Machka 

Riding across the US seems to be quite a common goal among those who post here and elsewhere, but what about riding across other countries?

I've got no interest in riding across the US at all, but I have an interest in the following:

-- Riding across Canada (approx. Victoria to St. John's)
-- Riding across Canada (approx. Lethbridge to Anchorage)
-- Riding across Australia (approx. Perth to Sydney)
-- Riding across Australia (approx. Adelaide to Cape York)
-- Riding across UK (approx. Land's End to John O'Groats)

I have ridden almost all the way across France (Brest to Strasbourg) but not all in one go ... that may happen in 2011.

There are a whole bunch of other European countries I'd like to ride across too ... and maybe Japan ... and several South American countries ...

How about you? What countries, other than the US, would you like to ride across?

Bacciagalupe

FWIW I'd imagine that riding directly across Australia (N/S or E/W) would be a serious challenge, since most of that would be outback, high temperatures, few or no resources etc. Might have to do a coastal circuit.

Since I usually fly in and out of the same airport though, I'm less concerned with a linear approach when it comes to touring in general. I also have to say, it sounds to me like some parts of a typical TA would be, well, kind of boring.

How 'bout riding across Luxembourg?

Machka 

Oh, of course ... West to East would be along the Nullarbor, and South to North would be more or less along the east coast. I've done most of that route already, but might like to do the whole thing.



We almost did that in 2007 ... but misjudged the amount of time we had left before we had to catch a flight so we ended up taking a train.


Edit: And you're right that there probably would be boring sections on any cross-country tour. I think I'd have trouble riding a straight line across a country, I'd have the tendency to meander over here to see this, over there to see that .....

Cave

Well you could ask Rowan about crossing from Perth to Adelaide... My aims for Aussie trips would be Perth-Esperance (or maybe just Albany), Adelaide-Melbourne, Melbourne-Sunshine Coast and maybe XC Munda Biddi trail and the Tasmanian Trail. Won't be able to do any of these for years though

I'm not sure I'll have the time for many years but NZ north to south is one I'd like to do.

I'd also like to do N-S Canada-US-Mexico but again I think it is just a pipe dream for the forseeable future. I'm concentrating on longer day rides now... good for family holidays (eg. last week I rode back from Rosebud (Mornington peninsula) to Melbourne while the family drove back).

Machka 

Believe me ... I have.

And we've talked about the Adelaide to Cape York one too. That's his idea ... he dropped that one on me fairly recently, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea of doing a tour on which a fairly significant portion of the roads are gravel.

You know I'm heading over into your neck of the woods this coming June, right?


New Zealand! How could I forget about NZ. Of course that would be one on my list too.

rwp

Has anyone done the Canada to Mexico (or reverse) ride along hwy 83? I've travelled short parts of it by car a long time ago and from memory it seemed like an ideal bike tour route. Not much traffic and idyllic farm countryside with regularly spaced small towns.

mev

I've done:
-- US: (Astoria to Portland, San Jose to Jacksonville)
-- Canada (Fairbanks, AK to St Johns)
-- Russia (Amsterdam to St Petersburg to Vladivostok)
-- Australia (perimeter Sydney to Sydney)
-- Netherlands
-- A subset of China (Urumqi to Beijing)

I've got interest in riding, either completely across or at least a large tour in the 10 largest countries in the world:
1. Russia
2. Canada
3. US
4. China
5. Brazil
6. Australia
7. India
8. Argentina
9. Kazakhstan
10. Sudan

With that in mind, come a few more of the longer trips in my dreams:
A. Picking up my bicycle left in Russia to cycle from there across Kazakhstan (#9) and into Urumqi (#4); hopefully 2010.
B. Joining Tour D'Afrique to ride Cairo to Capetown including Sudan (#10); deposit down for 2013.
C. Learning enough Spanish to ride across South America on my own including Argentina (#8), Brazil (#5) and Chile; taking classes now.
D. Cycling through Northern India (#7) including Rajasthan. I've done a six week trip through Southern India already.

In addition to those on the list, there are a few other countries I'd like to ride substantially across such as Vietnam, Iceland (circumnavigate) and the UK (Land's End to John O'Groats).

Jim from Boston

Sorry for deflecting your question, but I would like to ride the perimeter of the USA.
FYA, there is a Perimeter Bicycling Association of America that records rides (not necessarily world records) around various geographic and political entities:

https://www.pbaa.com/Records/WorldRecords.htm

They list about 24 countires other that the USA, including Austrialia, and almost all listings are by Joan Joesting-Mahoney!

axolotl

I'm more interested in an enjoyable, interesting, and safe route, as opposed to crossing something for the sake of crossing something. Sometimes the two come together, but that's usually a coincidence for me.

Why so much emphasis on first-world countries? (other than mev's list) Is it fear of the unknown?

Machka 

In my case, I'd like to tour the first-world countries because there are many things I want to see and places I want to go in them.

Plus, I can work in Canada and Rowan can work in Australia (and possibly we'll be able to work in each other's countries at some point too) so we could take our time making our way across Canada and Australia, and work to support ourselves.

I would like to cycle/tour all over the world eventually, and I just spent the last several years getting my teaching degree so that I might be able to teach in other countries, but you've got to start somewhere! And I don't know what "world" South America is, but it is up there on both Rowan's and my list of places to go.

aenlaasu

I'm kind of hoping on crossing my adopted country (Sweden), both east to west (very narrow) and north to south (more respectable).

I think this will be the year of shorter tours though. Building up strength, shaking down my packing list, getting hubby used to the idea.

cyclezealot

Australia.. I agree- it's on my list...... France.. Across. ?... I like to go about in circles.. one year I did about a 900 Km circle of Paris.. Italy.. Traffic seemed too hectic. ?.

JohnyW

Hi,

I don't like riding accross a country at all. I prefer round trips in a country. In the US/Canada I would need 1 to 1,5 years and it would be a zickzack route.

Here are some common routes:

Afrika:
Cairo - Cape Town
Tanger - Cape Town
Asia:
-Transib
-Silkroad
Europe
- Lisboa to Moskwa
- North Cape - Sicily
*******
- Pan Am
- Transamazonica

Machka I recommend for you these 2 first world routes:
-Japan
-Chile

Thomas

Thulsadoom

I'd love to ride across Canada. I'd love to ride in Canada in general. I love it there. But getting across the border is almost impossible for me. I made a few reckless mistakes in the past and Canada is very restricting for who they will let in. It's a shame, I can practically see Canada from my front window, but I can't go over and ride around. I wish they could figure out a way to loosen up those restrictions a little, while still maintaining security at the border. I think there's a lot of people who would like to tour and see Canada, but who are in the same boat as me.

jamawani 

Canada?

Is Canada a country or just another state somewhere near Sarah Palin land?
(Oooh, I can see the tomatoes coming at me already.)

axolotl

That implies that there aren't places elsewhere in the world you want to see. If not, why not? That's more of a question to ask yourself, as opposed to answering here.

As for the term "first world", I should have used the clearer expression "developed countries".


On another note, I had to chuckle at the prior posts by Thulsadoom & jamawani juxtaposed. To paraphrase Tina Fey, channeling Sarah Palin, "I can see Canada from my front yard!".

zoltani

Well, this is the best country in the world, so I don't understand why I would want to go anywhere else, or why you wouldn't want to tour here.













In all seriousness, I want to ride across part of the US, but I also want to see France, and many other European countries. Although at the moment I am just concentrating on what i can foresee in my near future (US and France!).

Roughstuff

Hell man why be subtle? Why not ride across Russia from the Byeloruss border with poland all the way to Vladivostok? Loved it.

Why not ride the PanAm system feeder routes from Alaska to southern South America? Loved it.

Why not ride the 'cradle of civilization route' from the western Pyrenees, thru Europe, the Balkans, the middle east, India and finish in eastern China?

Loved it.

roughstuff

rwp

There are ways around this problem. A fair bit of paperwork, some waiting and about $200 can get you permission to enter Canada. If more than 10 years has passed, it's almost automatic. For those with this problem, the following link migh be helpful.

https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/informa...ns/rehabil.asp

Machka 

There are things I want to see all over the world ... and if I won a million dollars Rowan and I would embark on a multi-year tour of the world. But because we can't just drop everything and go travelling, I have to prioritize what I see ... and there are things in eastern Canada, all over Europe, in Australia, in Japan, in New Zealand, and in South America I want to see first.

jamawani 

I, for one, would LOVE to ride across Canada.
From the Queen Charlottes to Cape Race.

paul2

I biked, hiked, and kayaked from coast to coast in Costa Rica.

Newspaperguy

I did a loop in central Cuba in February. I'd love to eventually cycle across that country, but I'll probably end up doing so in stages. The distance isn't too great but the country is so rich culturally that it's a shame to rush a tour.

In Canada, given enough time, I'd be interested in cycling from Point Pelee, Ont. to Inuvik, N.W.T. That would take me from the southernmost point (which is farther south than the California-Oregon border) to the place where the road ends in the north. I've cycled parts of that route already, in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

JohnyW

Hi Machka,

for Europe:
https://www.ecf.com/files/2/71/EuroVe..._Map_Flyer.pdf

Thomas

Gotte

Riding across the UK is probably the most challenging; given the appalling traffic, the hostility of the drivers and the eccentricity of the cycle routes. Then of course there's the weather. Of course, I'm allowed to be cynical - I live here.