Hey everyone!

Time has been flying by this summer and it seems like only a matter of days before the rides will become less and less frequent. Keeping that in mind, I figured sharing one of my favourite rides with you while you still have time to check it out would be an awesome idea for this post.

Many of my rides are rushed and hectic (seemingly like most other things in my life) and I am looking for the best bang for my buck when it comes to short sessions after work. I’m sure many of you are in the same situation and may find my advice helpful. For times like these I choose the Hydrocut. The Hydrocut is a network of trails in the west end of Waterloo that traces the edges of the Waterloo Region Waste Disposal Facility (Dump). The “Cut” as it is called by many (including Pat in his riding preference debate post) is known for tight, fast, singletrak and trails of varying difficulty.

There are many entrances to the Hydrocut, the most popular of which being the Glasgow Road entrance (or Glasgow Side). This entrance is often crowded and the trails leading in and out of this area tend to be busy and in many ways slow going. This can be especially annoying when wanting to head out for a short sprint! Heeding this advice, I suggest taking the Snyders Road entrance (The part of the trail referred to as “The Pines”). This entrance is a small parking lot off of Snyders road which tends to be used far less frequently. This means when you are looking for a quick sprint there will be fewer riders in your way and you can focus more on your ride than the others around you.

When heading into the trails from this entrance, you will run along a downhill doubletrack and around a bend. This section of the trail is unnamed . The next section will be a steep climb that banks up and to the right (challenging even the most experienced riders). After the ascent, riders will start onto a trail called “Jessica”. This is a short connecting trail that will lead you to “The Bootleg Trail” another short trail to get you into the heart of the pines. From this point, your options vary depending on the length of you ride you want to go on. My personal route is to shred “Adam’s Run” ( a longer more challenging trail) then head around the back corner of the Pines. A flowing section which consists of: “Sweet Street, Jake’s Attack, Jake’s Breakaway and then Dead Camel Bend.” The return trip requires a bit more climbing, however it encourages you to push yourself through the end. Running back through “Twister” gives you a taste of all styles of riding. From this point, the most exciting way back out is to retrace your steps on “Jessica”, then shoot the berm section of Kamikaze; directing you back onto the doubletrak you rode in on.

This network of trails tends to be less tapped than the Glasgow section and time is not wasted getting to this section from the Glasgow entrance. If you are up for an adventure, head out and don’t take a map: eventually you will find your way or a friendly face on the trails who can direct you to another fun section. If you are the safer type: print one of the various maps I have attached (with thanks to the Waterloo Cycling Club, Region of Waterloo and The University of Waterloo) and take it out with you for your adventure.

Satellite Map:

http://rcn.uwaterloo.ca/gps/Hydrocut_Trail_Map.JPG

Rendition Map:

http://waterloocyclingclub.ca/node/46

Unlabelled Trail Directory:

http://waterloocyclingclub.ca/sites/default/files/WCCTrailsMap.pdf

Until next time…
Keep the rubber side down and hope to see you on the trails!

Bryan