Calgary’s North Bike Paths, A Biking Experience

Vicious dogs, abnormally psychotic city bus drivers, random and strange path beginnings / ends; this is my user experience on Calgary’s NW / NE bike paths. One of the paths (read: the path I take) runs from Dalhousie to Collingwood, disappears and reappears at the bottom of 41st as the Trans Canada Bike Trail. From here it runs along Nose Creek (parallel to Deerfoot Trail) and eventually links up with the Bow River Pathway system (if you take the trail South).

My ride is a killer one — approximately 30k-ish each way with a lot of long uphill/downhill stretches comprised of lush tree lined paths, bleak industrial nothingness, bald prairie, and surprisingly empty paths. You do have to make a conscious effort to avoid the wildlife: gophers and deranged poodles that seem to appear out of nowhere. Potholes, roots, stray shopping carts, and unfinished sections are also a concern.

I think this is one of the longer commutes I’ve ever done. Still the ride takes the same amount of time as my car commute and I’d rather be out breathing the smelly industrial park air whilst passing cars instead of sitting in one.