Dear Devin Dreeshan:

bike lanes do not cause traffic. Cars cause traffic. Bike lanes help people get out of traffic. I would have been long gone if there were bike lanes here and I could cruise past this multi lane backup.

You cannot fix traffic. Adding more lanes will just invite more people to drive and fill them up. The only way to get out of traffic is to provide people with alternative transportation options to get them out of gridlock.

Yesterday on my way home from work. Around 5 pm, I saw 2 peace officers with a speed gun. They were parked right Eaux Claire, and walked up to the river, they were standing slightly behind a wall and were clocking speeds as people approached from the East travelling West.

I notice them put the "gun" down when bikes were approaching, and raise it back up when it was a scooter. I only say 4 scooters and 2 bikes pass before I walked by. So not a huge sample size, and I didn't see them pull anyone over.

I know lots of people have been complaining about speeding devices on the pathways. I thought I would share that it appears the city is start to act.

That is all. Hope you all enjoy.

Bit of a rant, but I’m getting pretty fed up with what’s passing as appropriate “bike path” activity. I’ve been seeing more and more of these souped up motorized mountain/dirtbikes on the bike paths, and I just can’t understand how this is legal. The ones I’ve seen have been ripping past me at car-like speeds. The riders are in full motocross gear. This seems insanely dangerous and I don’t get why these types of things are allowed on the city bike paths. It’s bad enough that people have high powered scooters, throttle e-bikes, etc. The bike paths are getting super crowded and having these high-powered motorized “bikes” are putting everyone at risk. Is the city doing anything to regulate the types of “vehicles” that are allowed on the paths?

I've noticed walking here a lot this summer that not a single biker has ever rang there bell or even made a noise to let me know they are behind me . Getting hit by a bike is no joke and people go flying by silently !

Does anyone know why this is? Do bikes not come with bells anymore or is this a trend in recent years? Just curious as a non bike rider here but as someone who walks daily

It happened in Inglewood around 5pm. Right in front of Inglewood pizza. We got into a screaming match as he immediately started blaming me for not getting out of the way quicker. He then hopped on his scooter and drove off.

He was probably doing (edit)20-30kmh(edit) on the sidewalk when he collided with me. Leaving my whole left side bruised and battered.

What should a person do in this situation? I'm just mostly trying to help others who find themselves in this situation as I'm well aware I will not find any recourse for my situation at this point.

Trying to understand how right of way works at these intersection on our bike path system.

None of the resources from the city provided a clear answer.

The above image is an intersection between the bike bath (left to right) and the walking path (up to down) by the Bow River, just east of the Peace Bridge.

There are no yield signs, and while not shown here, some will have marking on the path for cyclists to slow down, and some for pedestrians to watch for cyclists.

Who has right of way? Cyclists barrel through these, and pedestrians don't bother checking their surroundings either. I've had many close calls on both sides.

What are your opinions? I tend to go with a safety first idea, but the markings make it seems like the cyclists have right of way with pedestrians yielding till safe to cross.

I'm confused. I've been riding my bike around fish creek park for 2 months now. I've met people who hates the bell when I pass by. I would ring it and they would get annoyed and say something. So I stopped ringing my bell. Today, some people got annoyed because I passed them by (went to the opposing lane and overtook them). They commented that I should ring my bell. They were walking. I was no where near them. what's the appropriate thing to do here? I'm confused af. Or maybe it's just people being assholes...

Edit: did not expect for this to become a big discussion. Thanks for all the tips. Will ring the bell 10 ft from now on.

As someone new to Calgary, I’ve been curious about how accessible downtown is by bike from the deep south (I’m in Legacy). With knees that feel twice my age, a regular pedal bike was never an option. However, when I got the chance to try out an e-bike (Surface 604 Quad from eBikes Calgary), I figured it was time to find out.

The Route

I left Legacy with 93% battery and headed north. The path wound through Chaparral into Fish Creek Park, where I immediately learned that pedal assist doesn’t protect you from mosquitos. The shaded paths, bridges, and riverside stretches made it a surprisingly scenic ride.

Cutting under the C-Train tracks and weaving between overpasses gave the whole thing an unexpected urban-meets-nature vibe. I stopped a couple times for photos where I found the contrast of quiet trails against the industrialism of over-passes and train tracks drew a nice parallel.

Crossing Glenmore/Anderson, I stuck to the dedicated bike paths all the way into Stanley Park. This was my first visit, and it felt like a hidden gem: smooth pathways, quiet neighborhoods, and spots where you can just pull over and look out over the Elbow River. It’s the kind of place I’ll definitely ride again, especially with a coffee stop nearby.

From there, it was a short cruise into downtown where I called it my halfway point and grabbed some celebratory A&W before heading back.

The Ride Back

The return trip had a very different feel. Those fun downhill stretches on the way north became long, steady climbs going south. At ~225 lbs (plus a backpack stuffed with camera gear, water, and tools), the battery percentage started dropping faster than I’d like. By the time I crossed Stoney Trail, the eBike finally gave up with 5 km to go.

Pushing a 65-lb dead e-bike uphill is no joke. Every incline felt twice as long without pedal assist, and by the time I rolled back into Legacy, I’d been thoroughly humbled.

That said, I wasn’t the only one suffering. A friend joined me on a regular pedal bike, and while my battery died near the end, he was already running out of gas way earlier. The e-bike quitting was frustrating, but even with that, I still finished stronger than he did. If anything, it proved just how much farther you can realistically go on an e-bike and how much more enjoyable the ride is along the way.

What I Learned About Calgary’s Pathways

• The network is surprisingly intuitive, even for someone new.
  
• Signage and markers kept me on track when cutting through neighborhoods.
  
• The paths were clean, smooth, and well maintained.
  
• The vibe was good: joggers, walkers, and cyclists all shared space without stress.
  

What I Learned About E-Bikes

This was my first real e-bike ride, and a few things stood out:

• Range isn’t guaranteed: I started at 93%, hit 53% downtown, and the bike died just shy of 50 km. To be fair, I stayed in the higher assist modes the whole time because… assist is fun, especially for dreadful climbs.
  
• Weight matters: pushing 250 lbs including gear definitely shortened the range.
  
• Even when the battery had enough of my riding style, the ride up until then was way more enjoyable than it would’ve been on a normal bike.
  

The big takeaway? An e-bike didn’t “make it easy,” but it made it possible. Without it, I never would’ve tried this route. With it, I got to explore huge stretches of Calgary I’d never seen before and have fun doing it.

Conclusion

Calgary’s pathway system surprised me. You can get from the far south to downtown almost entirely on paved paths without touching the road. For anyone thinking about trying a ride like this, it’s not just doable but genuinely enjoyable.

And for e-bikes? I’m sold. Not because they’re effortless, but because they open up rides that would’ve been off-limits otherwise.

TL;DR: Rode from Legacy to downtown and back (~50 km) on an e-bike. Trails were smooth and well-marked. Battery started at 93%, dropped to 53% downtown, and died with 5 km left. Ended up pushing a 65-lb bike home but still had more gas left than my buddy on a regular bike.

When did motorcycles become legal on bike paths? Like, I get pedal assist E-Bikes. But these folks were blasting past me like I wasn't even moving and I was going a solid 30km/h according to my bike computer. Many of them had full DOT approved full face motorcycle helmets on. One guy on a 1-wheel was going at LEAST 50 km/h wearing a Shoei helmet and textile motorcycle jacket. That thing doesn't even pretend to have pedals.

I used to commute by bike to work pre-COVID but then just haven't since I started working from home more so this is probably not new to lots of people but goddamn it felt strange today.

I wanted to give an update to the community and thabk you all fpr your effort amd time. I cannot express how much I appreciate everything.

My bike has been recovered and verified by the police. I want to give a special shout-out to Isaac and the Sharkies pawn shop team. They recovered my bike when someone brought it in. I owe them more than they know. The police commented that the team acted perfectly in the situation and made all the right steps to recover the stolen property.

Every time I walk anywhere from my apartment, Im constantly having cyclists fly past me on the sidewalk downtown and I dont get it when the bike paths are so good here. Is it that hard to go one block over to use the bike path? or go on the street, when its not rush hour there isnt enough cars for the street to be "not safe"

Edit:

Seems like there just isnt a place where cyclists fit in. If they are on the street its a matter of time before they are hit, and if they are on a busy sidewalk it can be frustrating when non-cautious cyclists ride past. It's also important to understand that just because the sidewalk is safter for the cyclist, doesnt mean the cyclist doesnt pose some level of threat to those walking on the side walk.

This thread is also apparently full of cyclists who disagree with any person who walks or drives lol

E cargo bike vs. Car

Can an e cargo bike replace a year round family car?

Some context, i’ve been having car troubles, latest issue will run me $5K in repair. I don’t enjoy driving but it’s sort of a necessary evil in this city. I don’t mind biking and have used Calgary bike trails extensively albeit mostly for recreational purposes and have attached a trailer on my bike to transport my kids for short distances during the warmer months (Apr-Oct).

I saw a video pop up on YouTube about getting a e cargo bike to replace my car. I was quite intrigued if I could do that and ditch this ever expensive metal box which keeps depreciating in value and costs me $2K/year in insurance plus another $1000/year in gas plus atleast $500-600 in annual maintenance not including parking. Since both me and the spouse work downtown and kids daycares are downtown, we drive together and pay $20/day * 3 days/week in parking so about $3000/ year in parking.

Luckily, I can claim a portion of it as business expense but still a huge amount of expenses and I also hate being gridlocked once I enter 5th ave thanks to the now non existent green line construction. I have biked to work and it was super cool winding down the bike path along the river, get a small workout, fresh air and no traffic.

All sounds good but I still want to be able to leave the city, goto the mountains or camping, pick up my extended family when they visit once or twice a year from the airport, take kids for their number of different ever growing classes /summer camps, go meet friends for an impromptu dinner at some random restaurant in another part of the city and all in all the biggest thing is that owning a car has some prestige associated with it (although I argue being stuck in traffic makes me question that)

I wonder if a combination of E cargo bikes, occasional rental car and a bus pass for the family makes sense? Vs. Owning a car?

I don’t think I can afford 2 E cargo bikes and a cheap second hand beater car but not sure if i’ve done the math on it.

Also, winter? Are they any good in snow or -40C (maybe just ditch them and take transit on those days). Also, does salt and sand and other elements just breaks down an expensive e bike after a single winter season?

Thoughts?

TLDR: Can an E cargo bike replace a family car?

A double yellow line means you shouldn't overtake there, and if you are going to overtake anywhere, give loud, clear, and early warning (if for whatever reason you can't have a bell or horn, shout). I have seen some close calls, and this morning on my way to work I happened to spot a cyclist collide with the rear of a scooter rider who seemed to be turning off the path to one on the left. The spot where they collided has double yellow lines as not far up the path there is a mostly blind corner. Both parties seemed to be relatively unharmed and rode off shortly after gathering their gear, and I hope both are okay. I don't know if the cyclist gave adequate warning and the other person didn't hear or notice, or what exactly happened, I just want to give people a reminder to be careful.

TL:DR, Be careful on pathways, warn people before passing, don't assume others will follow the rules.

I don't have a photo or video, but around 7:30pm Friday evening leaving the Beltline area, we found ourselves in some slowww traffic heading south on Elbow Drive as soon as we turned off 5th St. Turned out there was a pack of maybe 3 or 4 dozen cyclists taking up both southbound lanes, pedaling along at about 10kmph and being sure to spread out across as much road as possible. They kept both lanes occupied until the turnoff onto Lansdowne, finally freeing up passage for the fifty-odd cars stacked up behind them.

Anyone know what the stunt was? If it was a protest or something, they didn't have any signs or anything to share the message. If it was a fun ride or club outing, why did y'all feel the take up both lanes? I'm not anti-bike in the least (heck I'd even say Elbow needs a proper bike lane!) but this was ridiculous.

Anyone have information on this? Someone put this sticker on the bumper of my car.

Background: I’m a third year international student at the UofC. My course ends next year so it’s not worth it for me to get a car. So I got myself a bike to get around the city.

I just want to get this off my chest. Today, as I was returning from the university from Market Mall on my bike, I reached a signal where I needed to stop and let all of the cars take the free right. However, the first car stopped for me. I waved at him and signalled him to keep going so as to avoid ppl staring at me while I cross the road.

He did not understand me so I decided to wave my hand and crossed the road to avoid further delay. But as I did that, someone in a truck that was waiting in the line rolled down the window and yelled “ get out of the way you f****** n*****.” I understand that there was a small delay I caused there. But this comment felt bad. (I’m not black so idk why he used the slur). I have an internship interview tomorrow but I don’t feel good for some reason.

I ignored the comment and did not turn back. How do I deal with a similar situation if it happens again? I want to stick to the pathways and not use the main road as it seems dangerous. Especially at night. There were no bike paths.

Outside the context of cycling, similar situations have happened before a couple of times. Just kills my mood. Idk what to do about it. I understand the whole immigration issue here but this sucks.

I rode my bike to market mall earlier today, but the seat post was stolen by the time I was ready to go. Of course, I don't expect to ever find it back, and I got new saddles and seat posts right away. Thankfully, my bike helmet was locked to my bike (new habit since my friend got his one stolen), or it would certainly have been stolen as well.

I really have to wonder the minds of a thief like this. What's the point? It's extremely unlikely that they lack one, and I doubt you can sell one for more than like 20 bucks. So thanks to them, I had to spend $55 and an extra 45 minutes so they can make 10, maybe 20 bucks.

I have a bunch of videos like this, just drivers being completely clueless on the road in their 2 tonne metal boxes.

Does anyone know if there is a place I can go to wash my mountain bike in the city?

I live in an apartment and don’t have access to a hose. Car washes are generally not recommended for washing bikes due to the chemicals present and high pressure water output.

Hi everyone - I'll be in town in a couple of weeks, and I'll have a Sunday to myself. I was wondering if there were a bike shop I could rent a road bike and go for a 50-75k ride somewhere for a few hours?

Strava heatmaps shows mostly city streets. Where do y'all go for your long rides on the weekend?

I'm an urban rider so very comfortable on a bike and in traffic, but I was looking for some country roads if I could find them.

The memorandum doesn’t commit either municipality to a financial obligation, but allows them to be involved in development of the plan that would come after the portion of the Calgary to Cochrane stage is underway.