Kelowna Ride #1

[sylvan]

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/45386538

It was pretty grim out there today. I tried to ride to Big White, but Hwy 33 was pretty grim. Tons of traffic and then they were in the process of slicing the road in half and repaving it all, narrow temporary lanes, big trucks, turned around, tried somewhere else. So then I went over to Westside Rd. and there was this "Old Ferry Dock" road or something like that what looked like a road on the map, but it was pretty grim, all torn up gravel, and then wet gravel, mud, and everything got caked with mud going down this hill. Neither derailleur worked well after that and the road dead-ended at some lakeshore trailer park, that was disappointing, so I went back uphill through the mud and continued on Westside. It's a very narrow road, with 10+% grades, narrow lanes, sheer cliffs, no barriers, crazy drivers and big giant billy goats wandering around in the middle of the road. It's a completely crazy ride. I can't say I'd recommend it very much. I did about a half hour like that and thought eff this and turned around. I hit 74 km/h down a little hill back to lake level, and soon after had to stop behind a car which had stopped for two big-horned billy goats in the middle of the road and a third billy goat that was about 30 feet above the road on a ledge knocking gravel onto the road.

Not sure about tomorrow, probably east side of the lake, then Sunday I'm busy all day and Monday I'm going to try riding to Merritt and back but if I feel like crap going up Pennask I'll abort and wait for a better day. Almost a month to go out in these parts.

[AlW]

An out and back to Vernon on 97 is also an option. We drove it when were there last week and I remember thinking it would be a good one. Good sized shoulder most of the way and a good climb just before Vernon with great views of Kalamalka Lake.

I also remember seeing lots of bikers south of the city down Lakeshore road to the Mission district, and south-east in the orchards around McCullough.

[shawnc]

Southeast Kelowna/ Belgo Rd area is cool, as is Ellison and the Rutland bench. Carrs Landing and Okanagan Landing have some great roads to explore.

And there's always Knox Mountain for some sweet hill repeat action.

[Josh.E]

The drive to vernon would be worth it to do the silver star mountain rd climb.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/si ... hill-climp

if you climb to the top of the cross country ski area, you can do around 1500m ascent in 22 or so kilometers. The climb takes about an hour. I grew up in Vernon, and have done it several times. whiile visiting my dad there.

you could even ride to vernon, do the climb, ride back.

[EricS]

you can do around 1500m ascent in 22 or so kilometers. The climb takes about an hour.

Of course for me I would apply the following formula:

T=2.7J

Where T is the time it would take me, J is the time it takes Josh