Colombian newcomer maps Calgary streets with Strava cycling art

A new Calgarian is exploring his adopted city in a unique way, by turning his bike rides into art, and mapping out designs on his GPS app.

When Alfonso Quintero moved from Barranquilla, Colombia, to Calgary six months ago, he brought with him a pastime that transforms ordinary bike rides into something extraordinary: works of art etched across city maps.

Quintero, 46, has taken his love of cycling and paired it with a creative twist — tracing GPS routes in the shapes of animals, symbols and local icons.

It’s a way for him to explore his new city, peddling hundreds of kilometres to leave behind a colourful footprint on Calgary’s streets and meet new people along the way.

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“Back in my home country, I began to ride the bike 12 or 14 years ago,” he said.

“I was just doing this by myself, but then I became part of a team, and I started cycling with them to get to know all the streets from my city.”

That team, called Karril Derecho — translated into English as Right Lane — gave Quintero his first taste of organized cycling in Barranquilla. But over time, the weekly rides felt repetitive.

“It was kind of boring from time to time and I wanted to mix it up,” he said.

“So, one day out of the blue, I made some drawings on the Strava maps and tried to draw anything that came up.”

Soon, he had produced dozens of GPS-based illustrations across Barranquilla and began riding to create them.

“I just made, like, 50 different kinds of shapes in my home country,” Quintero said.

Some of the cycling routes are in the shape of animals like a rabbit, a pelican or a dog – but others are bit more difficult, featuring a praying monk, a rose and even a T-rex.

When Quintero landed in Calgary earlier this year, he brought the tradition with him.

“This was like a challenge for me,” he said. “I’m new to this city and I’m still getting to know all the streets around my new home, so I usually take a couple of hours to map out what I want to draw, and one thing leads to another.”

Sketching Calgary, one ride at a time

His Calgary portfolio already includes cowboy boots to commemorate the Calgary Stampede, a maple leaf for Canada Day and the Calgary Stampeders.

Each design requires planning, patience and a willingness to get lost in Calgary’s grid of streets for hours on end.

“I just have a map from the pathway and try to go as far as I can,” he said.

“I go to Fish Creek or Glenmore Park or other places I’ve never been before, because in my home country, there’s not so many pathways like this.”

Quintero says the art makes cycling more than just exercise.

For Quintero, cycling art has been more than a personal project — it’s his way of discovering Calgary and getting to know the local interests.

Quintero admits he has yet to fully embrace Canadian football, but says his GPS design of the Stamps logo shows a growing affection for his adopted city.

“I’ve been around the home stadium,” he said. “I have seen a couple of practices from the parking lot, and I hope I can catch a game sometime now.”

Building community

While his art began as a solo pursuit, Quintero says others are now joining in.

He recalls a recent ride where another cyclist joined him to recreate his maple leaf drawing.

“Other people connected with me through Strava, and asked me to share the route so I can they can make it with their co-workers or friends – and I love that,” he said.

Fellow cyclists along Calgary’s river pathway echoed those comments, noting that these kinds of creative art projects inspire them to stay active and build strong connections.

“I think it’s a pretty creative way to tour around and check out the city,” said Jim Geiger. “We’ve got a great bike path system and it’s great to take advantage of it doing something like this.”

Others like Ivana Roca were amazed at the cycling artwork that can be created by drawing out unique routes.

“I think this is so incredible,” she said. “I definitely want to try it out if I had the crew to show me.”

As for Quintero, he says each drawing represents a step — or in this case, a pedal — toward belonging.

“I feel free to go around the city and it’s so amazing.”