This out and back ride follows a pleasant route around the most scenic parts of Delta, with most of it on gravel dykes or trails with a few short sections of pavement, but even these are on quiet low traffic backroads. It is about as close as you will get to a flat route, and as an added bonus, being on a river delta and surrounded by wetlands, you will likely see a wide variety of birds (we also saw a coyote on the pre-ride).

The majority of it is on hard packed gravel and is fairly fast rolling, but there are a few 'interesting' bits, particularly in the last kms of the ride. Here you will discover a sampling of surfaces, including ancient stretches of ashphalt, big chunky gravel, and the occasional 'beach' of loose sand. The sandy bits are deceptive, so use caution, especially with narrower tires.

The last kms of trail are also prone to minor flooding. The trail follows what used to be an old dried up stream bed, but nature seems to have reclaimed it and it is now a legitimate shallow stream (even with small fish in it). It is possible to skirt around this section on a rough trail adjacent to the route. Parts of it are rideable, parts are hike-a-bike. Fortunately this section is short, and there is an alternative finish noted on the cue sheet if you want to avoid it altogether. 

I have ridden it on 28mm tires but it is a lot more comfortable to go wider—preferably 32mm or up. I did the pre-ride on a new pair of 47mm gravel tires, and it was great. My riding partner was on 32mm slicks and he did just fine, although he did have to slow down through the rougher parts. One way or another, lightweight skinny tires are not recommended, unless you have no other option.

One of the best things about this route is the lack of car traffic. There are however plenty of pedestrians and dogwalkers to be found, particularly close to trailheads. Please pass wide and slow to avoid startling people and dogs (a bell is very handy).

A few logistics notes:

Park at the north end of the Planet Ice lot--furthest from the building. There are no washrooms available; the nearest ones are at a Tim Hortons a couple of blocks away, or on the route there are portapotties at Mud Bay at km 10.

There are not many opportunities to top up water on this route. Beach Grove Park at km 28 has public washrooms with crappy low pressure faucets, but better than nothing.  There is a cafe at km 30.5. And the control at km 41.4 only has portapotties, but we'll somehow have water available.

Make sure to check back here in the few days before the event in case there are any minor route changes needed.