Anyone who’s spent time bike riding in the river valley knows there are dozens of dirt paths spanning the roughly 50 kilometres of well-trodden terrain. If you’re an experienced downhill biker who rides in the actual mountains, you probably treat even the toughest Edmonton trails as moderately fun ways to stay in shape. But if you’re a city-dwelling weekend rider looking for something more challenging than asphalt paths — but still want to easily walk into work on Monday — here are three places to start.
Head to the Terwillegar dog park. After unloading your bike, crinkle your energy bar packaging to attract a leash-less dog looking for snacks. Pet the dog, hold up the energy bar and tell the owner their dog “must have thought I had treats!” with a laugh. Scratch behind the dog’s ears and say they are very good at being a dog. You are now ready for a bike ride.
Ride to the footbridge. Once across the river, take the gravel trail to the right that leads to the bush and splits into three paths: The left and right sides are easy, with views of Jan Reimer Park and the river, respectively. The middle leads to the most challenging-yet-totally-doable ride in town. Take the middle.
The middle route (actually a combination of two routes — “Logarythmic” and “Flatter Pete” — on Trailforks Edmonton) is one of the wildest, windiest rides you’ll find. From above, it looks like those doodles where you draw one long squiggly line that covers the page but never intersects. And it’s technically challenging — twisting and turning back on itself so often you’ll feel like you’re going the wrong way. But it’s flat, or at least flat enough that, after all the stand-on-your-pedals balancing and braking, you won’t suddenly be hit with a 10-metre incline in the middle of it all, ruining your nice time and reminding you why you don’t take your bike to the actual mountains.
Other riders. And deer. It’s a confined track packed among dense forest, and many turns are sharper than 90 degrees. There’s no shame in getting confused, or even dizzy, and the more you do it the faster you’ll wanna go. So ring your bell every few minutes as a courtesy to other windy-path dwellers, whether they’re on two rubber wheels or four paws.
Drive down to the Emily Murphy Park parking lot. Then immediately ride your bike back up the hill to the Emily Murphy Park sign on Emily Murphy Park Road. Take a selfie in front of the sign, curse yourself for taking mountain bike tips from a guy who’s not even that good at mountain biking, and get ready for one of the river valley’s best downhill bike rides.
Tucked behind the E.M.P. sign sits the start of the most mountain-like mountain bike trail in the river valley. There are steep ups and downs, sharp switchbacks, wood-plank bridges and plenty of places that seem too narrow to fit your handlebars through. It’s not easy — do not ride if your bike has no suspension — but if you stay in a low gear, visualize the line you want to take and do not look down the sides, you’ll be fine.
The first time you take this route, you may end up walking your bike up (or down) parts of it. But by the second or third ride you’ll have your rhythm and timing down, and you’ll get through it faster. You may even have visions of someday appearing on that mountain biking Instagram account you follow…until you look at it later while taking a break and think how does a pedal bike even go that fast?
Intimidating teenagers breezing by you on what you thought were single-track paths. Just kidding — this route would barely get their hearts beating. There are a couple blind corners, but most of the route runs parallel along the river, so you can see your fellow late-30s mountain bikers (and the sense of accomplishment on their faces) coming. And as an added bonus, pretty much the entire route is in the shade all year round.
As you make your way down, you’ll notice the wide, flat multi-use trail along the riverbank that connects Emily Murphy to the Kinsmen Sports Centre. You will be tempted to bail and take this easier (and more scenic) route. Don’t do it — you’ll just cheapen your sense of accomplishment. And if you stay up high, there’s a chance a kid on the riverbank path (who thinks they’re already riding the tough route) will look up and say “Wow, look at that person riding all the way up there!” Until they start following mountain bike Instagram accounts, you are their mountain biking god.
Park in Crestwood, somewhere east of 142nd Street. Take a leisurely bike ride along Riverside Drive. Enjoy the quiet, the view, and judge the design decisions of people in homes you’ll never afford (is that a decorative grand piano in the front entrance?). Maybe grab an ice cream. As you meander, head north to Summit Drive and go west until it meets 149th Street.
“Summit” is a good word for the start of this route, because it’s all downhill. The first part of the trail is so tree covered that it often remains wet even in dry summer months, so don’t let off the brakes just yet. But by the second bend it opens up and you are free to fly.
Actually called “Roller Coaster” on Trailforks Edmonton, the only difficult thing about this trail is that it’s narrow and kind of hidden in the tall grass. In certain parts, it looks like the trail might end and you’ll be forced to take the wide path to your right among all the asphalt riders. But keep pushing through, because unlike the paved path, the dirt path goes up and down many times, giving you the anticipation of climbing (with minimal pedalling) and the thrill of descent — over and over. Like any good roller coaster, it’s over too soon.
Non-biking humans. Once things flatten out after MacKinnon Ravine Park, you’re at one of the most popular riverside walking paths, so they’re kind of everywhere. They won’t crowd the dirt path, but you will be going about 40 km/hr, and that makes people nervous. So when you finally do reach the riverbank, stay on the grass and let the families have the path. After all, that’s the most fun they’re going to have all day.
