Safe Return Doubtful

66 miles (106 km) – Total so far: 66 miles (106 km)

Away at 9:30 am. I had partly set the bike up the previous evening, but with the 7 hour time difference I left much to this morning and retired. A bit of weight balancing. And it isn’t perfect, but will get it near there in the first few days.

Very decent hotel also, the Acclaim. It’s next to an Italian restaurant so a pizza and a couple of beers last night watching the golf and Tour de France on TVs in front and behind me, and a very decent breakfast this morning.

With a stormy forecast and only 14C I hit the first storm just as I started. It is certainly strange cycling through a big city as the first thing you do. The downtown and skyline isn’t so big, but it sprawls. Calgary also has an ipad app for cycle routes. Very few were bike only, and most just along side a major road, so certainly nothing special. It took me the best part of two and a half hours to hit the southern city limit. It wasn’t a warm morning, perfect to be honest, so a sandwich at Sobeys supermarket then onto the major route 2 headed south for a speedy 15 miles.

The painful riding is over then, its west at the twin of Okotoks and into the foothills. The morning storms were gone, and it was mid 20s. Gaining height generally on rolling hills, with agricultural views, and the Rockies in the distance, it was great riding. I could easily have stayed at Black Diamond, but had read excellent reviews of the pub in Longview, so with the legs feeling it, I did the extra 12 miles of rolling hills to the Tail and Trails campground, arriving in 27C and bright sunshine.

In the small town, it seems the Longview Restaurant isn’t open. The Twin Cities hotel is, with bottles from the Big Rock brewery. Also, The Little New York restaurant. The saloon in the hotel looks favourite for a couple.

Good to be on the road again.

Distance 66 miles Time riding 5 hours 30 minutes (lots of traffic light stops in Calgary city), Max speed 34.2 mph, Average speed 12 mph Departed at 9:30 am, arrived 4:35 pm. Altitude 1241 metres.

The Acclaim Hotel, at Calgary Airport. And the bike set up and ready to go.

Decent Italian restaurant next door. Great breakfast. Free bread, coffee, granola, yoghurt and juice with any breakfast (at about $9).

Calgary skyline as crossing the Transcanada highway

Over the Elbow River into the city area and downtown

View on an angle – just over a million and 300,000 people – sprawling

On the road out from Okotoks to Black Diamond – the Big Rock

In the foothills now, with the Rockies ahead

The small town of Black Diamond – alas not the one Dylan sang about on Desire – did make me play it though

Looking down at Longview. Wonder how it got its name.

Left the Eden Valley on Saturday, back there now..

Warm summer evening at Tail and Trails Campground

Twin Cities Hotel – seems you need a pick-up truck to get in

Throughout last years course I failed to find any microbreweries. And wasn’t hopeful here.

This is from the Big Rock Brewery (the name from the Big Rock I passed) and is decent, Grasshopper – a Wheat beer at 5% – good on a warm evening