Trans Canada

[sb]

Plan to ride from Portland, ME to Saint Paul, MN via Montreal, Ottawa, North Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste Marie, Michigan UP & across Wisconsin.  Will appreciate tips & advice for freeway riding, trans Canada highway, camping, lodging, anything.....  Thank you very much.
I rode from Saint Paul to San Francisco 3 years ago on a solo trip without the benefit of input from other riders and I think it was more difficult & expensive than it might have been. 

[geegee]

You can easily pick through the Route Verte maps to get from the border to Montreal and into Ottawa.

Highway 17 between Ottawa and North Bay is terrible (especially Petawawa to Mattawa), it's some of the worst stretches in the entire Trans-Canada Highway. it is hilly and narrow with no shoulders. Having said that, I've cycled it twice, and you will need a very good rearview mirror to spot trucks coming up behind you and exercise good judgement on when to get off the road.

You might find portions of this route useful to get towards Sault Set-Marie. some of the gravel portions can be really annoying though.

My blogs aren't technical, but you might get an idea for what parts of your route are like from my ride last year. If you find yourself in Ottawa and need a place to stay, let me know.