Biking Across Canada

[Greengiant]

Proud Canadian here, and I'm biking across Canada with a couple friends next summer or the one after! Does anyone have any advice? Personal experiences? Ideas for a better ride? If you do, please tell.

[Felixaar]

Neat! What kind of biking - motorcycle or pedal?

Hmm... as a fellow traveller, I'd say...

1. Take plenty of clean underwear.
2. Not everything goes right - in fact, little does. If you can't take a few screw-ups, stay home.
3. Check out Visitor's Centres everywhere for discounts at local stores.
4. Wear leather, in case of accidents.
5. HAVE FUN!!!

[Kneenibble]

My potential advice is only the really common sense stuff that you'll already know, like carrying water, tools, &c. The longest bike ride I've done was about 150 km with a friend, from a city to his family's cabin. - Winnipeg to a place near Grand Beach, if you know Manitoba at all.

We made the mistake of packing not nearly enough water and not bringing proper repair tools, and Murphy broke my bike and made us stop at someone's house to borrow a wrench. Other than that the ride was effing challenging, but fantastic.

Hey, if you need a place to stay in Winnipeg on the way, you are absolutely welcome to lodge free in my house. I'll feed you and everything.

[Boo]

Proud Canadian here, and I'm biking across Canada with a couple friends next summer or the one after! Does anyone have any advice? Personal experiences? Ideas for a better ride? If you do, please tell.

Judging by your avatar, I'd say you're not going on a Harley Davidson (or whatever it's called).

So anyway, when you're biking you should make sure to where bright clothing at night, if that wasn't obvious enough. As well, make sure to bring extra supplies in case of the unexpected.

...yeah, basically what Kneenibble said. Common sense stuff.

Oh, one thing that I would recommend that isn't always common sense is to make sure you bring a camera and as many batteries as you can carry (or money to buy some along the way). You want the memories to be immortalized, don't you? :smalltongue:

[Greengiant]

We are using conventional bicycles. Our route we have so far is detailed here (http://www.michellekyle.com/crosscanadacycling/route.html), but I'm not sure of the efficiency or quality of the route.

Do you know any good routes? What's the best accommodations, what should I do for food, and whatnot. I'm going with my D&D group in fact, along with some others. Our fighter is extremely good with bike repair, as he has been doing it all his life, so that shant be a problem, but that's all we have going for us.

Our ideal route would be from Victoria to St. Johns, the fastest way between. P.E.I is not necessary, as it is out of the way, though Nova Scotia is, for family visiting reasons, and the general experience of it.

Thanks for the invitation, Winnipeg-woman.

Edit: Gender confusion. :smallwink:

[Greengiant]

Judging by your avatar, I'd say you're not going on a Harley Davidson *snip*

Excuse me, fine sir, but that picture was before my extremely manly goatee was grown, Ithankyou. Also, thanks for the advice, haha.

[Boo]

Okay, now I'm just imagining ZZ top riding bicycles together.

What annoys me is that I'm in Powell River! Just a ferry's ride away!

Anyway, just look for bed'n'breakfasts since they tend to be cheaper than m/hotels (or at least in my experience). If you're on a schedule, try riding through the smaller places (take breaks every so often so you don't collapse, obviously).

Make sure to visit a bar in every major rest stop. :smalltongue:

[Greengiant]

Okay, now I'm just imagining ZZ top riding bicycles together.

What annoys me is that I'm in Powell River! Just a ferry's ride away!

Anyway, just look for bed'n'breakfasts since they tend to be cheaper than m/hotels (or at least in my experience). If you're on a schedule, try riding through the smaller places (take breaks every so often so you don't collapse, obviously).

Make sure to visit a bar in every major rest stop. :smalltongue:

First of all, where's Powell River, and what do you mean by that? Also, I may be old enough for a manly goatee, but not old enough to drink.:smallannoyed: lol

[Boo]

Powell River is at the top left, Victoria is just at the bottom beside the copyright text. (http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=&dirflg=r&date=09%2F03%2F07&time=00:28&ttype=dep&noexp=0&noal=0&sort=&tline=&ie=UTF8&ll=49.145784,-123.305054&spn=1.58106,3.537598&z=8)

Yeah, so it's about a four hour trip including the ferry from Comox. Powell River doesn't have any real roads leading to it, so it's basically required to take a ferry anywhere out of it.

And too bad about being too young.

[Erutaron]

I should get back to you with a brand name, but there is something i saw in the store yesterday you could use.

Dehydrated undies!

They come in little packages about 1x1x3 inches, and you soak them in water and they become fullsize.

They look really cool, and you could pack dozens....