Coordinator: Ronan Culligan
Level Ride: Intermediate/Advanced
Distance: 129km
Elevation gain: 1257m
Pace: 25-30km/hr
E-bikes: No e-bikes
Starting at the Bragg Creek community center, we will get moving at 9am sharp. Bring snacks, fluids, repair kits.
We will stop for a regroup and snack break in both Turner Valley and in Priddis. We will split into different groups to accommodate everyone's pace levels.
Please download the route map to your bike computers.
Thank you gemini for this description of the route.
This is an absolutely classic, incredibly scenic, and physically demanding road cycling loop through the rolling foothills of Southern Alberta. It offers a fantastic mix of punchy climbs, sweeping descents, and postcard-perfect views of the Rocky Mountain front range.
The entire loop spans roughly 70 to 75 kilometers with a significant amount of rolling elevation gain. Here is a breakdown of what to expect stage-by-stage:
Stage 1: Bragg Creek to Diamond Valley via Highway 762
Setting out south from the hamlet of Bragg Creek, you immediately hit Highway 762. This section is famous among local cyclists for its "rollercoaster" topography. The road has excellent, smooth pavement, but it features very little shoulder, so riding single-file and using high-visibility gear is highly recommended.
You will grind up several punchy, short climbs and get rewarded with sweeping, high-speed descents. To your right (west), you'll get stunning, unobstructed views of the jagged Rockies over rolling ranch lands. Highway 762 eventually dead-ends into Highway 549. You’ll hang a left (east) onto 549, and then quickly hook onto Highway 22 South to coast right into Diamond Valley (formerly Turner Valley/Black Diamond).
☕ Pit Stop Note: Diamond Valley is the perfect halfway mark to top up your water bottles, grab a pastry at the local bakery, or hit a coffee shop before starting the northward leg.
Stage 2: Diamond Valley North to Priddis via 176 Street (and Highway 22)
Leaving Diamond Valley, you will head north. While you can take the busier Highway 22, routing onto 176 Street W (which runs parallel just to the east or weaves through the local grid) offers a much quieter, more serene rural experience.
As you head north toward the hamlet of Priddis, the wide-open ranch vistas of the south begin to transition into the denser, tree-lined foothills of the Elbow Valley. The grades here are generally gentler than the dramatic rollers of Highway 762, allowing you to settle into a steady, rhythmic cadence. You will eventually pass near the Priddis Greens area as you approach the intersection with Plummers Road.
Stage 3: The Return via Plummers Road to Highway 762
Turning west onto Plummers Road signals the start of the toughest leg of the journey. Plummers Road is a gorgeous, quiet, but notoriously challenging stretch of tarmac.
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The Grind: You will be riding straight back toward the mountains, meaning you are trending strictly uphill. You'll pass the boundary of Brown-Lowery Provincial Park, a heavily forested area where the road snakes through tight, steep climbs.
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The Payoff: Once you summit the highest points of Plummers Road, you are treated to deep-woods scenery and massive, sudden reveals of the mountain skyline.
Plummers Road eventually terminates right back at Highway 762. You will turn right (north) onto 762 for the final stretch. Luckily, the momentum is mostly on your side here; you'll enjoy a predominantly downhill, fast, and winding descent right back into the flats of the Bragg Creek provincial land, finishing up exactly where you started.
