Road trip across Canada: bike versus car?
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Not if you skip the KFC and MickeyDs.
Cranky Pete
Well-known member
Sure, but then the whole trip is a blur. What's the point? And if you plan your trip around that daily mileage, it doesn't leave you a lot of wiggle room. Lose a day because of illness, bad weather, or mechanical issues and you'll need to up your mileage to 900 or 1000 km a day to make it home on time.
Have fun with that.
It depends alot on the person and what they expect. No person is similar. Circumstances also dictates how they tour.
For instance, if I want to get to a particular location and skip the boring part, I don't mind doing 1000km/day. When I get to the particular location, I spend longer there and enjoy it more.
That is why I would never tour with a stranger, can find lots of clashes & end up wasting your time.
I do 800km/dy and yes, I'm having fun with that
Wheelieboy
Well-known member
When I did my cross country trip, I averaged 750km/day, 12 000kms in 16 days...I didnt necessarily do 750km every single day, some days I did 300kms, and there was one day I did 1300kms (to pass the boring parts). And I had a good experience overall...except that 1300km day...
I've done a trip across Canada, down the west coast to LA, then back through Utah and Colorado in my younger years (on a Ninja 750 - about as comfy as a sport-touring bike nowadays). We averaged around 500 km/day and the most was around 1000 km, in the last couple of days to get home.
edit: We did around 19,000 km in 35 days.
edit: We did around 19,000 km in 35 days.
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Best part of a bike trip is stopping at nice scenery. Pull gloves, helmet and ear plugs. Stretch legs. Sit on guard rail and smoke cigarette. Heaven.
You won't get that on a car trip.
200km give or take in the morning, repeat in afternoon. Back roads only except first day getting out of town.
You won't get that on a car trip.
200km give or take in the morning, repeat in afternoon. Back roads only except first day getting out of town.
We ended up pushing to 1500km on the second day of our trip. We even stopped in St Louis for about 2 hours and a few stops to eat and rest. It was not "fun" but it did give us an extra insurance day for California/the trip back. It is possible to do long days but i would never again plan to do multiple long days in a row.
Alamode
Well-known member
Gettin' fired?
BeastieGirl
Well-known member
Ha ha - exactly. I have four weeks, but firm policy is that we can take a maximum of two consecutive weeks and I have to have my vacation scheduled finalized and posted by the end of February. This leaves little room for spontaneity. And if I don't show back up at my official restart date, I better show up in a body cast when I do
So though 750 km's a day is probably my idea of a perfect riding schedule, to get where i want to go can mean a few 1,000 + days - usually on the way out. It's also why I go to the Rockies in Colorado rather than the Canadian Rockies - I can get to Golden in 2 1/2 days!
Better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission.
A few years ago, we took off to Europe for a riding vacation. For 32 days. I had told my boss when I was leaving for vacation, but purposely didn't tell him when we were coming back. About 2 1/2 weeks into our trip, I got an angry e-mail, "Where the F%$& are you!!?!".
I knew what the answer would've been if I had asked for over a month off for vacation (even though I had the time saved up). After that, company policy changed and we were to put in writing when our start and end dates were for our vacations...
A few years ago, we took off to Europe for a riding vacation. For 32 days. I had told my boss when I was leaving for vacation, but purposely didn't tell him when we were coming back. About 2 1/2 weeks into our trip, I got an angry e-mail, "Where the F%$& are you!!?!".
I knew what the answer would've been if I had asked for over a month off for vacation (even though I had the time saved up). After that, company policy changed and we were to put in writing when our start and end dates were for our vacations...
I would never advocate for lying, honest, but stuff happens. Embellish the truth if need be. If the company can't bend to that a little, I'd ask myself some questions.
So u caused the company to rewrite their policy?
You must be quite famous there
For all the wrong reasons...
Company policy was rewritten many times while I was there. The car rental rules never explicitly stipulated that you couldn't rent a Jaguar while on business travel. Now they do...
Bean counters had a little party when I quit.
The worst that can happen is my customers can't get anyone to come fix their stuff and start to call someone else. Then i would not be able to afford to go on the next vacation.
31Smokinjoe
Well-known member
This reminds me of the time my supervisor went for a bike trip to California and called the day before he was due back and said he would be a week late 
I can see the problem if you provide same day/emergency service. Do they even have vacations in those sectors?
This reminds me of the time my supervisor went for a bike trip to California and called the day before he was due back and said he would be a week late
I bet there's a funny story.
Vacations exist, but only when planned months ahead of time and that there are significant backups in place, to cover for you while you're away.
Otherwise, as my boss once said to me "Take as long as you want, but if you're not back by that Monday, stay on vacation. There won't be a job to come back to anyway".
