kiton6

In 2002, I cycled across Canada - Vancouver to Halifax - it took 3 months and was an incredible adventure. I didn't consider myself a cyclist, in fact, it was a drunk idea conjured up in a pub that should have been put to bed when waking up the following morning.

Anyway, if there's anyone on the forum who is thinking of attempting to cycle across Canada (I know, the vast majority reading this are having heart attacks at the thought) then let me know and I'd be happy to share any tips or advice.

P.S. I just want to dispel myth number 1. You do not need to be super-Olympian fit to do it. I certainly wasn't, far, far from it. You'll find your fitness as your adventure continues.

lof

is it still snowing in victoria???

good for you.

having done a long distance cycling trip 1999 that would have been my next big project, instead i went back to school - and than emigrated... and here i started kayaking. we'll see if i first cross canada coast to coast or circumnavigate vancouver island. i still intend to do both.

MB-Realtor

Wasn't that little bit between Calgary and Thunder Bay just a tad dull?

I found it a bit boring and that was at 120kph.

kiton6

It's melting... Victoria just doesn't do snow!

good luck with the kayaking (that's on my 'to do' list)... circumnavigating the island would be great.

kiton6

It's completely different on a bike... you are right, at 120 kph, it would be immensely boring and would just seem like field after field, after field. I remember thinking that at the time (you have a lot of time to think!), but cycling you really have time to appreciate the varied and very different scenery crossing the Praries - another myth (it's not all completely flat, it is in a car, but not on a bike!) - . Plus we, I cycled with a friend, met some of the friendliest and helpul Canadians crossing that part - a guy even stopped his pick-up to offer us beer with our sandwhiches whilst we sat at the side of the road!

Once we crossed the Rockies, we got off the Trans-Canada and went to Drumheller via Airdrie and then got back on the Trans-Canada at Regina. The section going from Regina into Winnipeg, you wouldn't call it spectacular, but what was amazing was just the thought of getting to Winnipeg which we really thought there was no chance when we were in BC. As you can probably imagine, we had a really great drink that night! Once you hit Ontario down to Thunder Bay - lake of the woods that area - that was pretty nice. Although the black fly had me going insane!

Caitilin

Now that sounds like a project i'd love to try!

please note, i'm not a supercyclist- I just grew up on a bike and I like puttering along on one.

How many km's did you do on average a day? I'm guessing it went up a bit over time ;-)

Settlers_Unlimited

Was that you or not? http://www.planetranger.com/transcanada/

hwp

Sounds great and well done!

I hitch-hiked from Victoria to PEI, and part way back, about 20 years ago. It took us three months as well. It was a fantastic experience!

I would love to cycle the Dempster Highway one day. Do you have any other trips planned?

kiton6

You definitely don't have to be supercyclist to do it. You'll notice your fitness improve as you go on. In fact, if anything, it becomes more of a mental battle as you go on.

When we started it was about 40-50 km per day, taking our time. After we'd crossed the Rockies which was the 2nd week, we could go up to 80-100 km per day (as long as the wind wasn't in our faces). Another myth we got told was that once you are over the Rockies the wind just blows right behind you all the way across the praries, no! We'd spend roughly about 6hrs per day cycling.

If you like biking, and you can spare the time, it's well worth the challenge.

kiton6

Thanks. When it's a bit of an adventure crossing Canada can be a great experience. You really get to appreciate the country and the people.

I imagine the Dempster Highway would be spectacular... (not to be tempted at this time of year though!)

Currently, I don't have any new major cycling trips planned. I sometimes cycle in Victoria, although I need to get the bike fixed up (I still have the same bike), but I've not been out on it for a few months.

Caitilin

I love biking, just not sure i could do the rockies. Lived near a hill in dublin and while I can do flat till the cows come home, hills tend to kill my knees.

Where did you stay during this trek? Tent on the bike? I'm actually liking the idea a lot - just not sure when and if its practical for me.

kiton6

No, that wasn't us. Actually, I remember in NB cycling on a part of the trail, it was really slow going, so we went back to the highway as we made quicker progress. Good on them though for making it that way.

kiton6

Actually, in terms of steepness of hills, I found that the Rockies weren't the major problem, that was left for going around Lake Superior which was really tough in terms of steep hill after steep hill. The gradients going through the Rockies are not extremely steep, it's probably been designed that way to allow the larger trucks to cross. You are just going up for a much longer distance, but the gradients around Lake Superior are, well I found, tough but over a much shorter distance.

Sorry to hear about you knees. I suppose it depends on how bad they are, but if you got to a section in which you found really difficult then nothing stops you from getting off your bike and walking for a bit to the top. When we left Vancouver, (not really having a clue) we went north on what's called the Sea to Sky highway (you shouldn't go that way), it's not called Sea to Sky for nothing. At that point, I was still pretty unfit - there's a mountain between a place called Pemberton and Joffre Lakes in which you'd have no choice to push unless you're an elite pro-cyclist. In which case, you're not weighed down with tents, clothes etc!!

For staying. Yes, we had a tent and we mainly stayed in campsites (we only had to rough it once), and, we did find hotel/motel accomodation on 4 occasions, mainly as a 'well done' for getting so far whilst going across. When you arrive in a province, you can find a local tourist info centre and they'll have accommodation guides for the province. From there, they've got details of the campsites and it's a case of just working out which one you are aiming for. That's how we did it.

lof

have you tried to try a) another frame shape and/or b) a different set of gears? it could make a difference for your knees.

i find it always amusing that some people think that it's exagerating to call ireland's mountains mountains. unlike passes in the interior of a continent like in the alps they start at sea level and rise their 600, 700 or even 1000 metres... oh, and having done some major passes in the alps by bike and followed irelands coastline all around: many roads along irelands coast are way steeper.

Caitilin

*grins* I"m dutch. To me anything that isn't level is a mountain. Ok maybe thats a slight exageration.....

as to frame types, I prefer teh old fasioned granny style, sit up and beg bikes. I'm well overweight and I don't like numbing my hands by putting the weight all on them! Besides, i can cycle upright without hands if i have to, so it comes in handy.

Seriously though, what kind of frametype would you recommend?

I may joke about it but I do like cycling and i'd like to do it wihtout damaging me. I'm suspecting as i was on 26 inch frame instead of a 24 inch frame i had previously that that might have been the issue.