The Making of a Cross Canada Route

[Deadly99]

Originally Posted by Dan Alexander

4 times a week for a month

You really did get beat up. Not going to be a fun month.

You haven't seen the physiotherapist

[Dan Alexander]

owww, I'm starting to feel some pains ... maybe I'll need a few sessions with her too

[tofire409]

Originally Posted by Deadly99

You haven't seen the physiotherapist

I remember the physiotherapy department (after my fistfight with a table saw) being hard work.... but full of caring professionals that were very lovely in many ways

[tofire409]

Originally Posted by Lav1200

I have found that no matter how hard I try to go, the average usually ends up around 50 kmh. Ride like a bat outta hell and shit happens, which negates the faster moving average with longer stopped periods to repair the damage. This was my experience on the GDR, TAT and other multi-day DS rides.

Thanks Lav1200 and gunnerbuck!

That's the info I needed. I can plan a road trip really well - done 2 trips so far that were fantastic - but google doesn't do arrival time well off road

[Rider23]

Originally Posted by Dan Alexander

owww, I'm starting to feel some pains ... maybe I'll need a few sessions with her too

Lets go riding Dan I can help you with that

[skibum69]

This was getting to Cartwright, I got a flat near Mary's Harbour and was out of time to make the boat so I was running the next 200+ Km's at over 100km/h which got me there in time to be the last public vehicle on the boat. Whew!


This was Lab City to Quebec City, 2/3 pavement in deer/moose country in the dark, a rear flat and a little nap at the last sand on pavement corner before the pavement started for good. Not pushing too hard, just a couple of minor mishaps and definite caution in 2 lane animal country


And this is pushing the arse burn averaging 15 over the speed limit (no speeding ticket tolerance) to get home on a day that the temperature never got above 10ºC, but I still had to do 5 lighthouse photo stops, 2 gas stops and one pee stop on the way


So from the four days I've posted you can compare how your speed changes in comparison to terrain and how much of a hurry you're in plus unforeseen complications.

Also don't forget people die on this road every year on bikes, a seasoned Harley Dealer owner was killed recently near Churchill Falls when he apparently was blinded in a dust cloud from a truck, clipped a cyclist and was tossed off the side of the road into a large rock.

[Dan Alexander]

Originally Posted by Rider23

Lets go riding Dan I can help you with that

Thanks for the offer to help

[kiffernathan]

Hi to all,

Back from the Manitoba TCAT exploration trip. It was awesome!!! While there is a bit more straight gravel road on the route than I would like, it is varied enough in terrain and views that I think people will enjoy it immensely, as I did. Besides, straight gravel roads are part of the prairie province experience. Already want to do it again.

Ride report is coming, but until I get time to finish assembling the photos here are a few tidbits about the trip to tide you over:
- riders: Chris and Russ
- bikes: Chris rode his 2007 KLR 650 and Russ was on his 2005 KLR 650
- total distance traveled = 2750 km (1709 mi)
- total km of boring divided highway ridden to get to the MB/ON border = 1020 (634 mi)
- total distance traveled on the TCAT (or exploring parts that didn't work out) = 1425 km (886 mi)
- new length of TCAT explored = 750 km (466 mi)
- approximate length of the Manitoba portion of the TCAT, border to border = 857 km (532 mi)
- number of hotel rooms available in Manitoba = somewhere near 0 - everywhere we went everything was booked
- number of flooded roads encountered = 11
- number of friendly people met in Manitoba = ??? (it must have been somewhere near 1,000,000)
- number of unfriendly people met in Manitoba = 0 (might have been negative, actually)
- most km in a day = 920 (572 mi) (the first day, which was all divided highway)

One pic of a trail in MB to wet your whistle...

[Deadly99]

Looking forward to hearing about Manitoba, it's been one of the last big blank sections on the TCAT. By your post it sounds like you had a successful exploration trip.......

[MANXMAN]

One of the roads that was closed that was on the possible routes for the TCAT has opened up again. The West Pavillion Road. I rode it the opposite direction that the TCAT will but you'll get the general idea about it from the pictures. Here are a few from along it this weekend.

The start of the road following the Fraser River





Looking back



The road climbs up to about 4150 ft and then goes back down to 1700 ft. to cross a creek and then right back up to 4150 ft again very quickly.



Looking back as I climbed up from the creek crossing.



Lots of curves and great views. In BC, it isn't that often that you can get such open views from gravel roads. This road was the exception to that rule.



Looking down on the Fraser River



Just before the descent towards the Big Bar Ferry. After this straight stretch, it gets real steep with lots of tight curves as you approach the ferry



The reaction ferry starting to come over to get me and take me to the east side of the river



The short ride across



Looking back from the east side. The last 3 kms of that road has always been sandy, but yesterday it was really bad. They had just graded it on Friday and the sand was between 6" to 12" deep the entire 3 kms.

This road is about 90 kms long to the ferry from the turn off. Between taking pictures and stopping to have a cup of tea (just because I'm out in the cuds is no reason to not be civilized) I spent 3 hours on it and never seen one person until the ferry operator.

[Deadly99]

I am absolutely blown away

[mdlak]

Incredible views! I'm riding through there for sure. ASAP...

[tofire409]

MORE PLEASE!!!

[Rode2Nowhere]

Holy Shite.

[Mox Nix]

....