Cycling Hill Laps - Edworthy Park (Bow Trail and Sarcee Trail SW)

[Super_Geo]

Any Beyonders ride the Edworthy parking lot hill? It's a great way to train on the bike, and if you do enough laps it will most certainly give you a good ass kicking.

There are still some people actively updating the stair climbing thread, so I thought it'd be nice to get one going for this as well.

It's approximately 1km long with a 70m elevation gain. It's my favorite hill in Calgary... not so ridiculously steep that you have to kill yourself just to move the bike, but definitely steep enough to really push you. If you do 10laps, that's 700m of elevation gain... to put that in perspective, Calgary's elevation is ~1000m.

Just like the stairs thread, post up your times and I'll periodically update this post. I like doing 10 laps at a time, but post whatever you guys feel like doing. The Edworthy hill isn't as busy as the McHugh Bluff stairs, but I see people going up the hill on their bike ride home all the time... must be a handful of Beyonders who have done it.

Location:
Google Maps


Super_Geo
2011
1st trip: 10laps @ 1:10:17
2nd trip: 10laps @ 1:04:06

2012
1st trip: 10laps @ 1:03:02
2nd trip: 10laps @ 57:08


benyl
2012
1st trip: 1 climb @ 6:49
2nd trip: 1 climb @ 6:24


phreezee
2012
1st trip: 1 climb @ 3:54



As with the stairs, descent time for the 10th lap is not included in the 10 lap time.

[rage2]

Edworthy parking lot hill was too easy for me at my peak. It'll prob kick my ass today, but it wouldn't take long to be able to do it. Too easy IMO.

Home road was my favorite bike hill. I used to do laps up and down home road. Even at my peak, it was tough after the 4th or 5th lap. At the beginning of the season it would take me a solid 2 or 3 weeks to get back into shape to do it once without stopping. That's a hill.

[Super_Geo]

Originally posted by rage2
Edworthy parking lot hill was too easy for me at my peak. It'll prob kick my ass today, but it wouldn't take long to be able to do it. Too easy IMO.

Home road was my favorite bike hill. I used to do laps up and down home road. Even at my peak, it was tough after the 4th or 5th lap. At the beginning of the season it would take me a solid 2 or 3 weeks to get back into shape to do it once without stopping. That's a hill.

I can keep a pretty good pace going up Home Road, but haven't even come close to wanting to do multiple laps of that thing!

The thing with the Edworthy hill is that posting a fast time will still push your body pretty effing hard. I know a girl who does 10 laps in ~40-45mins... but she's a triathlete, and is ridiculously fast.

[black13]

^ Home road? Oh man that must be tough. I usually go down it when I head downtown with my bike. Never even thought about going back up that way. Maaaybe I'll try one of these hills one day.

Personally I've been doing laps of Glenmore reservoir and trying to improve my times. Do it about once a week.

[msommers]

Where is this exactly? I can't really picture it.

The switchbacks by Stoney under the bridge beside the bow are pretty good.

Also can't remember you mentioning, but what route did you take from downtown to bragg creek?

[rage2]

It's on the back side of Edworthy Park on the south side of the river. The parking lot goes up the hill and ends up at Sarcee + Bow Trail.

[msommers]

Here? If so I'll have to check it out, have never been on that side of the river up there.

[kenny]

Edworthy:

Distance: 1.1km
Avg Grade: 6.7%
Lowest Elev: 1,093m
Highest Elev: 1,163m
Elev Difference: 71m

Home Road: (19Ave going around the corner at top to 48 St)

Distance: 0.7km
Avg Grade: 6.0%
Lowest Elev: 1,065m
Highest Elev: 1,110m
Elev Difference: 45m

According to data on Strava Edworthy is steeper and longer than Home Road but they feel about the same when biking.

[Super_Geo]

Originally posted by black13
Personally I've been doing laps of Glenmore reservoir and trying to improve my times. Do it about once a week.

I like the reservoir but find it gets pretty congested.

Originally posted by msommers
Here? If so I'll have to check it out, have never been on that side of the river up there.

Yeah, the last part of that...

Here, for the Beyond OG that can't read the entire OP You can use StreetView, there are actually 3 cyclists on the hill.

Location:
Google Maps

Originally posted by msommers

Also can't remember you mentioning, but what route did you take from downtown to bragg creek?

I live right by the Talisman Center, took Elbow Drive down to Heritage Drive, then to Heritage Park, around the reservoir and south on the Fish Creek bike path to 37th and then took 37th to Evensglen and down to 22x.

[rage2]

Originally posted by kenny
Edworthy:

Distance: 1.1km
Avg Grade: 6.7%
Lowest Elev: 1,093m
Highest Elev: 1,163m
Elev Difference: 71m

Home Road: (19Ave going around the corner at top to 48 St)

Distance: 0.7km
Avg Grade: 6.0%
Lowest Elev: 1,065m
Highest Elev: 1,110m
Elev Difference: 45m

According to data on Strava Edworthy is steeper and longer than Home Road but they feel about the same when biking.

Most of home road isn't that steep. It's that final 0.1km that kicks your ass. I usually start there, as that's where bow pathway exits to and skip the non steep section.

[Super_Geo]

Edworthy has a more consistent grade than Home Road... and the steepest part is really from right before 20th ave to 32nd ave, ~400m:

Link:

edit: yeah Rage got to it first... that last little bit really kicks your ass.

[kenny]

Yeah I just dug into the detailed data. Only about a 75m section on Home Rd (right at the bend) thats skewing the data.

I like how there are times for all these segments. I think I'm going to do some biking just to see how I compare :P

[msommers]

Originally posted by Super_Geo

I like the reservoir but find it gets pretty congested.




Yeah, the last part of that...

Here, for the Beyond OG that can't read the entire OP You can use StreetView, there are actually 3 cyclists on the hill.

Location:
Google Maps



I live right by the Talisman Center, took Elbow Drive down to Heritage Drive, then to Heritage Park, around the reservoir and south on the Fish Creek bike path to 37th and then took 37th to Evensglen and down to 22x.

Cool I have to check those out.

Just remembered about another hilly section that is pretty tough. Checked my Strava and there are parts with 6.5% grade and one with 9.6%(-8.3%) say average of 9%...I was pretty pooped by the top! All that hilly section is right behind the golf course.

Link

Also, your Bragg Creek Route?

[swak]

I'd do hill repeats at COP up the twisty road.
That'll get you goin. Never actually did repeats at Edworthy.

I'd join you boys, but I'd be hard pressed to find a hill where I live now hahaha

[Super_Geo]

Originally posted by msommers
Just remembered about another hilly section that is pretty tough. Checked my Strava and there are parts with 6.5% grade and one with 9.6%(-8.3%) say average of 9%...I was pretty pooped by the top! All that hilly section is right behind the golf course.

Link

I ride that once a week when I go up north to visit my parents. The next leg of the ride is pretty killer, right up the ridge at Country Hill Golf Club. But, you get to the top and there are a bunch of benches and it's a great view if you want to stop and recoup.


Link

Originally posted by msommers
Also, your Bragg Creek Route?

Yeah pretty much, except I take Elbow Drive, I like staying on the roads when possible, I find you can go a lot faster (more lights, though). Link

[phreezee]

Did one climb today and it kicked my ass haha.

[bigbadboss101]

1 hour going up and down hills, that is ambitious! Good for you. I did hill for 1 minute and I almost had enough. Will for sure do more hills in order to get endurance up though.

Hey in the winter do you guys put on knobbies/winters and ride? Do you use a trainer to ride at home? May be it's better to buy a cheaper bike and put a that on trainer than to use your regular bike? My question is would the trainer wear out the bike?

[TYMSMNY]

Regular road bike + trainer tires = good to go.

I don't ride my bike during snow/ice situations. Be suicide

[phreezee]

Here's the Strava segment link: http://app.strava.com/segments/775255

If you can get on page 1 (top 25), you're an all star in my book

[phreezee]

Originally posted by swak
I'd do hill repeats at COP up the twisty road.
That'll get you goin. Never actually did repeats at Edworthy.

I'd join you boys, but I'd be hard pressed to find a hill where I live now hahaha

You moved to Winnipeg?

Go here: http://wikimapia.org/#lat=49.903971&...6&z=15&l=0&m=b