graybeard

Wondering if anyone has done the road loop from Sooke to Port Renfrew and then over to Lk Cowichan??....The road is paved now, even though it is rough pavement..I would like to do self supported tour in the spring / summer, .... Any ideas always welcome..

Trikin'

Hello Grey Beard....I've been on the Loch side and Galloping Goose Trails to Sooke a couple of times. I imagine the route has its share of hill's. I have a recumbent trike, recently I put a Crystalyte hub on my BoB trailer, gives me assist on those hills (4 touring)

graybeard

I think we are going to try it from Lake Cowichan to Pt Renfrew then south to Sooke and into Victoria...maybe do a bit of car shuttling to make it work...I fiqure three days would be a fairly doable pace...Google earth shows a few BIG hills on either side of Renfrew...so we better get riding....Graybeard from Ladysmith

graybeard

Heatherbikes

I have driven the loop from Port Renfrew to Lake Cowichan after driving down from Nanaimo to Sooke through Victoria. I did not know the road was mostly paved and was going to port renfrew so could have shaved several hours. Luckily I asked and took a risk driving in a 2 wheel drive. Anyway, it was fine, not entirely paved but in very good condition. It was also very busy, so if one were to run into trouble, you wouldn't be stuck. It took an hour and a half at the most by car and was absolutely stunning-clear cuts not withstanding. I have thought it would be awesome to bike it-however I get the itchies from riding on rough roads.

Trikin'

This sounds like part of the tour "crazy guy on a bike" took. We have been considering this route also. Last summer we rode from Nanimo to Saltspring to Swartz Bay then the Lochside to the Galloping Goose, Sooke and the potholes. I've not been beyond Sooke, so a loop thru PortRenfrew/Lake Cowichan would be great (uncharted territory..4 me)....my only concern is the road surface for the trike and BoB trailer.....

graybeard

Hi trikin, we have done this loop on our motorbikes a couple of times in the last two years, thats why I would like to try on a Touring bicycle...The road is all paved , with recycled ashalt, it is good but a bit rough...meaning it has not had the big roller packers to smooth it out....On a skinny tire bike with high pressure tires , it may be a bit vibrating, but our touring bikes are 26 inch wheel and have 1.5 inch wide tires on them...so, I think we are going to give it a whirl come better weather....We may cheat and get a shuttle ride to Sooke and then pedal the rest to Renfrew, Cowichan and down to Duncan...we would probably use the TCT off road trail to Duncan from Cowichan,..its good, .. Hopefully we could do on a long weekend...Thanx Bob

Relearning

Hello Greybeard, Have you now done the Sooke to Port Renfrew to Cow Lake ride? And is it in fact paved? I haven't been on those roads for for 25 years (by car) and they were rough back then. I'd like to know what they're like now and hear a bit about your trip. Did you see any wildlife? What kind of vehicle traffic did you find?
Thank you, Relearning