Which way you going Billy?

Approximately 2,500 km's and only about half way across!

I don't know which way Billy went but this is our very rough estimate of our route from Nanaimo to Winnipeg. We have many choices on this first part of the journey heading east. Perhaps too many choices especially when the focus isn't on planning for the shortest or fastest route. How do you decide? Flattest? Least amount of traffic? Good shoulders? Available amenities? Beautiful scenery? These are all factors we will take into consideration. It's quite possible we will get as far as Port Hardy and go- What the *@#! were we thinking!

It is more likely that we will stop the tour in Winnipeg and then plan to ride the second half from Winnipeg to Newfoundland the following spring or fall of 2023. Who knows - we don't want to rush it but rather we want to enjoy all the in-between bits while under no pressure to put in the kilometers. The joys of being retired.

I would like to include maps but have never used ride with gps. Today we went for a short ride in Merida so I could try out the app and practice adding a map to cycleblaze. It was all pretty easy. I like to use komoot to plan my routes and Rob has a Garmin for navigation. Maybe someone can tell me if you can transfer rides from Garmin to ride with gps or do I have to record the ride through the ride with gps app?

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With just over a 100 days before departure, we have lots of time to get our stuff organized. We fly home from Merida February 11, back to snow I am sure, and the real organizing will start then. But first thing we have to deal with is insurance as Rob's motorcycle was set on fire in our under garage parking while we have been away. Pointless vandalism.

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Kathleen JonesI look forward to this ride and to your planning. I need the vicarious thrill.

You can upload your garmin tracks (and routes, I suppose) into RideWithGPS without having to use the RWGPS app. In the desktop browser for ridewithgps.com, near the top left you’ll see Jump To. Click on that and you’ll see Upload as an option in the drop-down menu. I say this as someone who uses the RWGPS phone app instead of a Garmin just now, but the interface looks pretty straightforward to me. Others with direct experience will likely chime in.
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2 years ago

Leslie and Rob CookeTo Kathleen JonesThank you Kathleen ~ I will check that out. Do you like ridewithgps for planning a route?
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2 years ago

Bob DistelbergI can confirm that you can upload just as Kathleen says. You can also connect your ridewithgps account to your garmin account so any rides that you record with your garmin will automatically sync with ridewithgps. On the ridewithgps website, click on the top right and then click on the ‘settings’ link. From there, click on connected services on the left. You’ll then see an option to connect to garmin. Enter your garmin username and password and you’re all set. Any rides you record will automatically sync. I think any routes you create on ridewithgps will also sync back to garmin.
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2 years ago

Kathleen JonesTo Leslie and Rob CookeYes, I really like using RWGPS to plan routes. Especially with this info from Scott Anderson regarding the creation of multi-day routes: https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/winterlude2021/multi-route-maps/
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2 years ago

Kathleen JonesTo Bob DistelbergThanks for adding that real-world info on how easy RWGPS integrates with Garmin. Last time I had a Garmin there was a special adapter between the GPS and the 8-pin serial port to the PC. Oh god that was Win95.
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2 years ago

Scott AndersonI also really like using RWGPS as a planning tool, maybe to the point of obsession. I spend a lot of time bench testing alternative routes, and when we’re finally done we load the whole tour onto our Garmins - or at least we used to load the whole thing when our tours were only a month or so long. Now we plan the whole thing out but just upload in chunks as we go.

I can’t comment about uploading tracks after we’re done with a ride though. We never do it, unless we’re puzzled about where we actually went and are trying to figure out what just happened to us.

It’s one off from the topic here, but what Garmin device do you use? This past year we upgraded to the 1030+, and are completely sold on it. It’s a real improvement in our opinion.

Oh, and another segue. We never really use our Garmins as a navigation tool either, unless we’ve gotten off track somehow. We just follow the preloaded routes unless something comes up on the road to cause us to rethink.

Excited about your upcoming journey. Bring it on!
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2 years ago

Leslie and Rob CookeTo Kathleen JonesI wonder if the multi day is part of the free version. I'll have to check in to it. So much to learn and try out.
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2 years ago

Leslie and Rob CookeTo Scott AndersonI'm having a hard time figuring out how to reply to people's comments haha. This trip could be interesting....anyways Rob uses a Garmin edge. We are excited too ~ thanks
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2 years ago

Leslie and Rob CookeTo Bob DistelbergThanks so much for verifying that Bob. I wanted something to follow along with as Rob uses the garmin and I was planning to use komoot. I didn't want to have rwgps open as well. I'm worried about the challenges of keeping all the electronics charged.
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2 years ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesWe have been trying to guess where Covid will be at, as Summer approaches, thinking both of whether Europe will be ready to receive us, and whether we would gamble on going. We, like you, also thought about cycling across Canada. But I am so reluctant, because of little cycling infrastructure, and a distinct lack of castles, croissants, and churches. Your decision to go for it is impressive.

But hey, first comment, 100 days from now puts you in early May? When we tried that (in 2011) we encountered snow filled mountain passes and had to descend all the way to the Columbia River to get going East. So be patient, maybe go in June. If you do, we recommend Highway 3 through BC, though it does have the challenging Manning Park.

We also recommend a stop at our house on VI as you get going. Even if we have somehow fled to Europe, the house will still be here!
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2 years ago

Leslie and Rob CookeTo Steve Miller/GrampiesHey Steve ~ thanks for the comment and I hope you are both doing well. We really wish our trip to Europe had gone ahead in 2020 as planned and then thought it might be a go in 2021. Which of course wasn't. We really need some adventure and a proper tour under our belts and thought cycling in Canada would probably be our best bet to make that happen. We will have to be happy with Timmy's donuts for now.

Yes we are planning to start out beginning of May and we are worried the weather might not co-operate. Our plan, for now, is to start in Nanaimo and cycle to Port Hardy where we would take the ferry to Prince Rupert. We would then follow the Yellowhead Hwy. Have you cycled this route before? We are curious as to what it would be like as most people seem to cycle Hwy 3.

I went for a ride around Merida today and struggled with the headwind and it makes me wonder how I'm going to handle a long distance tour. Sometimes I think I over estimate my abilities along with forgetting I'm not youngish. We will have some serious training to do on our return.

I appreciate any more advice you can throw our way. We would really like our trip to be a success. Oh, and thanks for the kind offer of your house. Key under the mat?
Cheers
Leslie
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2 years ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Leslie and Rob CookeWe have some farm sitters who would be able to set you up, no problem.
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2 years ago