If Terry Fox can run across Canada on one leg, I can do it on a bike.

[ohmegatron]

I have a bike, two legs, a lot of empathy for indigenous people on turtle Island who don't have access to clean drinking water, and two destinations: I'm going to ride from Edmonton, Alberta to Parliament Hill, to request an audience with the prime minister and remind him that the treaties that give him power are still not fulfilled. My second destination is to L'anse Aux Meadows in Newfoundland, where my ancestors landed in a Viking longboat circa 1000 AD. I'll also be vlogging the whole thing on my dashcam (just a cheap 9 dollar version of the bodycams that cops wear) and hopefully that will catch enough steam to fundraise enough to build a pipeline for one reserve.

The farthest East I've ever been is North Battleford, Saskatchewan, and I don't know eastern Canada that much. I'd love to hear suggestions for routes, places to visit, friends to make, etc.

 

[ali]

I can't help you much on eastern Canada because when i did the same thing starting from BC i got to Manitoba and then turned south into the US to avoid fall/winter weather. On that, i recommend you start early to avoid having to cycle through the snow. I know some bike tourers don't mind to travel in the winter, but there is so much more gear you need to survive, for me that takes away from the fun of it, might be for you too.

On the other hand, there is a very slim window around Octoberish when a lot of the state and national park campsites close down for the winter but the weather is still okay - if you're on a bike you can get out to those places and camp for free in nice environs without being surrounded by holidaymakers. The only people i saw out there was hunters at that time of year. I think in some places you might officially need to still register a camping permit, up to you if you wanna do that, i never had any issues either way. People tend to take pity on solo bike tourers because they imagine us as intrepid adventurers instead of homeless bums.

Water filter is probably the best thing i can advise to take with if you are backcountry camping. In the prairies might seem it's hopeless because there is ag runoff everywhere but when you left the fields behind it's reassuring to know that once you find a creek you're at least not gonna die. The other useful piece of kit traveling during wildfire season is an N95 mask. Might seem like a luxury if you're traveling in a car but when you're cycling through the fires you'll be outside doing physical labor for a couple days with ash flying round, better to be protected. Hi-vis vest is also good not just for being seen on the roads but also for not getting shot by hunters.

Have fun!

 

[ohmegatron]

I'll keep that in mind. I don't anticipate I'll be going into America (I don't have a passport, and the current political climate is not favorable for my life) but nothing is certain until it happens, and new York and New Orleans are on my bucket list, so who knows.

Some more info that I forgot to put in the main post: I've done two long distance cycling trips, both Edmonton into Central BC, both on acoustic bikes. That was fifteen years ago, and I'm not as young and crazy as I was, but I also have an ebike and a lot better gear.

The ebike changes a lot of things. I have a 500 Watt motor (the legal limit in Canada: 501 W needs to be licensed and registered as a motorbike), and the average human can output about 200W from pedaling. My battery has a range of 50 km, so I'll expect 70 km per charge. I have a spare battery, but they're heavy, and the weight reduces the range of the others. It's a rocket fuel paradox.

I'm a year round cyclist, but I've never done winter riding while carrying my house on my back. I'm considering putting some gear in a package ready to ship, postage taped to the box, at a friend's place. I could just call them and ask them to send off "winter gear #1" or something.