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As Nick and I worked our way west along the bluff, towards the sinking sun, the low-angled light set the cottonwoods on fire. Below us, the gem-blue Bow River sliced through the valley and the serpentine single-track we’d soon ride lay like a golden thread atop the heaving banks ahead. Near the end of our seven-kilometre loop at the under-the-radar Mckinnon Flats day-use area, I hollered at Nick to stop. “I need a picture here, son,” I said. “This is a ride I want to remember.”
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Indeed, mountain biking in fall – especially this fall, when the weather’s been unseasonably warm and the colours are lingering – tends to be an endeavour worth remembering and, ideally, recording in some way, shape, or form. (Thank you, Higher Powers, for providing us with phones with nice cameras.) Without a doubt, we’re living in an awesome part of the world for mountain biking. Or, for that matter, any type of biking.
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And, as far as I’m concerned, McKinnon Flats, a public land recreation area on the Bow River just 20 minutes southeast of Calgary (you’ll find it at the southern end of Range Road 274, approximately 12 kilometres south of Highway 22X) checks all the boxes for a great late-season ride.
While the riding there is best described as intermediate with some mild exposure and technical sections, it’s doable for beginners who don’t mind pushing their bikes here and there. In other words, expect some semi-challenging climbs and some fairly fast and steep descents.
True, the trails (I like combining “Shocker” and “West End Hoodoo Trail” into one blue-level, seven-kilometre loop – look them up on the essential-for-bikers Trailforks app) don’t have that polished, machine-made feel as you’ll find at some popular, more-established trail networks, it’s beautiful badlands (yes, there are some hoodoos) and riverside riding with plenty of classic southern Alberta beauty to ogle at along the way.
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Another reason why McKinnon Flats is appealing is the fact that it’s always quiet with only a handful of users per day. (Due to the boat launch, this area is mainly used by people drift-boat fishing the Bow River.) In fact, when I’m out there riding it’s not uncommon for me to be completely alone on the trails. I’m fine with that. And, of course, due to the southern exposure, the riding season at McKinnon often lingers well into November. Also, in spring the trails there are some of the first to dry out in the region. (Maybe put that last bit in your memory bank.)
But McKinnon Flats is far from the only great place to go mountain biking in and around Calgary. The trails in Fish Creek Provincial Park, Nose Hill Park, and Bowmont Park, for example, definitely serve up some fun options for mountain bikers. And, until we get into the dreaded freeze-thaw cycles, the vast network of trails at West Bragg will continue to be prime for bikes with non-studded tires.
And, of course, the many paved pathways in Calgary, along the Bow River, atop the valley rims, through the parks, and so forth, can be simply stunning to ride on a bluebird fall day. With any wheeled contraption, I might add.
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However, know this: the speed limit on Calgary’s public pathways is 20 km/hr, regardless of the type of vehicle you’re using. In other words, be courteous and slow down! These pathways, as you know, are used by children, the elderly, people with disabilities, dog walkers, and everyone and everything in between. I’d recommend keeping your road bike on the road. That type of bike is designed to go fast. And the pathways in Calgary just aren’t the place for this. According to the City of Calgary, violations of this bylaw can yield a fine upwards of $1,500. For more information on additional bylaws and rules for cyclists on Calgary’s pathways – including the limited use of e-bikes, bell etiquette, helmets, and so on – you can visit www.calgary.ca.
If you’re looking for some great routes to ride in Calgary, local author and cycling enthusiast Lori Beattie has plenty of great suggestions. In her popular book released last year, Calgary’s Best Bike Rides, Beattie lists 50 urban rides that are sure to please the pedalin’ posse.
“One of my favourite rides in our city is the Glenmore Reservoir circumnavigation,” said Beattie during a recent conversation I had with her at the historic Annie’s Cafe (a favourite stop for cyclists) in Fish Creek park. “But there are so many possibilities. Our city boasts over 500 kilometres of snow-cleared pathways. And with so many sunny days and our warm, chinook winds, it’s easy and enjoyable to cycle year-round in Calgary.”
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Like Beattie and so many other Calgary biking enthusiasts, I have no intention of putting my bike away any time soon. Whether it’s a single-track spin at McKinnon Flats or a leisurely ridgetop cruise in Douglasdale above the Bow River to soak in the last of the fall colours, I’m in. And I’ll have photos on my phone to remember it.
Andrew Penner is a freelance writer and photographer based in Calgary. You can follow him on Instagram @andrewpennerphotography.
For more health news and content around diseases, conditions, wellness, healthy living, drugs, treatments and more, head to Healthing.ca – a member of the Postmedia Network.
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