Ripping along the banks of the South Saskatchewan
THE SCENE
Prairie Mountain Biking
48 HOURS
by Tyler Stewart
s I hit Saskatoon after a six-hour drive, I was glad my accommodations were two short blocks away from the trails I’d come to ride. My younger brother is an excellent ride guide, so I was eager to get my legs moving again. We wasted no time getting geared up and headed out into autumn conditions along the banks of the South Saskatchewan River. Like many Prairie cities, the best riding is riverside; Saskatoon is no exception. We left from the City Park neighbourhood and crossed under the Highway bridge, linking up to the Meewasin Trail system that runs throughout the river valley. A fun, flowing section passes the Sutherland Beach dog park with birch trees bending to provide a tunnel-like canopy of cover for cruising. (Tall riders should watch their noggins.) As the trail heads north, you can take the easy way out along the shale path above. We opted to plow through High Roller, which provides challenging climbs and technical sections of rocks and roots to navigate. We kept riding north and crossed Petturson’s Ravine, passing a semi-abandoned gravel pit that’s been shaped into a few large freestyle sections for more adventurous riders. Multiple lines offer themselves up along this stretch of singletrack, dropping steeply from the ridgeline above down toward the river. We kept pushing toward the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow we’d been riding – a short, punishing and absolutely fantastic trail loop called Corkscrew. Taking the counter-clockwise route, we hammered up and down big banks, around bends and steep drops on this roller-coaster ride of a trail. Don’t be surprised if you see locals lapping this section until their legs give out, as it’s one of the most fun little rips in the area. Beyond the river trails, Saskatoon’s cycling scene has grown significantly during the past half decade or so, with an explosion of clubs, rides, races and events for cyclists of all kinds. Reagan Wildeman of the Pedal Wenches road cycling club has played a leading role in making cycling a more inclusive sport
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Canadian Cycling April & May 2018
for female riders. “There was a need to break down the barriers that keep women from road cycling in particular,” Wildeman explained. “Some of that has to do with bikeshop culture, but we’re trying to spread the idea that it’s OK to be a newbie and ask questions.” Wildeman credits the long-running shop Bike Doctor for making a huge commitment to support the Wenches’ weekly rides, and in turn, hiring more female shop staff as a result. “Our gals now get treated really well by the staff, and the shop has been such a great partner for the club,” Wildeman said. “We’ve seen about new women riders come through the club during the past five years or so.” The next day brought us to the south end of town for some exploration among the older trails of Saskatoon’s mountain biking infrastructure. Rolling out of Diefenbaker Park, we found tightly winding trails that cut through the bush and discovered a mix of newly built and older features that made my knuckles whiten. A -m drop into a
Photo: Tyler Stewart
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