1

Your best bet is to use where possible the routes. They are chosen by cyclists for cyclists and their maps are excellent for pointing you to camping sites, bike friendly stops, etc. You'll also find businesses like motels, etc., are quite bike friendly along those routes. Its also worth using Googlemaps 'bike' option for finding routes, its supposed to work pretty well in the States.

2

hm, for some reason, the link wouldn't post up there. I did write 'Your best bet is to use where possible the Adventure Cycling Associations's routes. The link is here: http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/RouteNetwork.pdf

3

You are going the wrong direction unless you are a headwind fan .

4

Oh noes. Is that true, I heard about the wind tend to blow from west to east. But others seems to say more common it's cross wind (north to south).

5

Vins ong- people have done it in either direction but most do it west to east. I know I did.

Fly into Vancouver, spend a couple of days in a truly great city, and then cycle towards the Rockies. Both B.C.and Alberta have fantastic highways with very generous paved shoulder. cycle into the Rockies and get to Lake Louise and then head up the Icefiield Parkway for one of my favourite bike rides. Make use of the hostels spaced very generously all the way up the Parkway to Jasper and then head for Edmonton. Then either head down for Calgary and then further south to Fort McLeod before turning east towards Lethbridge and Saskatchewan on the Red Coat Trail, a quiter stretch of road than the Trans Canada, which you'd be better off avoiding when possible (which isn't always!).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Coat_Trail

Or you can continue east from Edmonton on the equally famous Yellowhead Highweay all the way to Winnipeg.

Do make use of the Google map feature which allows you to specify bicycle route after you enter the various points in your trip. It is pretty reliable.


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Have fun planning your trip and even more doing it! Almost 6000 km. BTW it might be wise to bring a lightweight tent and sleeping bag; you'll find motels but expect to pay at least $50 or 60 CDN a night. Rough camping is sometimes possible and there are campgrounds on the way. The hostels will be of use through B.C. and Alberta.

6

The route that you propose is very attractive to me.

The only concern personally is my target of completing the trip in 70 days.

7

vinsong, given the almost epic nature of your ride, no one would notice if, let's say, you only got to Chicago or Niagara Falls or Toronto and then took a bus back to wherever you had to catch your flight back to the U.K. You could always return to do the rest some other time if you are a Type A completist!

To shorten the trip an all-USA route might be the way to go- the continent definitely slims down as you move from north to south so doing a ride from LA to NY- maybe along the fabled Route 66 if it isn't too dangerous in terms of traffic- might be the way to go. You would be dealing with significantly more traffic if you chose the US option- ten times as many people in a smaller area during prime time vacation travel.

Ah, choices, choices!