Trans-Canada?

[Nin]

There will be no obligation to ride tarmac. I’m told there are lots of dirt trails alongside the fields in the flat parts. Deffo flat in the middle though

Yep understood. There are many excellent gravel roads, and much smaller tracks and trails. You’ll never have to ride the same one twice, and you can get into some utterly astonishingly beautiful spots.

But getting from A to B relies on the Trans Canada Highway …

 

[JMacd62]

Did you ever get this trip underway?

 

[Greg Masters]

There might have been a time when I would have done this but now I'm more interested in seeing the country rather than just riding across it.

 

[Posh Pete]

I’ve driven some of the trans Canadian highway in Ontario.

It’s a big, two lane highway with loads of heavy trucks, mostly running through woodland and a whole load of small towns.

Most of Canada is like Ontario - flat.

Yup. The bits on the maritime provinces and the Rockies and BC are scenic and interesting. The rest? Mile after mile of mile after mile ...

Do it in two chunks, east and west.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Globebusters are currently running a Trans Canada and their trip is around 8000 kms.

I follow one of their guides on FB and they are about a week in. I have to say it's a lot of the same scenery from Dom's pics.

I've been asked a few times if I'd run a Trans Canada trip but you've got a lot of nothing until you get to BC so nit really my cup of tea..

 

[autogs]

Did you ever get this trip underway?

Yep he's currently doing it now

 

[JMacd62]

Riding across Canada and or the US. Is one of those things which has been on my to do list for a very long time.
You are right the middle doesn't really appeal to me. Really don't know what to see on the way. Or which route to take. Trans Canada? most likely

So Far. The furthest East I have made it is Edmonton. Great all the way to Jasper. and even a bit further. As the mountains turn to hills. The Road straightened out and you can see it dead ahead popping up on the horizon. Its not quite flat By Edmonton but its cold windy and a bit dull.
There are spots in Alberta I would like to see, Buffalo jump ect.
I have been to the east, Quebec, Montreal, Niagra, The lakes even Thunder Bay. I really liked my short visit to Halifax. Algonquin is meant to be spectacular at least it was in Last of The Mohicans.
Edmonton to Thunder Bay? one day maybe, Why, because its there.
The US.
I've been to Alaska. Highly recommend. It's amazing. very few roads to choose.. South LA. I like the coast. And the big parks Yellowstone Grand Canyon ect.
R 66 ect. Not really on my list. Popular if you like tacky tourist stuff. not sure if id be interested. Appears to be a lot of long, flat, hot, interstate until you get out west.

Still be interested to hear how it works out.

 

[Nin]

Thunder Bay is an interesting place, a real ‘outpost’ feel to it. I wouldn’t want to ride there though, very flat and dull!

 

[AustinW]

Strangely I rather enjoyed the “middle bits” of both USA and Canada (crossed 3x by bike). If you’ve never been before you are seeing it for the first time so there’s lots of interesting stuff popping up all the time, although you do have enjoy slow paced rural life to get it and appreciate the slow unfolding of a landscape. It’s also not actually pancake flat, bits are flat just like bits of east anglia are flat but mostly I remember low gently rolling hills big fields with a variety of crops, hedges, small copses and small rural communities with almost as many tractor dealers and churches (churches mainly USA) as there were houses. Diners and bars with interested curious friendly folk in them. Heck, we could’ve travelled for free if we’d took up all the offers of accommodation and food. Huge, and I mean fecking enormous, grain silos and railway terminals loom frequently. Then there’s all the old abandoned wooden farm buildings to go and look at and wonder about life back in the 19th century plus bits of First Nation stuff around.

What you get to experience is the same as on any road trip really just without the open Mountain Views. Sure the roads tend to be rather straight but they are very lightly trafficked so it’s easy relaxed riding and there’s enough alternative routes, country roads and options to make for a decent day of mixed riding and navigation challenge if you want. If you only ever look on a 1:2,000,000 scale map you’ll only see the highway. Same if you only ever follow your sat nav. If you are going to USA or Canada just for a hoon on the twisties I would suggest you stick to the Smokey mountains or California. Both of which have the best mountain roads I’ve been on.

The most boring bits of Canada were actually in parts of Ontario where all you could see for hours on end was the trees at the side of the road. I never made it to the east of Canada.