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Cycling in Canada: Riding the North Saskatchewan River in Alberta’s “Gateway to the North”

The title of this video reads, "June is the best season for cycling in Edmonton." Which seems true enough. But then there's also any other month that there's no snow on the ground in the beautiful Alberta city.

The title of this video reads, “June is the best season for cycling in Edmonton.” Which seems true enough. But then there’s July, August, September, maybe October; in short, more or less any month when there’s snow on the ground, it’s a good time to put the rubber side down in Edmonton, Alberta.

And if you’ve got a fat bike, there’s any other month for that, too.

We’ve so far taken you to the countryside of Ontario, in and around the Muskoka region, and the iridescent shores of Vancouver, B.C. in our YouTube-powered look at the best places to ride in Canada. This week’s installment takes us to the verdant trails hugging the North Saskatchewan River, riding through Alberta’s “Gateway to the North.”

Edmonton isn’t just a place graced with low, rolling grades that can be tantalizing to riders of all skill levels. There’s also the big, eternal sky, and the air brushed clean by northerly currents out of the Rockies, bringing the cool, high-country winds of Jasper. For Riders about to embark upon the Tour of Alberta next week, it’s a taste of the west they’ll come to know well on Sept. 7, as Stage 6 rolls in to Edmonton.

Until then, there’s this view of the Saskatchewan River basin of Edmonton shot in June, 2014, seen over YouTube user Jinxin He’s handlebars. Where do you love to ride in Alberta?