The Tabor Switchback

Location: Vanier between Beechwood and Montreal Road
https://www.strava.com/segments/27998817

​Admittedly, this segment is a little ridiculous, but Tabor is famous in the Cyclocross world, so when you find a street named Tabor with a super-tight switchback on it, well then you have to take note. In fact, I'm calling this the tightest switchback in Ottawa. Prove me wrong!

In order to make this segment long enough to even create it, the start had to be around the corner, but this is really a pilgrimage to ride the hill that starts partway down St. Denis and zig-zags steeply up to Tabor Avenue.

Would you really come here just for this? Maybe once to say you did it, but it's also close to Richelieu Park, Beechwood Cemetery, the old Rockliffe Airforce Base and the path system along the Eastern Parkway. There's also a couple of other segments in Rockliffe we've written up. Both the Baron and I have been riding around Vanier a lot lately and there's some fun exploring to be done here. 

Tabor in the Czech Republic is famous for Cyclocross (and I am sure many other things), whereas Tabor Avenue in Ottawa is the namesake for an overflow shelter called Tabor Luxury Apartments. This is where the City of Ottawa places families temporarily while waiting for permanent housing. You can read about that situation here: "We Need to Move Out".

It's a stressful situation on paper, but one thing I will say is that on both occasions I have ridden the switchback recently there have been a whole bunch of happy, laughing kids playing on the lawn at the TLA, and if you say hi, they'll most certainly say hi back.

So go check it all out, just to say you rode Tabor.​