2006 300K Red Deer, Alberta

Aug 06, 2006

The morning of August 6th, was sunny, with light winds, but cool at +6C when we set off on the 300K. It wasn’t long, however till the temperature warmed up and reached a high of about +25C. The wind also increased and managed to remain a cross/headwind, despite the turns in the route. It came from the southwest as we traveled west to Rocky Mountain House, then turned and came from the southeast at 22 km/h on the way back to Red Deer. Thankfully though it died as the sun set.
click to supersize Near the Start
The route took us out to Pine Lake, across to Innisfail, on to Rocky Mountain House, and back into Red Deer. It started with climbing rollers and small hills, flatted out in the middle with genuine flat stretches and “false flats” (those long, long gradual climbs that make you want to check to see if you’ve got a flat tire or if your brakes are rubbing), and then ended with some more challenging climbs including one quite steep one.
click to supersize Red Deer River valley

The scenery was mainly rolling pasture land with lots of cows but also a herd of buffalo and a couple herds of elk. Ranching, more so than crop farming, is popular around here. There were several areas that were forested, and by the time we reached Caroline, we could see the mountains quite clearly on the horizon. We continued to see them there for the next 65 kms. Just as the sun started to set, we caught sight of the northern side of Sylvan Lake a magnificent water body that is a very popular destination for holiday makers.
click to supersize Cycling Toward Barn

Despite this being a long weekend here in Canada, the traffic was quite good and we had no significant problems with them. The behavior of 95% of the drivers prompted one participant to say, “Very French” … meaning he was reminded of the way the French drivers treated cyclists like heros. Very surprising considering Alberta is an oil-rich province, and wealth exudes in many places, particularly on the roads.
click to supersize Checkpoint #1 - Ghostpine Barn

The Markerville Creamery, at the 116 kms point, was also a special feature. “The Markerville Creamery offers a glimpse into the historic past of this scenic Icelandic settlement. Built in 1902 and restored to its 1932 appearance, the Creamery remains "The Hub" of the tiny community. Costumed interpreters offer guided tours, and lunch [and ice cream] in the "Kaffistofa" coffee shop will round out your visit.”

Markerville Creamery

We stopped for a little break to eat ice cream in the shade there.
click to supersize Markerville Creamery

When night fell, the temperature dropped to the high teens but there were several patches, particularly in the hollows, where the air was very cold and felt as though it was down around 5C … which kept us awake as we made our way toward Red Deer.

Industrial parks around here are wonderful places to ride, especially on weekends. The roads surfaces are generally good and wide. At night there is hardly any traffic, and they are well lit. All of which makes them an ideal way to end a ride … especially when there is a Tim Horton’s at the exit!
click to supersize Markerville Creamery Jug


The route ended up being 320.28 kms long, one mile short of a double century, but we added a bit ourselves to make it a full double century. Our total time was 17:18, with probably 1.5 hours of breaks making our ride time approximately 15:42. We reached the 300 km point about 16:20.

Overall, it was a good, pleasant ride through Central Alberta.