Hey!
My friend and I are planning to bike across Canada east to west (yes I know it's a bad idea to go that way but unfortunately it cant be helped) in September/October. Does anyone have any advice for us, from gear to places to see/things to do or not do? We plan to start on PEI and bus it from Winnipeg to Edmonton, but apart from that it's bikes!
Help!
Thanks!
Kaylee
kaylee
1
friedel
Will that be enough time? How many kms are you planning to cover in how many weeks? Just two months to cross the country seems like not quite enough to me, although perhaps with the bus section you'll be okay. You will have to count on good weather though. We did Montreal - Sackville (NB) last September and the weather was great, but if you hit a rainy patch you could be in for some cold and wet days.
As for specific tips, avoid the rail trail in most of NB, but do pick up the trail in Edmunston that takes you into Quebec. It is over 100km of biking heaven (although you will have to put up with rough patches on the NB side).
2
birvine
It can be fairly cool ( ie really cold) at that time of year. There can be snow in places.
B Irvine
Cochrane, ON CANADA
3
tailwind
With the predominant headwind, a cold rain in Northern Ontario can be downright nasty on the bike in October. Brrrrr!
4
maenad
I've never down that route, but have a look at the distances through Ontario. Ontario's a different "shape" from the prairie provinces but it's a long, long way. Remember Terry Fox noting that his half-way point was roughly Thunder Bay?
Consider breaking up your bussing section into a couple of spots - ie bus 1000 km through Ontario-Manitoba, and then do a couple of days on the prairies just to feel as if you've seen it, and then jump another bus for a few thousand km through Sask/Manitoba to Edmonton.
I don't know when the snow starts in the Rockies, but I had to cancel my Vancouver-Calgary trip in June because there was still snow on the highway.
5
tailwind
it may actually be cheaper for you, and definitely save you weeks of time, and be more pleasant, if you take a bus or train from PEI to Winnipeg, cycle from Winnipeg to PEI, then take the same bus or train again, from PEI to Winnipeg. I know it sounds a bit silly, but when you do the math on time saved (I would estimate 2 weeks), and, consequently, $$ saved, you might agree with me that riding with the wind saves you time and money overall, even including the additional transportation fares.
Pro tip
Lonely Planet
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