I had a dream!

Ok the original dream was to ride Jasper to Banff in one day. That hasn't happened yet but recently I settled on the comparable but logisticly easier Golden triangle.

As I stuggle with getting over the Tour withdrawl symptoms it seemed it was a good time for a really stupid, really long painful ride.

Tried it a couple of summers ago but fell short. (Damn that Mtnlion and the bail out option). This summer I didn't even tell Mtnlion (or many others). No bail out plan=no bailing out.

11.5 hours in the saddle 15 hours car to car 9400' of climbing and 322kms. on the day.

Now I hurt and I'm tired (but sort of buzzed).

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Originally posted by L7
Ok the original dream was to ride Jasper to Banff in one day.

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I've done that, but over a period of about 4 days, and it was from Banff to Jasper. It was more of a bike for a few hours...stop and take a few pictures...bike a little bit more...stop for a short hike...bike a little bit longer...find a camp site...and then do it all again the next day. It was still very tiring though, as there are some serious hills along the way. I remember one was a seven mile climb with an elevation gain of like 2 or 3,000 feet - it was pretty nasty.


How long is it...180 miles?? It would be tough to do in a day. You'd be better off camping one night...maybe near the Colombia Icefields or something.


It's one hell of a beautiful ride though, i'd definitely reccomend it.

great job! damn.

edit- what'd bike you ride it on? that much climbing, triple ring?

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Originally posted by ulty_guy
great job! damn.

edit- what'd bike you ride it on? that much climbing, triple ring?

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I ride a Lemond Zurich, no triple ring. I had a 25 cog on though which I used liberally when I hit the biggest climb at 200km. It's always been a tough climb (2000' or so) but not any easier with 200km in the legs. Going up I was thinking how lance and the boys do steeper grades and doing the math I figured they do it at almost twice the speed I was managing!

At the top I ran into a friend pulling her trailer headed down for a Triathlon team event. I got talked into riding a 50km TT on Sunday. Perfect prep for that. A pillow on my saddle and I'll rip.

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Originally posted by dipstik
I've done that, but over a period of about 4 days, and it was from Banff to Jasper. It was more of a bike for a few hours...stop and take a few pictures...bike a little bit more...stop for a short hike...bike a little bit longer...find a camp site...and then do it all again the next day. It was still very tiring though, as there are some serious hills along the way. I remember one was a seven mile climb with an elevation gain of like 2 or 3,000 feet - it was pretty nasty.


How long is it...180 miles?? It would be tough to do in a day. You'd be better off camping one night...maybe near the Colombia Icefields or something.


It's one hell of a beautiful ride though, i'd definitely reccomend it.

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Yea it's 180 miles (300km). I have a number of friends who've done it. It used to be a traditional ride to cap the summer. I went up once for it but after 3 weeks of hot sunny weather we woke at 4:30 to pissing rain and a foot of snow on the pass. It didn't happen.

The pass you're talking about is Sunwapta to the Columbia Icefields with the big turn in it. It's a gentler more gradual climb from the other side than the way you did it. Quite a bitch in the direction you went I think.

I think you climb more in the direction you went, maybe more than the ride I did. Coming down from Jasper I think the climbing is quite similar.

Camping a night wouldn't be the point then it would be so easy they could call it snowboarding.

Shit dude that is cool. You are a bigger man than I . Metaphorically speaking of course.

I have no urges whatsoever to do stuff like that anymore. Kudos.

good job...i've always admired you old, sick bastards who do the classic road rides in a day.

did you ride it solo? thats fucking core.

Kudos! I'd like to sign up for next year's Jasper-Banff stage of the Tour de Alberta. Last October I took a train from Banff to Jasper and the whole time I was thinking: "wow, this would be a good ride".

let me know if you want to do Jasper to Banff.
I want to mnt bike the sky line train in jasper if parks goes on strike.
Go up the night before and I'll ride that with someone, B can shutlle, and you can go back to banff.

Worth thinging about in Sept?

Congrats on the ride

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Originally posted by L7

Camping a night wouldn't be the point then it would be so easy they could call it snowboarding.

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Ha yeah I guess you're right. I'm not doubting anyone could do it, I'm just saying I'd never be able to. Good luck if you decide to do it.

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Originally posted by powslut
good job...i've always admired you old, sick bastards who do the classic road rides in a day.

did you ride it solo? thats fucking core.

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Solo dude. It was bad enough listening to my own whining let alone having someone else there to whine about it.

Us 'old farts' have to occassionally remind you young punks where terms like 'fucking core' came from.

Yea Oarhead last I checked I was no where near as big as you but thanks.

Dipstick I should have had a copy or your avatar taped to my aero bars, that would have kept me moving ..... until I smoked a pothole of course.

Sorry I was sure that this a going to be about a guy in drag on a bike. So next time in drag? Obscure movie reference.

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Originally posted by DougW
Sorry I was sure that this a going to be about a guy in drag on a bike. So next time in drag? Obscure movie reference.

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I don't believe I ever said I wasn't in drag. The thong wasn't going to see the full loop though.