt, but it was not installed. So i drive home (20 m drive), sure enough, i walk in teh door and they call me to say it is ready to be picked up......dooh, anotehr trip back to the shop to get it.

hoping to get out after work today for a shakedown ride in the bow bottom flats area as i figure it should be mostly dry.

[Ahuch]

I feel like I need an e-bike to ride in the wind these days... Ugh lol

[combustiblefuel]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

had to roll my eyes yesterday as i have been waiting for the bike shop to finish tuning my mtn bike (last week they had to order a new part).

yesterday i was out for a work related lunch, and i was not far from the bike shop. i called them after the lunch, hoping i could swing by on my way home to pick it up. They told me they had the aprt, but it was not installed. So i drive home (20 m drive), sure enough, i walk in teh door and they call me to say it is ready to be picked up......dooh, anotehr trip back to the shop to get it.

hoping to get out after work today for a shakedown ride in the bow bottom flats area as i figure it should be mostly dry.

I mean I work in a shop that's just how it goes. You can only get done what you can get done in a day. I mean it's nothing against you but working in a shop isn't so stress free as people think. Everyone wants everything done immediately but you can't do that for everyone and even easy jobs get stretched because some other part is not cooperating.

So when I see people complaining or eye roll it hits a nerve. You should just be thankful you could even get that part and that they could do the work for you.

I know for a fact some parts are 1 1/2 to 2 years out for availability. With suspension parts as much as 3 to 4. And that's to us. We are a top 10 purchasing/ seller in Canada.

Also you had all winter to get your bike turned in a timely manner and you'd be giving the shop some much needed business in the down season.

[Northendzone]

Combustible - I hear you, I only rolled my eyes because of the timing of it all. Had I went to the bike shop and waited, it would have cost me less total time versus returning home and then heading back to the shop.

For the most part I have a good relationship with the bike shop south and I get preferential treatment and have made a liquid contribution to shop rides

[Old Yeller]

I need you guys to talk me into or out of expensive shoes.

I'm a casual commuting cyclist with a road bike that I have spd pedals on. I have some old NorthWave cycle shoes that I bought from Ridley's a decade ago that I think I spent about $100 on, no complaints, they've held up well but are literally falling apart now.

I went into MEC and The Bike Shop on the weekend and couldn't find anything less than $200.... I've learned the "you get what you pay for" lesson long ago, but do I really need a $200-$300 shoe when there non name brand shoes on Amazon for $75-$100? Would it really make that big a difference to a rider like myself?