View Single Post
Old 01-18-25 | 11:29 PM
  #16  
GamblerGORD53
Senior Member
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,965
Likes: 520
From: Elevation 666m Edmonton Canada

Bikes: 2013 Custom SA5w / Rohloff Tourster

I would find a ride that isn't half CORN and dead towns in the middle and BORING muddy gravel rail trails in the eastern half. But then I do zero tenting, only motels or layovers with relatives. I never tried warmshowers. I never cooked either. I know, money you don't have likely.
Check out the many YT tour videos, like British 60+ guy> Matt Ryder adventures. He got so p!ssed off at dangerous narrow highways in Idaho, he veered off the official route after Yellowstone. After Illinois it was so pathetic with rain and gravel that I quit watching. The other tiers are no less dangerous, as in Montana hwy 20. He had better luck doing the GDMBR starting in Calgary, now he's off to NZ.

>> So IMO Stay in the NW mountains and along the coast. I did a 98 days/ 3,900 miles loop with ZERO days that were dreary or regrettable. Also zero buggy days either and only 6 days with much rain, way more too hot days. I do have the very oddball liking for going thru big cities as well with parks and museums. I did have a bunch of stupid smoky sky days.
From Edmonton Canada on May 18, 2018. > I went to Calgary, Banff, Golden, Revelstoke, south at Sicamous to Penticton, to Vancouver and the island 11 days, Seattle, Olympia, to the ocean by Astoria and Seaside, Portland, Hood River, Kennewick, north to Spokane and Idaho, then back up to BC hwy 3 and Calgary.
Jasper to Banff was actually better to include, then a horrible forest fire ruined the Jasper end. I can say I had near zero dangerous miles, most with a decent shoulder. Interstates don't bother me at all. My overall route was fairly set, but along the way I picked the next days destination mostly in 9 to 4:30 time. Got a motel and supper, then puttered around the town a while. Laundry after 6 or 7 days.

For the OP, It's really better to just see who you find along the way. There's lots going the way I did in BC. Easy to find if you camp like 90+ % do. If you did my first half, maybe then keep going south to San Francisco or Reno and fly home. There's a lot of hard miles if going on to Salt Lake, the next big airport.

I also drove my car and bike 2 months the year after, all the way to Halifax and back thru 22 states.
There's a couple from Ottawa that biked the whole country in 2024. They had a miserable wet time in NB and Nova Scotia that didn't even have paved shoulders on freeways. NO such nonsense in Alberta.
So I know there's plenty poor riding in eastern Canada as well.

A couple times I tried riding with guys, didn't last an hour they couldn't even keep up at 11 mph. LOL.

Last edited by GamblerGORD53; 01-19-25 at 10:56 AM.
GamblerGORD53 is offline  
Reply