Western Canada - Banff

Going to be in the BAnff area for a week or so in August.

HAve been many times over the years but have not been now for a couple of years.

We will be staying up at Tunnel MOuntain and I 'll have the family with me.

So if I want to get out for a couple of hours on a road, or cross bike, any choices other than the hill repeats up to Rimrock, or hill repeats up to Norquay.

There's always the run out to Sunshine or laps around the Minnewanka loop.

Any other good ones??

Hwy 1 is busy and awful, but if you take it a few km towards Sunshine Village, you can turn off onto the 1A and ride it all the way to Lake Louise, cross the 1 and ride on to the Continental Divide, then ride back the same way.
Or for a more off road challenge, you could ride up the Goat Creek trail towards the Smith Dorrien highway. Ask at the info centre for a map. If you've got a low gear on that cross, you could set a record time going up that. Most of it is fairly smooth. Start from the Golf course and ride with the slopey side of Mount Rundle on your left.
(wistful sigh)

Thanks.

I have taken the 1 up to the Sunshine turnoff in the past, and it's livable.

The 1A up to Louise I've always been a bit iffy on just because that road is narrow, not much of a shoulder and a lot of campers.

Maybe I should try it though.

Good point on the camper business.
Summer weekends on all those roads can be hairy.
Bring the 'cross bike. Ride Goat Creek. You can also go along the side of Lake Minnewanka on a fairly non-technical trail.
Info here. (http://www.trailpeak.com/trail-Goat-Creek-Trail-near-Banff-AB-1325)
and here (http://www.bikebros.ca/rides/lake_minnewanka/page1.htm)

one of my favorite road rides in banff is this...
- park at the base of norquay, just off the highway
- ride east on the #1 and get off at the lake minniwanka exit and do a loop around the lake
- then head towards banff and then turn left up tunnel mountain road
- take tunnel mountain road all the way back into DT banff then...
- finish with the climb up to the top of norquay

great ride with great views and plenty of elevation.

one of my favorite road rides in banff is this...
- park at the base of norquay, just off the highway
- ride east on the #1 and get off at the lake minniwanka exit and do a loop around the lake
- then head towards banff and then turn left up tunnel mountain road
- take tunnel mountain road all the way back into DT banff then...
- finish with the climb up to the top of norquay

great ride with great views and plenty of elevation.

This is pretty much what I normally do. When we are there I am usually staying up at Tunnel Mountain.

I always try to put Norquay into every ride.

I always end up doing Minnewanka or out to the parking lot at Sunshine and then back, up Norquay and then back up to Tunnel Mountain.

There is also the road up to the Rimrock/Hot Springs, etc

I think I've done most of the roads in the valley, just wondering if I had missed any good ones.

I was looking at the map and came across this road that heads off the main road to Minnewanka ( see picture), the one that heads to the top of the screen.

Anyone know what that is? Is it a road? A forest Service Road? paved? Gravel?

Any ideas??

That's the Cascade Fire Road. (link) (http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=BGC016-051)
I've only ever skied it. Some of the descriptions suggest a fairly smooth surface, so it's worth a look. Extra tubes a must for all of my suggestions.

ya - i have only ever skied it too. i am thinking that it may be used alot by hikers in the summer...

Did some of it with the girlfriend a while back. You can ride 3 abreast if you wanted to, and the road is in great shape. Didn't run into any hikers the day we went. Very nice....