Route Goofing .. question about cross continent route ..
 

I was goofing, looking at a map. A part of me wants to cycle across the
USA, east to west, next spring/summer.

I live about 65 miles northwest of Boston, MASS.

I have cycled to Montreal a couple of times .. so I got to looking. Would a
route that goes, S NH to Montreal and then
across the continent in Canada be a good one?

Is the cross Canada route north of Lake Superior?

Route Goofing .. question about cross continent route ..
 

Sir Thomas of Cannondale wrote:
I was goofing, looking at a map. A part of me wants to cycle across the
USA, east to west, next spring/summer.

I live about 65 miles northwest of Boston, MASS.

I have cycled to Montreal a couple of times .. so I got to looking. Would a
route that goes, S NH to Montreal and then
across the continent in Canada be a good one?

Is the cross Canada route north of Lake Superior?

Well, unless Wisconsin and Michigan have suddenly become Canadian
Provinces, the cross Canada route is north of Lake Superior.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
When did ignorance of biology become a "family value"?

Route Goofing .. question about cross continent route ..
 

I have cycled to Montreal a couple of times .. so I got to looking. Would a
route that goes, S NH to Montreal and then
across the continent in Canada be a good one?

There are a number of good routes, but that sounds reasonable. I
cycled the other direction across Canada ten years ago (http://
www.mvermeulen.com/canada). I started in Fairbanks, AK and came down
the Alaska Highway and then followed the Yellowhead Highway until it
joined Trans-Canada highway in Manitoba. Everything came to a single
route close to Kenora. I had six days of headwinds in the Prairies,
so the wind doesn't always blow from the west. Make sure to avoid
having all your cycling be on the trans-Canada, as that will bring you
through some more small out of the way places.

I also cycled across the Northern USA five years before that (starting
in Astoria Oregon, across Oregon/Washington/Idaho/Montana/North Dakota/
South Dakota/Minnesota/Wisconsin/Michigan/Ohio/Pennslvania/New York/
Vermont/New Hampshire/Maine). I also enjoyed that trip, though would
have a slight preference for my Canadian route over my northern USA
route.

Is the cross Canada route north of Lake Superior?

I believe there are (at least) two choices north of Lake Superior.
One goes immediately north of the lake. The other is a ways further
inland. I took the one just north of Lake Superior and it was a
better ride than I had been told. At the time I cycled Canada, the
direct road from Kenora to Thunderbay was a notorious "black spot", so
I went via Fort Francis instead.

--mev, Mike Vermeulen

Route Goofing .. question about cross continent route ..
 

I think I was trying to say ::: does the route follow along the shoreline?

I just looked on google.. a route 17/11 seems to be the only road .. or at
least the main road.

It follows the shore line ,, It seems.

======================
"Tom Sherman" wrote in message
...
Sir Thomas of Cannondale wrote:
I was goofing, looking at a map. A part of me wants to cycle across the
USA, east to west, next spring/summer.

I live about 65 miles northwest of Boston, MASS.

I have cycled to Montreal a couple of times .. so I got to looking.
Would a route that goes, S NH to Montreal and then
across the continent in Canada be a good one?

Is the cross Canada route north of Lake Superior?

Well, unless Wisconsin and Michigan have suddenly become Canadian
Provinces, the cross Canada route is north of Lake Superior.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
When did ignorance of biology become a "family value"?

Route Goofing .. question about cross continent route ..
 

On Oct 29, 1:28 am, wrote:
I have cycled to Montreal a couple of times .. so I got to looking. Would a
route that goes, S NH to Montreal and then
across the continent in Canada be a good one?

You won't go wrong listening to Mike Vermeulen - he's done it all!

As Mike points out, prevailing wind directions don't always prevail.
But on average, your odds of favorable winds are slightly improved
going west to east.

On my two Boston - Milwaukee trips, I took US 20 as far as Albany.
From there, RT 5/31 toward Niagara Falls is much less hilly than US
20. I have never biked Canada from Montreal to Niagara Falls so can't
make that comparison.

From Niagara Falls to Chicago, I went through Cleveland one time, and
through Canada to Detroit the other time. Neither is real great.
Canada is slightly better if you take side roads.

Crossing Lake Michigan etc, here are your options:

1. Through Chicago. Not as bad as it might seem. I've done it
several times. but there is a lot of urban riding.

2 Take the ferry from Muskegon to Milwaukee. I've not done that
though I live in Milwaukee

3. Take the ferry from Ludington to Manitowoc. A colleague has done
that and it's an OK way to go.

4. Go up the Lake Huron shore to the Mackinac Bridge, or via the
Canadian side to Sault Ste. Marie, and then take US 2 or MI 28 across
the Michigan Upper Peninsula. I've done both and one of these would
be my choice: good roads, light traffic, and just enough towns to
find the needed services.

5. Go over the top of Lake Superior. I've done this. It's a rugged
area with few towns, cold weather, quite a few medium hills, and a few
short stretches with unsatisfactory road width. I'm glad I did it but
wouldn't be in a hurry to do it again.


I took US 2 from Spokane WA, all the way to Brule, WI, and believe
that's an excellent route. I've not been through Canada in that area.

I'll try to send relevant portions of trip reports to illustrate these
points.