Every neighbourhood has a trail that connected to the system. From the north to south, through downtown, all the parks, and along the river, you can experience and view the city’s greatest qualities on paved-paths.

Director and event coordinator of Bike Medicine Hat Shelley Acheson says Medicine Hat’s largest cycling event The Great Big Pedal will again invite people to pump their tires, clip their helmets, and meet at Kin Coulee Park to bike the scenic pathways.

“The trails are so diverse. You’re immersed in so much nature, where you really feel you’re away from the city,” says Acheson. “If you keep your eyes open, you could see eagles, owls, deer, moose, and all the other wildlife that lives in the trees and bushes.”

This event is free and accessible for all types of bicycles, from e-bikes, to road, recumbent, tandem, and mountain. In 2021, Kin Coulee Park’s massive green-grass field was filled with over 100 participants who chose a five, 10, or 20 kilometre trail that remained mostly flat. Knowing Medicine Hat, upward and downward hills can easily be added to the experience.

“Seeing the large groups of people ride together and the community socializing with one another has to be one of my favourite parts. It’s a very inclusive event, and it shows people that riding in a group can be done easily on our awesome trails in Medicine Hat,” says Acheson.

The community has been seeing more bikers over the years and, in 2021, Bike Medicine Hat hosted a ‘glow ride’, where 100 cyclists decorated their bikes with lights. They started the ride at The Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre and rode all around the downtown area in September.

“Biking is a great opportunity for people to be social, and it allows people to say hello and have conversations they wouldn’t normally have if they were driving.”

Bike Medicine Hat is a not-for-profit organization and is free to join. Join the club, and receive monthly newsletters that let you know when bike-related events are happening in the city.

watch the Great Big Pedal reel here.

@bikemedicinehat