Cycling in Newfoundland and Labrador

[whisper]

I'm planning a trip from western New York thru Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia before taking the ferry across to Newfoundland. Any suggestions for over-night stays and how are the roads there and in Labrador?

[windrath]

Hi Whisper -

I do not know anything about Newfoundland or Labrador.  I did ride the entire length of the St. Lawrence Seaway from Cape Vincent to Perce' and around to Campbellton last summer (2009).  I can fill you in on that section of your ride if you need that info. Roads were good except around Montreal.  Overnights in campgrounds were good as well - I did not make reservations.  Not much English spoken in Quebec. 

I plan to do the New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, NOva Scotia, and Newfoundland in 2011, so will watch this thread closely.

There is a canadian bicycling website that details tours through Newfoundland.  That may help you see the routes and distances some supported tours take.

Good Luck.

paul

[geegee]

The single-digit highways in Newfoundland are generally very good. I've only cycled in the Avalon Peninsula from Placentia to St John's but have driven the entire Transcanada (#1) from Port aux Basques. Traffic is really light as there are only half a million residents in this province almost the size of California. The three-digit highways tend to be narrow and the grades and curves probably have evolved from when they were mere dirt roads. The highway leading up to Gros Morne and up the northern peninsula to L'anse aux Meadows is one of these. There is a ferry up to Labrador at the tip. Newfoundland can get extremely windy.

If you plan on cycling the new Trans-Labrador highway, it's probably about as epic as the Dalton in Alaska or the Dempster in the Northwest Territories. The final phase of this unpaved highway just officially opened this month so if you are a brave soul you could be one of the first cyclists to traverse this wilderness. There won't be any services for hundreds of kilometers at a time, and the blackflies in the muskeg will most likely drive you insane!

The other option for a loop if you do go up to Labrador is to take the Relais Nordik between Blanc Sablon and Natashquan. I've been dreaming of going on this boat trip. I imagine you could do quick bike rides while the ship loads/unloads at the small coastal communities along the way.

[geegee]

As for overnight stays, there are lots of opportunities for free-camping. Pitching a tent for free on state-owned land (what we call "Crown Land") is legal for Canadian citizens (but nobody checks if you aren't). Motels and B&Bs tend to be very expensive in Newfoundland especially in the summer. While St John's is booming, the rest of Newfoundland, especially the old one-industry towns have suffered in the past years with plant closures, which has rippled into the motels/hotels because of lack of off-season business.

As you travel through Quebec and the Atlantic Canada, look for college or university residences for affordable accommodations. I've stayed in a few of them: McGill U in Montreal, Laval U in Quebec City, the CEGEP in Rivière-du-Loup, St Francis Xavier in Antigonish NS, and Memorial U in St John's NL. There are a few hostels in the cities, and I think there is one in North Sydney NS where you take the Newfoundland Ferry (I just slept in a park overlooking the docks because my boat was leaving in the very early morning)

[rejean]

Hello guys;
 I did the Viking trail to l`Anse aux Meadows and crossd to Labrador and made it as far as Red Bay  summer 2010 see  http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/golfesaintlaurent
  I am thinking about the Trans-Labrador for summer 2011. Has any one been there recently? Is anyone going that way next summer?

Réjean

[amchiker]

Crazy Guy on a Biker, Jeff Kruys, did that section last summer.  See his journal at http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/jeffk.
The journal includes elevation profiles and GPS waypoints.  It should be an excellent source of information for you.

You will have to scroll down near the bottom, as his journal goes on for a couple of years. 

[susancycle]

Cycling in Newfoundland is wonderful, awesome scenery! Did a tour from Deerlake to St Anthony last summer and it was well worth it. Parts of Gros Morne Park are challenging but beautiful, reasonable roads and the traffic thins the further north you go. Take a trip on the ferry at St Barbe to Labrador (I only did a day trip) but make sure you have a bug net for your face at least, because insects can be fierce. Don't expect warm weather or great food though there are some exceptions. NB, NS and PEI all have sections that are great to cycle in.