Bicycling in New Brunswick/Nova Scotia

Hi everyone,

I'm curious to find someone (or someones) who have bike through the
northwest part of Nova Scotia (Yarthmouth to Halifax along the
Evageline Trail) as well as Truro to Brooklyn, down to Halifax and/or
the Fundy/Shediac/Cap Pelee/Sackville areas of New Brunswick.
Basically, I'm trying to find out what highways to stay off of for my
trip this summer.

"MsMittens" wrote in message
om...
Hi everyone,

I'm curious to find someone (or someones) who have bike through the
northwest part of Nova Scotia (Yarthmouth to Halifax along the
Evageline Trail) as well as Truro to Brooklyn, down to Halifax and/or
the Fundy/Shediac/Cap Pelee/Sackville areas of New Brunswick.
Basically, I'm trying to find out what highways to stay off of for my
trip this summer.

http://www.atlanticcanadacycling.com/novascotia/ lots of info on all
atlantic provinces
http://www.bicycle.ns.ca/ look for "touring info" at the bottom, it is
limited

"johnson.." wrote in message
...

"MsMittens" wrote in message
om...
Hi everyone,

I'm curious to find someone (or someones) who have bike through the
northwest part of Nova Scotia (Yarthmouth to Halifax along the
Evageline Trail) as well as Truro to Brooklyn, down to Halifax and/or
the Fundy/Shediac/Cap Pelee/Sackville areas of New Brunswick.
Basically, I'm trying to find out what highways to stay off of for my
trip this summer.

http://www.atlanticcanadacycling.com/novascotia/ lots of info on all
atlantic provinces
http://www.bicycle.ns.ca/ look for "touring info" at the bottom, it is
limited

By the by i'm in halifax if you need some local info.

"johnson.." wrote in message ...
"johnson.." wrote in message
...

"MsMittens" wrote in message
om...
Hi everyone,

I'm curious to find someone (or someones) who have bike through the
northwest part of Nova Scotia (Yarthmouth to Halifax along the
Evageline Trail) as well as Truro to Brooklyn, down to Halifax and/or
the Fundy/Shediac/Cap Pelee/Sackville areas of New Brunswick.
Basically, I'm trying to find out what highways to stay off of for my
trip this summer.

http://www.atlanticcanadacycling.com/novascotia/ lots of info on all
atlantic provinces
http://www.bicycle.ns.ca/ look for "touring info" at the bottom, it is
limited

By the by i'm in halifax if you need some local info.

Thanks for the offer but I have an aunt that lives in Halifax that
I'll be visiting . And I did purchase the book from Atlantic Canada
Cycling. What I'm more curious about is the traffic flow and how much
has it changed. Many people have mentioned it's not that much but
their experiences have been from 8-10 years ago.

How big are the shoulders on the 1, 2 and Trans Canada? Is there a lot
of traffic (I remember the Cabot Trail being not too bad 10 years ago
but having a few RVs on it).

"MsMittens" wrote in message
om...
"johnson.." wrote in message
...
"johnson.." wrote in message
...

"MsMittens" wrote in message
om...
Hi everyone,

I'm curious to find someone (or someones) who have bike through the
northwest part of Nova Scotia (Yarthmouth to Halifax along the
Evageline Trail) as well as Truro to Brooklyn, down to Halifax
and/or
the Fundy/Shediac/Cap Pelee/Sackville areas of New Brunswick.
Basically, I'm trying to find out what highways to stay off of for
my
trip this summer.

http://www.atlanticcanadacycling.com/novascotia/ lots of info on all
atlantic provinces
http://www.bicycle.ns.ca/ look for "touring info" at the bottom, it is
limited

By the by i'm in halifax if you need some local info.

Thanks for the offer but I have an aunt that lives in Halifax that
I'll be visiting . And I did purchase the book from Atlantic Canada
Cycling. What I'm more curious about is the traffic flow and how much
has it changed. Many people have mentioned it's not that much but
their experiences have been from 8-10 years ago.

How big are the shoulders on the 1, 2 and Trans Canada? Is there a lot
of traffic (I remember the Cabot Trail being not too bad 10 years ago
but having a few RVs on it).

I was riding to the airport on a sunday on the 102 about 3 years ago and the
traffic was pretty much bumper to bumper at 100kph. I remember a cop car
with sirens and lights on and cars right in front of the cop not having
anywhere to go.

Shoulders on the 101 and 102 are at least 2 feet wide.

I much prefer the #1 and #2, the shoulders aren't as wide but the roads are
flatter and the traffic is lighter and it is a much quieter.

I don't think I have ever been on the trans canada on a bike.

I was riding to the airport on a sunday on the 102 about 3 years ago and the
traffic was pretty much bumper to bumper at 100kph. I remember a cop car
with sirens and lights on and cars right in front of the cop not having
anywhere to go.

Shoulders on the 101 and 102 are at least 2 feet wide.

I much prefer the #1 and #2, the shoulders aren't as wide but the roads are
flatter and the traffic is lighter and it is a much quieter.

I don't think I have ever been on the trans canada on a bike.

Hrmm.. that helps a lot, specifically when I do Smiley's Park to
Halifax, which will probably be better on the 1 and 2 as I head to my
aunt's place. Ok. So I'm less worried now. After riding on Highway 2
in Ontario (fairly well travelled with 18 wheelers at times -- why
they don't use the 401 I don't know) it'll be nice to be in an area
with less traffic.

Thanks.

"MsMittens" wrote in message
om...
I was riding to the airport on a sunday on the 102 about 3 years ago and
the
traffic was pretty much bumper to bumper at 100kph. I remember a cop car
with sirens and lights on and cars right in front of the cop not having
anywhere to go.

Shoulders on the 101 and 102 are at least 2 feet wide.

I much prefer the #1 and #2, the shoulders aren't as wide but the roads
are
flatter and the traffic is lighter and it is a much quieter.

I don't think I have ever been on the trans canada on a bike.

Hrmm.. that helps a lot, specifically when I do Smiley's Park to
Halifax, which will probably be better on the 1 and 2 as I head to my
aunt's place. Ok. So I'm less worried now. After riding on Highway 2
in Ontario (fairly well travelled with 18 wheelers at times -- why
they don't use the 401 I don't know) it'll be nice to be in an area
with less traffic.

Thanks.

You are very welcome.

I've been on the #1 quite a few times. The 101 has these long gradual hills
that are very tiring but the #1 has low rollers that are fun if you stay on
top of the gear. You will be much better off riding the #1

Have a good trip.

If you are looking for folks to ride with, the Velo Halifax Bicycle Club
will welcome you with open arms. You can ride a few times before joining but
of course you don't have to join.

http://www.velohalifax.ca/

Scott

"MsMittens" wrote in message
om...
Hi everyone,

I'm curious to find someone (or someones) who have bike through the
northwest part of Nova Scotia (Yarthmouth to Halifax along the
Evageline Trail) as well as Truro to Brooklyn, down to Halifax and/or
the Fundy/Shediac/Cap Pelee/Sackville areas of New Brunswick.
Basically, I'm trying to find out what highways to stay off of for my
trip this summer.

Someone is posting a travelogue about a recent trip to this area over in
rec.bicycle.misc.
Look for this subject heading:
a cycle-ogical travel-osophy

On 23 Jul 2004, MsMittens wrote:

Hi everyone,

I'm curious to find someone (or someones) who have bike through the
northwest part of Nova Scotia (Yarmouth to Halifax along the
Evangeline Trail) as well as Truro to Brooklyn, down to Halifax and/or
the Fundy/Shediac/Cap Pelee/Sackville areas of New Brunswick.
Basically, I'm trying to find out what highways to stay off of for my
trip this summer.

I live on the Evangeline Trail route (just outside of Wolfville).
I lived and cycled in the Halifax area until about 6 years ago.
Keep in mind that what seems like a busy road to me, may seem like
a quiet country road to cyclists from Toronto :-)

Hwy 1 from about Middleton (or even Bridgetown) to Wolfville is very
busy. You can ride either on Rt 221 (north) or 201 (south side) on most
of this section.

East of Wolfville Rt 1 is rather quiet until around the
Halifax Co line and still OK until around Middle Sackville.

Getting into Halifax-Dartmouth can be a pain. The Bedford Highway
(combined Rt 1&2) (western shore of Bedford Basin) was very bad (maybe
there is a wider shoulder now??). Usually I was going to the Dartmouth
side so I turned off Rt 1 at Middle Sackville, to Beaverbank Rd, to
Windsor Junction, to Waverley, then Rt 318 into Dartmouth.
Going to the Halifax side I would turn off Rt 1 onto Lucasville Rd,
then Hammonds Plain Rd (rt 213), then Kearney Lake Rd, then Dunbrack St

BTW There's a nice back way out of Smiley's Park (4 km from Brooklyn)
back to Rt 1 if going going towards Halifax. At the park entrance
turn right across the Meander bridge, then left onto McKay Rd, then Right
towards Greenfield. Then back to Rt 1 via either Ardoise or
Hillsvale-Lakelands

The really big improvemnt in cycling in Halifax-Dartmouth since I left
is the bike lane acroos the McDonald Bridge!

From Halifax to Truro Rt 318 (to Waverley), then Rt 2 was quite good,
although the city has now spread out to Elmsdale.

Sections of the Trans Canada Highway had been re-routed in the last few
years and the old TCH (now called Rt 4) has very little traffic now.
(So little that most of the stores along it have closed!)
Examples are the sections Truro to New Glasgow and Glenholm to Wentworth.

I've biked a bit in the Sackville, Shediac, Fundy areas. I might be cycling
through there a week from now on my way back from the ACBR in western PEI.
Hmm, I want to be at the ACBR Friday evening so I'll have to leave here
early Wed morning :-)

Local hints (Wolfville area). The Melanson Bridge (Gaspereau River) has
been closed to cars for several months but it is still possible to cycle
across it. This is the easiest road (Maple Ave) from Wolfville to the
Gaspereau Valley (vineyard capital of NS) and thence to Avonport. Also,
the convenience store in Gaspereau village has finally re-opened, and
next door to that, Gaspereau Wineries has just opened up a shop.


For some more route info see:
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/dermott/nstour/intro.html

(** ACBR = Atlantic Canada Bicycle Rally, July 31- Aug 2)

--

David Dermott , Wolfville Ridge, Nova Scotia, Canada
email:
WWW pages: http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/dermott/

Hi:

Last summer I rode from Moncton to Fundy Park for a couple of overnighters.
Took the road that goes along the Petticodiac River through
Riverview/Hillsborough/Riverside-Albert. Beautiful riding to my mind!
There's a big climb as soon as you enter the park to get to the Chignecto
North campsite but otherwise the route is not hard. Left Moncton Saturday
and returned Sunday; traffic was light both ways and the pavement was good
except for about 4 Km near Shepody/Riverside-Albert where they were
resurfacing the asphalt.

If you go, I highly recommend the cinnamon buns with cream cheese icing at
the bakery in Hillsborough! Have fun!

MsMittens wrote in message ...
Hi everyone,

I'm curious to find someone (or someones) who have bike through ...
the Fundy/Shediac/Cap Pelee/Sackville areas of New Brunswick.
Basically, I'm trying to find out what highways to stay off of for my
trip this summer.