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#1 |
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 8
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So, the ticket is bought, the bike is ready and I'm training as hard as I can (not true, but I'm training kinda hard). I'm not from Canada and have never been to B.C. I'm researching this area like mad but not finding a lot of trusty and inspiring travel logs to go on for the strech of road from Hope to Prince George.
Can anyone out there tell me what biking is like on this road? I hear it's beautiful but my friends from Canada have got me a little frightened. These people are not bikers and are giving opinions in smoke-filled bars while telling me I'm nuts to spend my vacation riding a bike all day, but still, they stress to me: these are not hills....these are MOUNTAINS. On a scale of 1-10 how might you rate this strech of road difficulty wise? I'm expecting huge hills and a lot of them. I'm not afraid of them, but would like to know what exactly I'm getting into. Have I mentioned this is my first tour? Thanks in advance. |
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#2 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: coquitlam
Posts: 2
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Hello
My name is Dave i have not traveled your route by bike but have traveled by car many times and it is pretty good for terrian. we don't have hills we have mountains. i have looked through all the travel guide and accomidation guides and there is some info missing but if i can help you with the searching please ask me i have lived here all of my life, i am an avid cycle tourist and have tour parts of the coast twice and plan on another one of the full coast in the spring. hope this was of some help and if i can help you any futher please ask thanks again dave Quote:
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#3 |
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 10
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The first thing that springs to mind is why Hope upwards? Im guessing that you are flying into Van and taking transit to avoid the traffic of the lower mainland. But anyway if its a big trip for you then I think you should sit on the greyhound (bike goes as cargo) for 12 hours and ride from Banff up to Jasper along the icefields parkway, do a search on the 'icefield parkway' and you will soon see why I suggest this.
Regarding the toughness of the climbs, in my experience (Calgary to Prince Rupert) its easy stuff, easy grades and infrequent at that. Certainly nothing like what you encounter in Europe, the canadians had the luxury of a whole continent to chose the flatest routes for thier roads, (with some exceptions). |
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#4 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Ashfield, Sydney
Posts: 553
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Hi rachelicious,
We rode from Vancouver,Whistler, Lilloet and Quesnel before heading across to Jasper, Banf and back to Vancouver via Okanagan and the Glacier National Park. Coming from Sydney which isn't the most bike friendly place in the world , BC was fantastic. The roads were good with shoulders. The people were incredibly courteous to cycle tourists with now dramas at all. The only thing in any way remotely negative is that there are a lot of pine trees We met so many friendly people there we had a ball. You will have a terrific time there. Yes there are a few long climbs but if you use a triple with some low gears you will be fine. The scenery is much more boring when its flat at any rate and you are prone to headwinds. Cheers Geoff |
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#5 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 102
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Quote:
Never done it on a bike - took the train through Prince George to Jasper and Kamloops. Its a beautiful part of the world. Great camping, watch out for bears though |
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#6 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Seattle and Boston
Posts: 31
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Here is some info I got on cycling BC from their department of Transportation. They also sent some pretty cute maps of cycle paths in Vancouver, and a very nice map for cycling out of Vancouver to get to Hope.
I did part of this a few years ago, coming from Seattle. I crossed the Cascades from Seattle and hit the Okanogen Valley up through Pentiction to Route 1. (You'd likely head over via Manning Provincial Park and connect in there). Route 1 through Revelstoke to Golden then through the Kicking Horse Canyon and into Yoho and Banff. It was awesome. Mostly wide-enough shoulders. Typical mountain stuff. I'd be glad to give you more details as I recall them via email. I've hitchhiked the route down from Prince George to Hope. I have to say Prince George is a shitty little town. It is very economically depressed/depressing. It is a mainly high desert, once you leave the beauty of the Fraiser Canyon. One of the most amazing roads I've ever been on is the road from Prince George to Prince Rupert. That is awesome. Don't forget to take a look at the expanding rail-to-trail network as well, if you're touring by moutainbike. You'll like BC. Good luck: Knox Gardner www.bikenerd.blogspot.com ****************************************** * OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES * Please contact the following organisations for information. Tourism British Columbia does NOT endorse any of these groups. Use at your own risk. CYCLING INFORMATION: Bike Racks on Public Transit: http://www.bccc.bc.ca/bikeracks.htm Bike Sense www.bikesense.bc.ca Bikeways Local Network: http://www.bikeways.com/menu.htm BC Bicycle TOURING Information: http://broughton.ca/bcakfaq.html http://www.gvcc.bc.ca/touring.htm www.adamk.ca (scroll down & click on Site Map & Search): http://www.users.bigpond.com/RandyMiller/yellowhead.htm http://www.theslowlane.com/paths/route.html BC Cycling Clubs: http://www.gvcc.bc.ca/links/clublinks.htm http://www.canadatrails.ca/biking/bk_clbc.html BC Cycling Coalition www.bccc.bc.ca BC Cycling - Canada Trail Guide: http://www.canadatrails.ca/biking/bike_bc.html BC Volkssport Assn. www.volkssportingbc.ca Cycling BC www.cycling.bc.ca Destination Highways http://www.destinationhighways.com/whatisdh.htm Grtr Victoria Cycling Coalition www.gvcc.bc.ca = click on top banner: touring, recreation, etc. Heritage (trails) Society of British Columbia: http://www.islandnet.com/~hsbc/trail_menu.htm Information for Cyclists on BC Roads: http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/bchighways/cycling/bicycle.htm Kettle Valley Trail: http://town.princeton.bc.ca/outdoor/kvr/kvr.htm www.planet.eon.net/~dan/kvr www.kvrbiketrailpassport.com http://www.bccc.bc.ca/kvr.htm Kettle Valley Trail Shuttle: http://www.kettlevalleytrail.com/KVshuttle.htm Long Distance Cycling Events www.randonneurs.bc.ca Midway to Castlegar Trail: http://www.kootenay.org/columbia_western.htm Mountain Biking: - Various BC Trails... http://www.mtbr.com/trails/Canada-BritishColumbia_name.html - Vancouver area www.nsmb.com www.gutsploder.net (click on "welcome") http://www3.telus.net/SORCE/ - Panorama (Invermere)... http://www.panoramaresort.com/summer/mtnbike/index.htm - South Vancouver Island www.simbs.com http://mttzouhalem.tripod.com/ - Sun Peaks Mountain Bike Park (N of Kamloops) - Top Bridge Mtn Bike Park (Chattell Rd, Parksville) - Whistler Mountain Bike Zone (Whistler) http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/bike/ www.worca.com Road descriptions (a website for motorcycles, however the information is useful for cyclists, too): www.destinationhighways.com Salt Spring Island Cycling Information: http://www.saltspringtoday.com/bicycling_information.htm The Trails Society of British Columbia www.trailsbc.ca TransCanada Trail www.bctrail.bc.ca http://www.sfu.ca/tct/tctpage/distances.htm Vancouver Cycling in the City info: http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/engsvcs/transport/cycling/routes.htm Vernon Cycling Trails http://www.vernonbc.com/vernon/cycling.htm West Coast Trail Water Taxi (website info is old, but the service remains) http://members.shaw.ca/berry5868/juanfuca.htm ======================================= SOME EXTRA INFORMATION... Aboriginal Tourism: www.atbc.bc.ca Alpine Club of Canada: www.alpineclubofcanada.ca Avalanche Information: www.trailpeak.com Bear Awareness: www.bearsmart.com BC Ferries: www.bcferries.com BC Ferries (camp stoves, etc.) http://www.bcferries.com/travel_planning/dangerous_cargo.html BC Forests: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/rec/rec.htm http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/rec/sites/ BC Historic Sites: www.heritage.gov.bc.ca BC Provincial Parks (no hook-ups): www.bcparks.ca Park Finder http://wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/regions.htm Map Campfire Bans/Forest Fires: www.for.gov.bc.ca/protect Canada Customs: www.canadainternational.gc.ca Cougar Awareness: http://wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/kidspage/kidscoug.htm Discover Camping (no hook-ups): www.discovercamping.ca GST Rebate for Non-Canadians--Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/tax/nonresidents/visitors/vrpqa-e.html Hypothermia - Treating It: http://www.hypothermia.org/hypothermia.htm Inland Ferries: http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/bchighways/inlandferryschedule/Ferries.htm Lillooet: lillmuseum@lillonet.ca MAPS-BC Road and Parks: www.davenportmaps.com MAPS-Coastal BC: www.coastalwatersrec.com MAPS-Forest Recreation: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/rec/mapq&a.htm http://shop.itmb.com/merchant.ihtml?id=1238&step=2 MAPS-General & Specialised: www.canmap.com www.itmb.com http://www.omnimap.com/catalog/int/canada3.htm MAPS-Land Data Information: www.landdata.gov.bc.ca MAPS-Motorcycle Touring: www.destinationhighways.com MAPS-Nautical: www.crownpub.bc.ca MAPS-Off-Road (see Maps-Forest Recreation) MAPS-Outdoor Recreation: http://shop.itmb.com/merchant.ihtml?id=849&step=2 MAPS-Road: http://shop.itmb.com/merchant.ihtml?id=574&step=2 www.davenportmaps.com MAPS-Topographical: www.crownpub.bc.ca http://maps.nrcan.gc.ca/ www.itmb.com Mountain Guides: www.acmg.ca National Historic Parks and National Parks: www.parkscanada.gc.ca (click on the centre photographs) http://www.pc.gc.ca/docs/v-g/guidem-mguide/index_E.asp Outdoor Tips (general): http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pathtoadventure/handbook/expedition/expedi tion1.html Outdoor Trails & Information for Outdoor Activities: www.trailpeak.com Public Transit (entire province): www.transitbc.com RV & Road questions: http://www.icbc.com/FAQs/faqs.html Road questions/reports: www.gov.bc.ca/tran Rocky Mountain Books: www.rmbooks.com Safety In The Outdoors Page 3-9 = some old & some new advice (all smart): http://www.ocipep.gc.ca/info_pro/self_help_ad/pdfs/woods_e.pdf http://www.pep.bc.ca/hazard_preparedness/Trip_Plan.pdf http://www.pep.bc.ca/hazard_preparedness/outdoor.pdf http://wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/kidspage/kidssafe.htm Search & Rescue website: www.sarinfo.bc.ca Vancouver Airporter Shuttle: www.yvrairporter.com Vancouver area Attractions: http://www.findfamilyfun.com/mainarea.htm Weather - Driving conditions: www.weatheroffice.pyr.ec.gc.ca/icbctravelalert http://www.ocipep.gc.ca/info_pro/self_help_ad/pdfs/winterdriv_e.pdf Weather (look for BC): www.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca Average Climate: http://www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/climate_normals/index_e.html ===================================== Alaska Marine Highway System: www.alaska.gov/ferry US Customs: www.customs.gov ===================================== ALBERTA Tourism: www.travelalberta.com YUKON Tourism: www.touryukon.com ===================================== |
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