Banff Solstice Ride 2023

Today was the first big ride of the 2023 season. We were supposed to have done the Banff BCC club ride earlier this month, but the weather and smoke has delayed it to July 30. But Perry (the same Perry who helped with the great water leak on Father’s Day 2022) had planned a second edition of a ride he organized last year but I couldn’t attend. He, Lee and his wife Assunta organized three rides starting in Banff with the intent that they would all finish at the same time and people could get together afterwards for a meal and a drink. Perry led off the longest one (220 km) at 6:30 am, Lee the “medium” distance (160 km) at 9:00 and Assunta the “short” distance (80 km) at 11:00. I wanted to try my hand at the long distance, but when Ian said he wanted to join, I figured the medium would be more than enough for him, and I didn’t want to drive us out to Banff for 6:30 and then leave him standing around for 2.5 hours… that would win me Father of the Year, for sure.

Yesterday we got the bikes all ready and everything into the car so we could get on the road at 7:30 to be in Banff on time. The weather was great: mostly sunny with some clouds giving us a bit of shade from time to time. 13 degrees to start and low twenties mid-day. Our group was 12 riders to start.

We rode to Johnston Canyon first, and then on to the top end of the Bow Valley Parkway. The section to Johnston Canyon was closed to vehicles, which is great. There are so many people on bikes, e-bikes on that section enjoying the ride.

It became clear that Anil wasn’t feeling it. He was working hard to keep up, but had some leg cramps. I stayed with him from the second climb to when he was going to turn around and go back, so then I had to work to catch up to the rest of the group. At the top of the Parkway, Enzo and Rob had to turn back: they had other things to get done. The group was now nine riders.

Next was the big climb up to Moraine Lake. It’s 12 km of climbing from the town to the lake. Ian did great, but he kept getting dismayed as the road kept going up and up and up… But then you get to the top and the view is spectacular.

The group re-gathered at the lake and rested for a few minutes before screaming back down the hill for lunch at the town.

Lunch was simple sandwiches etc. from the corner store. Helped us fuel up for the return leg.

The ride back is much easier: it’s downhill generally, and the hills are not as severe as on the way up. Six of us regrouped at the train station parking lot in Banff, and five continued on to finish the planned route. The last part of the route was the loop past the Banff Springs Hotel and into the Banff Springs Golf Course. Partway through the loop, we celebrated Ian’s first 150 km ride ever, and when we returned to the car, he hit 163 km. That’s a 100 mile ride; an Imperial century.

It was a great day out. A couple of dropped chains were the worst of the mechanical issues, and other than Anil’s problems, everyone felt great, if tired by the end.