This has to have been the best day for a ride since the autumn. I had a great training ride today. I left my home on the west side of 200 St. in the 66000 block. I pedaled to Old Yale Rd. at the Langley Bypass and followed it to 240 St., (Where the Hill Top Cafe is). I then followed Fraser Highway to Mt. Lehman Rd. and followed it South to Abbotsford airport where I work. I then followed Mt. Lehman Rd., Ross Rd., Bradner Rd. and Graham Crescent North to River Rd. and followed it West to Fort Langley where I had a good lunch.
After lunch I followed Allard Crescent through the Derby Reach area to 208 St. and followed it south to 66 Ave. and home.
If you haven't been through the Derby Reach route in a long time, you've got a nice suprise waiting for you. There is a brand new sheet of asphalt that was laid down in the last few months and it is as smooth as silk.
I think that I bit off a little more than I could chew for this early in my training. The whole trip was just a little over 80 kilometres in about 5 hours and as I was riding the last part along 208 St. I was getting pretty sore and tired. I felt that I was getting quite clumsy and the traffic on 208 St. was very heavy and moving fast.
This was the first time I used my new biking shoes and clip pedals. I was quite nervous, but I survived the whole ride without any falls.
There are two railroad crossings that pose a bit of a hazard, (one on River Rd. and one on 96 Ave.). The tracks cross the road at about a 45 degree angle. They are just waiting there to eat up a road bike with skinny tires. There are signs posted, warning cyclists to dismount, (which I did). I saw some riders not dismount and swing wide to the left side of the road to cross the tracks at close to a 90 degree angle. That works if traffic will allow. I must admit that I used to do that with my old bike with the not-so-skinny tires.
All-in-all I'd have to say that it was a very enjoyable ride, although I was happy to see the end of it.
The terrain is quite good with only a few bothersome hills. None of them were so bad that I had to get off and push my bike. The first one is on Old Yale road where it leaves 216 St. at five corners and goes past the old Murrayville Elementary School. That was quite early in my ride so I was still fresh and the hill is not that long so you are through it fairly fast. The next hill was on Mt. Lehman Rd. Heading north just before Harris Rd. That was a pretty long hill and I was well into my ride, so it bothered me quite a bit. (The fact that I weigh 220 Lbs and am 61 years old might have had a bit to do with it too. The last one that gave me some difficulity was 208 St. just as it comes up to the overpass of Hwy. # 1 toward the south. The bridge has quite a steep grade to it and I was pretty tired by that time so it was a real pain.
Just a heads up; Google Earth shows that Bradner Rd. will take you all the way north to River Rd., but it won't. There is a "No Exit" sign at McTavish Rd., and it means it. Take McTavish Rd. west to Graham Crescent and turn north on it. It will take you down a very steep hill and then on the flats to River Rd.
Hope this helps,
Ernie
-- Edited by erniek on Sunday 17th of May 2009 12:50:08 AM
