With 100’s of kilometres of secondary highways both east and west of the North Saskatchewan River the road cycling possibilities are endless. With Drayton Valley as your staging area we have put together beginner, intermediate and advanced routes for you to try out.
Beginner Route Ideas
When you are new to road cycling the thought of busy highways, cars, and narrow shoulders can have you more than a little nervous. If you are just easing into the sport then here are a couple of beginner route ideas that have you doing the distance on a quiet highway or on no highway at all.
Scotty’s ESSO to Rocky Rapids via ring road walking paths
The asphalt walking paths from Scotty’s ESSO on the south side of Drayton Valley to Rocky Rapids Community Centre are a great jumping off point for those looking to get into road cycling. They are wide, with manageable elevation changes. You won’t have to worry about sharing the road with vehicles but with long uninterrupted stretches you can still push to optimal speed. The best part is treating yourself
Route distance: 11.2 km one-way (22.4 km round trip)
Approximate time: 33 minutes one-way
Points of Interest:
- Pembina Rotary Community Trails South
- Pembina Nordic Ski Trails
- Brazeau Snow Club facilities
- Drayton Valley/Brazeau County Airport
- Rocky Rapids Memorial Cairn
What to bring:
A can do attitude.This route is pretty well travelled and you are not far from a helping hand so, make sure you do your pre-bike checks and you should be good to go.
Drayton Valley to Violet Grove via RR 80
This quiet highway route to Violet Grove is a great way to ease yourself into highway biking while sticking to a quieter secondary highway with wide shoulders. The route to Violet Grove is a steady climb past acreages and farm fields. At the summit looking to the east you will see the wide scape of Drayton Valley.
The route map shown includes a short distance on Hwy 22. If you find this intimidating then you can access Twp 491 through the West Valley Lions Park, via the Drayton Valley Museum. Cross the highway to the side road (at Co-op gas station) and carry on as noted.
Distance: 10.2 km one way
Approximate time: 30 minutes
Points of Interest
- Drayton Valley Museum
26 km Loop Drayton Valley via RR 81
Using Drayton Valley as your staging area this 26 km loop is a very nice sunny afternoon ride. With short uphills and rewarding downs and nice flats in between this is a great ride to ease into some of those stepping stone routes that have larger longer hills to crush.
Distance: 26 km round trip
Approximate time: 1 hr 22 minutes
What to bring
Small repair pack. There is cell service so you are not far from help if you need it.
Points of Interest:
- Rocky Rapids Carin
- Pembina Nordic Ski Trails
- Rotary Community Trails South
Stepping stone route ideas:
- Hwy 616 from Buck Creek to Breton 29.5 km one-way, approximate time 1 hr and 27 minutes. Note narrow shoulders.
- Twp 753 Cynthia to Lodgepole 22.9 km one-way, approximate time 1 hr and 9 minutes. Note some industrial traffic. From Lodgepole to Cynthia (reverse) there is a long hill with an aggressive elevation gain.
- Hwy 620 Lodgepole to Brazeau Dam 26.5 km one-way, approximate time 1 hr and 22 minutes. Note some industrial traffic on the highway, some climbs and a narrow shoulder.
Intermediate Route Ideas
If you are ready to tackle the open road and go longer distances then, these intermediate routes are a great place to start.
DV40 via RR 85
The DV 40, a route mapped by the DV100 organizing committee is a route that combines quiet secondary highways and busier highways. The route has a number of ascents and descents making it a great conditioning route. The DV40 is a great stepping stone into the longer DV100, and road biking in the wider Brazeau and Beyond region.
Distance: 40 km
Approximate time: 2 hr and 1 minute round trip
What to bring:
Bring a small repair pack. There is cell service throughout this route so you shouldn’t be too far from help if you need it. Bring some money for a treat at the Rocky Rapids General Store.
Points of Interest
- RR83 summit mountain view on a clear day
- Rocky Rapids Memorial Cairn
- Pembina Nordic Ski Trails
- Pembina Rotary Community Trails South
Drayton Valley to Breton via Buck Creek highway
The route to Breton via Buck Creek is a beautifully scenic ride as you cross the North Saskatchewan River at Hwy 22, and several creek crossings on AB-616. For the graduated beginner rider heading on to Hwy 22 can be intimidating, but wide shoulders will ease your anxiety. Shoulders on the North Saskatchewan River Bridge are narrow so be patient waiting for an opportunity to cross the bridge.
Distance 51.3 km
Approximate time: 2 hrs 32 minutes
What to bring:
Repair kit, water. Note: There are places on this route where cell reception is not good.
Points of interest:
- Blue Rapids Provincial Recreation Area
- Eagle Point Provincial Park
- Breton Museum
Lodgepole to Cynthia via AB-753
Taking off from Lodgepole we parked at the Community Centre.
Heading out of Lodgepole it is a steady downhill to the Pembina River Bridge, then you are climbing and climbing, and climbing.
When you think you have crested, guess what! You are still climbing!
Now you crested. Look to the West and on a clear day take in the awesomeness of the rocky mountains. It is a beautiful west central Alberta view.
Heading to Cynthia, is a steady decline, with boreal forest surrounding you.
Heading back, is a gradual incline for about 2/3 of the ride. once you crest great ready for a fast ride all the way down to the Pembina River.
Once you hit the Pembina River you have a small steady climb back into Lodgepole.
If you take this route, go on a Sunday because industrial traffic is lighter.
This is a beautiful road ride, that can be taken on its own or created as a part of a longer ride as is the case with the DV100 Race or Ride, annual September bike rice hosted by the Drayton Valley Community Foundation.
Distance 46 km
Approximate time: 2 hrs 20 minutes
What to bring:
Repair kit, water, a few bucks to stop at a store
Points of interest:
- Rocky mountain views
- Pembina River crossing
- Cyn City Saloon
Advanced Route Ideas
For advanced road cyclists Brazeau and Beyond is your playground. Have a look at our road trip ideas, and motorcycle routes for your next trip ideas.
DV100 route
Feel like a racer on the DV100 road route. The route has been ridden by some of Canada’s best road cycling athletes. The 100km circuit takes you west of Drayton Valley through the communities of Lodgepole and Cynthia. With two river crossings, hills and forests this route is scenic. If you want to see some of the best, come to our neck of the woods the second weekend in September. You will see 500 cyclists descend on Drayton Valley to race this route and vy for some serious cash and prizes. Got to www.dv100.ca for route information and up to date details.
