I am thinking of going east to west, (despite the winds going the other way apparently...) in late June. Aside from being fit, prepared etc would you recommend anything? I am going to take a tent and doing this on the absolute cheapest possible..
Also I have no idea what the climate is like, will it be really hot, or snowing? If I get over the rockies by August do you think it would still be pleasant to cycle through Alaska?
Saying I had balls of steel and I made it to the other side, (West) in two months do you think there would be time (instead of going through Alaska), to cycle across America to the East side or would it get very chilly?
Cheers!
PS not really looking for fitness advice, I'm young, naive, fit and healthy and a very keen cyclist...
Reply to this You will encounter all of the above so I would advise being prepared for all weather -- pack layers, rain gear and a good sleeping bag. It will be warm and sunny, cold and rainy, windy, dry and you will still probably encounter snow in June over the Rockies -- although if you hit the Rockies in July/August the snow will be at a minimum (nights can still drop to around freezing though). It probably won't be snowing, but there may still be snow on the ground. The direction of the winds will depend on where in North America you are -- you won't necessarily be riding into the wind going east-west.
It usually doesn't get really hot, at least not by my definition of really hot. Average summer temperatures range from 18 - 30C (around 60 - 85 F). Nights are cooler.
Even if you make it across the Rockies in August I don't think you'd have enough time to make it up to Alaska. You'll still have all of British Colombia to go and some smaller mountains (Cascades). Alaska's visitor season runs May - early September. It is warmer the further south you go, so if you decide to bike back across the U.S there is still nice, warm weather August-October, again it will vary by where exactly you are, but generally it doesn't start getting cold across most of the U.S until November (mountains aside).
Also, since you want to go camping, I would research the policy on dispersed camping on public lands. In the U.S you can camp for free in certain National Forests and BLM land -- Canada might have something similar through Parks Canada.
Reply to this Thank you.. I shall definatly pack some winter stuff as well. If you put a tent up by the side of a road, aside from an angry farmer, (do Canadians have these?), or police, (I think they have those?) asking me what I'm doing, do bears or any other animal I'd rather not get too close to, sniff around, eat the tent, (me?)?
Reply to this Well aside from police and angry farmers (they definitely have them in the U.S if you travel back that way!), I would say the risk of a wild animal eating your tent on the side of the road is about the same as a wild animal eating your tent in a National Park or other free camping site.
We did lots of remote camping throughout Canada and the U.S and had very few "wild" encounters. We did have a herd of buffalo/bison roam through the campground sniffing and rubbing up against our tent in the middle of the night in South Dakota, but other than that, we only heard wildlife howling in the distance (or maybe they were not so distant...I prefer to think of them as far away, however).
Food is really what attracts wildlife like that, so in areas where that sort of thing could occur, we kept our food out of the tent. You might consider getting a air-tight case or bear-bag that you can hang away from your tent in areas where they might be a problem. Coyotes, wolves....I wouldn't worry about those too much. Watch for mountain lions in some areas in the west, but roadways are probably too populated and trafficed for their taste anyways.
Reply to this I would say the risk of a wild animal eating your tent on the side of the road is about the same as a wild animal eating your tent in a National Park or other free camping site
I take it that means animals are everywhere not just in Parks. National Parks in England mean a few hills with sheep on, not even joking...
Well if there is no real danger then bam, I'm doing it. Cheers for the advice.
Reply to this You are adding at least 2 weeks to your time across the country by going East to West. Also, by starting in Newfoundland on the very east coast, by the time you get to Ontario you will be into a lot of hot weather with no tailwind. But if you want to be crazy about it, go ahead. There is a small biking community here in this province willing to lend a hand with anything you may need.
Brian
Reply to this Why is that? I heard that you get equal head winds / tailwinds. I have been to toronto briefly once, and it was bloody hot I think that was in July.
WOuld it be a better idea to cycle across America and then back across Canada, the thing is I want to make sure it won't be too cold on the return so I thought it would be safer to make the return leg the more southerly one.
Reply to this Prevailing weather systems in North America move from West to East. Yes, you may occasionally get easterly winds but for the most part here in the northern part of the continent, it's west to east. Starting in Victoria on Canada's west coast and heading for St. John's on the east coast is a bit more than 8000 km, 5000 miles in terms Americans know. If you're thinking of cycling across the continent twice in one summer, then you are totally mad. I don't know too much about cycling on American roads, etc, but if you want to cycle across Canada, then I suggest you fly you and your bike, etc to Victoria, BC, and head east. In the spring the weather there is better than here on the east coast and you can get a good start and tailwinds to get you through the Rockies. By the time you get through there you can sail across the prairies, etc.
If you start in eastern Canada in June, there's always a chance there will be cold weather and rotten cycling conditions. Ive been riding here in snow in July!
Reply to this The only thing is if I do it that way I will be on the wrong side of the continent when I want to go back home to England and I really hate planes, I know a pretty weak reason not to take your advice. Are you sure about the prevailing winds? from all the blogs etc I have read they say the winds are much higher than ground level and what happens low down is unpredictable on long term scale..
Am I really that mad? I have heard of people doing truly epic rides, ie around Australia or the like. I am tempted to buy a plane ticket now before people change my mind.. My earliest departure date is subject to my final exams at university around 20th of June.
I think I will have to take your advice Brian you seem in the know. Cheers!
Reply to this Well, don't just take my advice right off the bat. I am sure there are some websites around with more info on long-distance riding and conditions in Canada. I suspect if you contact bigger bike shops in Victoria or Vancouver or Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, etc, then you can find out more about conditions in those parts of the country. They will in all likelihood put you in touch with local trail associations, cycle clubs, etc which may give you a chance to ride routes that are more scenic, or have less motorised traffic, etc. Also, depending on your bike, you will be able to find out about spare parts and tools, etc. I don't know about bike manufacturers in the UK but you may have an issue with some parts in metric units vs. Imperial units....the inches vs. cm thing. Not a big deal until you need a critical part and the only way to get it is to have it shipped from England rather than pick it up on the cheap somewhere here when your bike breaks down. Again, local bike shops are your solution. I know of a couple here in Newfoundland that are great for service, etc but I don't know of any in Alberta, for example.
If you ride West to East to West then you end up in Seattle or San Francisco or Los Angeles in the USA or Vancouver or Victoria in Canada. There are direct flights to Heathrow from all those places. Possibly Gatwick or Manchester too. And of course if you finish on the east coast you can get back to England from Boston, New York, Washington, Atlanta, Miami, etc.
It appears you have a great deal of homework to do before you set out. Good luck!
Reply to this I own a Cannondale with 105 stuff all over it which I'm sure you can get everywhere. I think the more reckless you are with a trip like this the less stress you have before you go and it will only
up big time once more than if you organised down to a t. My theory remains to be proven, I hope it works cause I am getting very bored of talking to bike shops and reading blogs..
In case anyone ever searches this thread: I got in contact with Tour du Canada about whether they released their routes to the public; the answer is no, they are spoil sports. Reply to this You may have a point. Well, check the weather and cross your fingers and hope for the best. You know how to reach me if anything else crosses your mind. I'll be riding in this province once April rolls around....only another 100 days away......
Reply to this I spoke to a friend that has done this once on his own and once with his girlfriend and once with another friend. All three agree that West to East is the way to go as they did it twice west and once east.
Reply to this that sounds like a great journey your are planning. if you happen to go to niagara falls, ontario, let me know!
Reply to this A friend of mine did a similar bike trip, going from Montreal to Victoria, last summer. He discovered quite a few others doing it, although it is certainly more common west-to-east.
He was recommended a website called warm showers.com, or something to that effect, where other bikers offer their back yard to camp, or even a couch or spare bed to stay on.
I am not a biker, but I am nonetheless jealous of such an epic journey. Have fun!!
Reply to this There is also a group that does it together every year. When I get back from SEA, I'll try and find the name for you. A friend happened to mention that he met a guy that was looking into going w/ this group.
Reply to this Looked at the warm showers site; looks a sterling idea!
Reply to this I have made a resource site that is a guide for cycling across Canada. It is available at www.canadabybicycle.com and it is a 72 day itinerary. Please check it out I am trying to encourage cycle touring. Any links / tweets etc are appreciated.
Reply to this Cheers for all the advice. I completed this last year in 71 days. I met loads of fun people along the way, some advice; weather can be truly rubbish ANYWHERE, but on the majority was really hot and sunny. Don't use campsites they are so expensive! Canada has loads of lakes use them instead. It makes no odds which way you travel, in fact last summer if you were going east to west it was better as the wind was awful.
If I were to repeat this I would a) start in anchorage alaska b) get a train from calgary to at least winnipeg c) go up through remote quebec
Going to newfoundland is beautiful but time consuming and expensive.
good luck to anyone who reads this
Reply to this PS Best thing ever and would have no qualms repeating again if money and time permits...
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