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The Icefields Parkway: Road Bike Tour from Jasper to Banff I had the pleasure of joining Ben Johnson for a Mountain Madness road bike tour from the town of Jasper<\/a> in Jasper National Park<\/a> to Banff<\/a> townsite in Banff National Park<\/a> along the Icefields Parkway<\/a> the second weekend of June. This scenic tour of the Canadian Rockies<\/a> offers the best of wildlife viewing, glaciers, waterfalls, great food and a chance to make new friends.<\/p>\n Day 1 Rent a Bike: Ride from Jasper to Banff On the other hand, I\u2019m feeling a little nervous about this ride. First of all, it\u2019s raining lightly, not heavy enough for full rain gear, but enough to make me wonder how wet I\u2019ll be by the end of the day. I\u2019m a little concerned about riding with traffic on the mountain highways. And I\u2019m wondering if I can really do this. I know there are some big hills, also known as mountain passes, that I\u2019m not completely sure I\u2019ll be able to climb. And then there\u2019s the distance \u2013 roughly 300 kilometres over four days.<\/p>\n Ben swings out the back door of his fully outfitted bike trailer so we can look at the map for Day 1 of the tour. We\u2019ll be riding 56 km to Sunwapta Falls and our accommodations at Sunwapta Falls Rocky Mountain Lodge<\/a>. He goes over the route, cautions us about riding too close to the white line and points out our first check stop.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a little worried about the climbs,\u201d I admit. \u201cI\u2019d hate to make everyone have to wait.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo worries,\u201d Ben says cheerily in his Australian accent. \u201cI\u2019ve got a good feeling about this.\u201d<\/p>\n In a few quick minutes, we\u2019re out of Jasper and on the world-famous Icefields Parkway<\/a>. We\u2019ll ride 56 km on this first day. The profile is a gradual uphill climb with only one big hill. The mellow start is the perfect way to ease into the daily riding routine and get familiar with the rental bikes.<\/p>\n Technical Support \u201cIt needs a new tube,\u201d he tells me.<\/p>\n Mary grabs the two-way radio from the carrying case on her bike and radios Ben. There\u2019s no reception for cell phones on this tour, except for at Jasper and Lake Louise, so Ben provides two-way radios for riders. \u201cLet\u2019s get this tire off,\u201d Randy suggests, \u201cso when he gets here, it won\u2019t take as long to get it fixed.\u201d<\/p>\n As we\u2019re working on removing the tire from the rim using tools from the fanny pack, we also keep trying Ben on the walkie-talkie. Finally, we get a response. It\u2019s crackly, but Ben tells us he\u2019s on his way. When he arrives a moment later, he grabs a wheel with a fully-inflated tire already on it and makes the swap for the flat one.<\/p>\n Ben throws our bikes into the trailer and drives us ahead so we can ride with the group. The flat tire has only cost us a few minutes but the other riders are making good time and it would take us a while to catch them.<\/p>\n The clouds are low, concealing the spectacular views, but at our first rest stop, nobody seems too bothered by the weather.<\/p>\n \u201cMarvelous,\u201d Jeffery says, filling his lungs with the fresh mountain air, as he looks admiringly at the glaciers just visible through a break in the clouds. \u201cJust marvelous.\u201d After a brief stop, he and his wife Karen set a brisk pace and quickly pull away from the rest of the group.<\/p>\n Back on the road, we ride for a while before spotting Jeffery stopped on the shoulder just ahead of us. He\u2019s got his camera out and snaps a photo. We watch with admiration as he hops back on his bike and quickly closes the gap between us and Karen who is already cresting the hill in the distance. He\u2019s a powerful rider.<\/p>\n A Bear While Jeffery was taking our photo, Karen had kept on riding and somewhere on that hill just off the shoulder of the road, she\u2019d seen a grizzly. It had been eating grass as she passed, but apparently, it had decided not to stick around to see the rest of us and had wandered back into the woods.<\/p>\n Ben is waiting for us at the Athabasca Falls viewpoint. He\u2019s got the trailer open and a great spread of snacks is waiting for us. There are fresh fruits, trail mix, and a variety of energy bars and energy gels. There are also gluten free and dairy free options for those of us who need them. Fresh water is available at a spout on the end of his deluxe grub box. We\u2019ve been riding for a couple of hours and I haven\u2019t eaten since breakfast. I grab a Cliff Bar and some grapes. We\u2019ve got 26 km uphill before we get to Sunwapta Falls where we\u2019ll stop for the night and I\u2019m grateful for this opportunity to refuel.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>By Tammie Burak<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>My husband Randy and I meet Ben and our trip-mates in Jasper about noon. We\u2019ll be riding with Jefferey, Karen and Mary. Jefferey and Karen are from Sydney, Australia, and have included this tour as part of their western Canada adventure. Mary is world-traveler from Vancouver, BC. She\u2019s on a quest to tick off as many items on her Canadian bucket list as part of her personal Canada 150 celebration. After introductions, we try out the bikes we\u2019ll be riding and make adjustments. Ben puts the pedals I\u2019ve brought on the rental bike I\u2019ll be riding and adjusts the seat for me.<\/p>\n
\n<\/b> The rest of the crew look like they\u2019ve been around road bikes all their lives. They\u2019re outfitted in riding gear, complete with cleated shoes. It\u2019s easy to see, they\u2019re ready for this.<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>We haven\u2019t been on the road when I notice something funny about the way the bike feels. My rear tire has gone flat. Randy grabs the pump that\u2019s attached to the bike and puts air in the tire and we get rolling again. But a few minutes later, it\u2019s flat again.<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>At the next stop, Karen is excited. \u201cDid you see the bear?\u201d she asks.<\/p>\n