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Old 02-07-05, 11:11 PM
  #10  
chieftwonuneez
Will Pedal for Pie!
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Asheville Nc for winter
Posts: 35

Bikes: recumbent, homebuilt and a trek wedgy.

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You'll have a scream on the bent!

I've ridden that stretch 4 times, 2 each way and it's a toss up as to which way is better.

There are two(2) roads in North America that are that top the list of most scenic. The second is the stretch between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef NP in Utah and the first is Icefields Parkway. I could be biased, but I've ridden a bunch of em)!

The hostels are superb, each with thier own flavor, the one in Banff is so-so (commerical), Lake Louise is 5 star and they serve meals(the best in town) there. Most of the Provinicial parks do not offer showers, the rivers are clean but real winnie shrinkers! The hostels, most of them, have showers or baths and last time i was thru there they were cheaper than the park campsites. Ranpart Creek Hostel is especially fun, they were not using electric then and ran on propane but they had a sauna and you jumped in rampart creek afterward, seperate cabins with wood burning stoves for those cold rainy nights.

Speaking German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, French, etc will be a plus because you will met many cyclists and tourist from around the globe.

The towns along the route get busy and competition for camp space can be fierce, but I don't see how anyone could have a bad day along that route, even if you slept on a rock. One look at the colors the lakes throw at your eyeballs and you will know what I mean.

Jasper fills with motor homes and tour buses so accomodations can be tight, the hostel just south of town may be a good alternate.

There will be tour buses and motor home up the wazo but in most places the shoulders are very wide and cater to cyclists. The passes can be narrow and rough desents due to frost heaves on the higher elevations, gives the black top a washboard effect. It is a pain in the forks for a wedgy rider but you should be able to cruise down whole lot better with the bent, the mesh seat will soak up the nasties and you should be able to hold well at higher speeds. first time I came down Sunwapta I thought the forks were going to vibrate off when I picked up speed; but on the recumbent, Oh My!

Bike shops are few and far between, the one I know of in Banff carrys much but I still could not get a matched set of tires there. Not sure any shops between Banff and Jasper, dont think so. Calgary has couple three but is off the path unless you're going to the Stampede!

Bakery in Lake Louise to die for and you age standing in line. I think they probabbly own Tahiti and go there in winter!

Highwood pass, south of Banff, coming/going from Cross Nest is highest paved road in Alberta, no camping along route, day time use only, but I slept there on picnic table late one night, best downhill is approaching from NOrth and scream down the other side. I spent a long time climbing from the South, took a swim in the lake and then the down hill into Canmore, going north was anti-climatic, except the campground at Canmore was practically empty and most importantly,one of the few provincial parks with showers.


The above posts say much, our Wyoming friend has pointed out some great routes, cause like everything else, getting there is half the fun!

Hey, Crossing the Border! I crossed once at Chief Mountain and the Canandains confiscated my small can of pepper spray i had haning on my handle bar(faux paus). They stood there in the rain, with a clipboard, asking me if I had the following, guns, knifes, blah, blah, mace, pepper spray, and the whole time, staring at the pepper spray. I said well, yes, and handled it to them. This would have been okay, excpet now I have to get off the bike, go inside the inspection station and empty my panniers and show them i had no heavy weapons, like AK47 and the SAMS missile launcher(left them home this time, wasnt going thru Nebraska!)(you know why Nebraska sucks-cause the wind is always from the west in Wyoming! Another story and more reasons) The kicker was, I could not keep the pepper spray even though they sell it in Canada, just down the road at Waterlakes store; because it was not properly labeled "NOT FOR USE ON HUMANS." No ****, that was what they told me, even showed me the ones on they gun belt with the label affixed, same brand as mine, but then why were they carryin them(dah)!

The lesson here is label your pepper spray, and lets get all those saturday night special and uzzies and assault rifles labeled "NOT FOR USE ON HUMANS" and we, like the Candains, will cut the homocide rate to practically nothing over nite!

anyway, more than you wanted to hear, have a great trip.

Michael
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