BC Roads - What to ride, what to skip?

You underestimate me and my enjoyment of stupid miles on 2 wheels lol.
Lol, not at all. I was referring to how practical or realistic that idea was. I'm sure someone could ride for 24 hours, but is it plausible. I dunno if I want to be looking for gas knowing how everything closes much earlier outside of southern Ontario. Stuff like that. But hey all the power to you.
 
If I wanted to get from Edmonton to Calgary by way of Jasper, Vancouver and Banff, this is the way I'd go:

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Gets you Jasper, but instead of the busy run down the Coquihalla, you divert through Lillooet and come down via Whistler and the Sea-to-Sky. It'll be very twisty and rugged (with spectacular scenery and huge mountain vistas) from Lillooet down to Whistler, then busy but insanely scenic down into Vancouver on Hwy 99/Sea-to-Sky.

On the way back, you again dodge the Coq at Hope and instead stay south along the border, checking out the desert in Osoyoos. the farms through the interior, stopping at the hippie enclave of Nelson before heading up Hwy 95 to 93 and up to Banff. If Banff isn't a must-do (and unless you're stopping to do some day trips, it really isn't), I'd instead go east on 93 via Fernie and come into Calgary via the foothills and high praries to the south for a nice palate cleanser from the endless mountains.

These routes will still let you pile on miles, but will also offer better and more varied scenery with a lot fewer trailers to dodge. I know you like superslab, but a lot of the Trans-Can through BC isn't shut-your-brain-off multi-lane, it's single-lane with passing zones and needing to keep your head on a swivel for frustrated passers desperate to get around trucks and RV's dragging on uphills. Not dissimilar to the single-lane stretch of the Trans-Can between Thunder Bay and Sault-Ste-Marie, with limited visibility, hills and slopes making for long stretches with no passing.

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I totally agree with the above who suggest making time for Vancouver Island if possible, but you'd definitely need at least a couple of days to do it right. The ferries are totally fine, especially on a bike where you get placed at the front (in a car, reservations are near mandatory if it's a busy route, on a bike they're nice but rarely needed). This has a double benefit of being the first to disembark and get ahead of the traffic crush, but make sure you fill up before you board, or you'll watch the crush start to pass you at the gas station.

Vancouver Island is also a place better suited to exploring and taking your time, as the geography means the Island Highway (Hwy 19) up the east coast is the artery, with roads branching off west but usually to dead ends, meaning loops are hard to do. The route up the Sunshine Coast and to Powell River is also unbelievably spectacular (with the best twisty road in Canada along the way in my opinion), but there's only four sailings a day from Powell River across to the island at Comox, so timing can be complicated if you want to make it part of a loop over to the island.
 
Yup predictable reply, not the only consideration, good luck though.

I did 1600km in 16 hours in October and loved it on my new ride. I could have easily kept going.

On my very first Iron Butt I did around 1850km in just over 20 hours with a huge portion of it being the same roads I'd be taking heading out west, and we made a few stops that were way longer than necessary, but just a nicety.

Edmonton is around 3400km from my driveway, so that's two 1700km days if you split it evenly.

The key is keeping your stops tight. A lot of people destroy their average times by stopping for 20-30 minutes every hour or two. That adds up very fast. Most of my stops when I'm making miles are only a few minutes in length.

I'll probably do a 1500km on day 1 which will get me to the west side of Thunder Bay. I'd get to bed early, get up super early and do 2000km on day 2 - as the Saddlesore Bunburner 2000km in 24 hours ride has been an IBA ride I've been wanting to challenge for a while now, and I've now got the prerequisite rides necessary to be eligible for it.

Depart at 3AM on Saturday (I usually don't sleep well the night before a big trip, so heading to bed around 8pm I'll be up by 3 anyways) which puts most of my dark riding hours on slab, I'd be in bed outside Thunder Bay by 8PM. 6 hours sleep, back on the road at 2:30AM, 21 hours to Edmonton (2000km) with only 4 fuel stops needed, I should be rolling into Edmonton around 11:30PM Sunday.

Or I could just do 2 1700km days. Or I could make the first day the 2000km day. Ultimately, it's however I'm feeling it. But also ultimately, I'll be there in 2 days, or a little over.

If I wanted to get from Edmonton to Calgary by way of Jasper, Vancouver and Banff, this is the way I'd go:

View attachment 72642

Gets you Jasper, but instead of the busy run down the Coquihalla, you divert through Lillooet and come down via Whistler and the Sea-to-Sky. It'll be very twisty and rugged (with spectacular scenery and huge mountain vistas) from Lillooet down to Whistler, then busy but insanely scenic down into Vancouver on Hwy 99/Sea-to-Sky.

On the way back, you again dodge the Coq at Hope and instead stay south along the border, checking out the desert in Osoyoos......

Thanks, looks good. I just need to get the Ice fields parkway in there somehow as well - might just make a double back trip between Banff and Jasper on the last day, or maybe go 50% down and back up on the way out, and then 50% up and back down on the last day. I'll have to think about that.
 
Thanks, looks good. I just need to get the Ice fields parkway in there somehow as well - might just make a double back trip between Banff and Jasper on the last day, or maybe go 50% down and back up on the way out, and then 50% up and back down on the last day. I'll have to think about that.
Ah, if you want Ice Fields, then you could go as follows in Google Maps:

- Edmonton
- Jasper
- Lake Louise
- Lillooet
- Vancouver
- Nelson
- Calgary

Adds a bit to the previous route, but is much better than doubling back at the end. The above route really would be a 'best of' for the southern half of the Canadian Rockies and Coastal Range. Lots and lots of scenery, you'll be bored stiff of mountain vistas by the end...
 
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Lots and lots of scenery, you'll be bored stiff of mountain vistas by the end...
That's what happened to me on my xcountry solo trip....I was heading south to Banff from Jasper and suddenly ....I'd just had enough mountains. :unsure:
Instead headed east to Clinton and took the Northern TransCanada home. Gorgeous time of year in mid June - loads of ponds and small lakes with migrating birds.
Turned out well as I'd dodged a late June snowstorm on my previous planned route through Banff.
There were a couple cold mornings in single digits but no rain.

Will be excited to see read about that ride PrivatePilot (y)
 
Hwy 20 Sedro-Woolley to Winthrop
Hwy 31A New Denver to Kaslo
Hwy 12 Lytton to Lillooet
Green Lake Rd
Westside Rd
31A is a must
 
Thx, will add it to the list.

Still kinda half planning, half preparing to just go full YOLO and totally wing it with the exception of some basic "these roads are a must" goals, and beyond that, plan around available accomodations, planning only 24 hours out. Trying to nail down an exact firm schedule seems like it'll just put too many crimps on things - bad weather, can't sit it out if we've got a firm timeline of places to be and exactly when. See somewhere we'd like to stay for a day or 2? Can't.

Yeah, winging it means that our destination at the end of the day will end up being "wherever we could find a room", but we'll be staying outside the major touristy areas, so fingers crossed. Ultimately, our destination at the end of the day may be dictated on that, but that's OK with us. The only place I will probably book well ahead at is Vancouver island.

My back has become a thing unfortunately in the last bit, so that's a wildcard currently.
 
Looks like it's happening. NO plans, full YOLO, we'll go wherever we can find accommodations at the end of each day.

I'm still aiming to be in Edmonton in 2 days. Planning to try for multiple nested Iron Butt Association rides on the way there just for ***** and giggles:

- Saddlesore 2000km in 24 hours.

- Saddlesore 3000km in 48 hours.

And if I'm feeling really good racking the miles, I might shoot for a Bun Burner 2500K (2500km in less than 36 hours), and if I'm feeling really really good on day 1 and making good time, a Bun Burner Gold - 2500km in less than 24 hours, but that one is probably unlikely as I'm not sure it'll be physically possible given the likely average speed.

There will be a few other nested rides I could also certify as part of this (2 regular old Saddlesores) but I'll probably not bother and save the money for more duplicate papers of rides I already have.

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The trip home will be more subdued, but if my wife and I are done our BC adventure a few days in advance, I might drop her off in Edmonton a few days early and do a little side quest:

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I'll be able to say I've ridden to the Northwest Territories, and perhaps I'll get a hanger tour at Buffalo Airways. IYKYK.

Fingers crossed for good weather and lack of wildfire issues.
 
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