Creating a Cross Canada Overland Route

[deadly99]

Read your TAT report on Advrider and here, looked like a fun trip you took.

The TCAT is being designed with trucks in mind and I don't for see anywhere on the main route where folks should have any issues with the terrain, most of it is just gravel back roads. For sure some area's may be a bit exciting when wet but I still feel confident in saying it is "doable" :ylsmoke:

The TAT was designed for bikes and from what I have seen their are some states where the terrain is too narrow for anything but a bike. The TCAT also has those but they are all being labelled as optional sections. Originally the technical sections were going to be a part of the main route with go arounds available but as the project evolved it became apparent that the technical sections were far and few between and that the route was becoming better suited to larger bikes and trucks due to the long distances it will travel.

:smiley_drive:

 

[x32792]

Read your TAT report on Advrider and here, looked like a fun trip you took.

The TCAT is being designed with trucks in mind and I don't for see anywhere on the main route where folks should have any issues with the terrain, most of it is just gravel back roads. For sure some area's may be a bit exciting when wet but I still feel confident in saying it is "doable" :ylsmoke:

The TAT was designed for bikes and from what I have seen their are some states where the terrain is too narrow for anything but a bike. The TCAT also has those but they are all being labelled as optional sections. Originally the technical sections were going to be a part of the main route with go arounds available but as the project evolved it became apparent that the technical sections were far and few between and that the route was becoming better suited to larger bikes and trucks due to the long distances it will travel.

:smiley_drive:

All you need do is mark the single track and technical sections and it should be do-able on two wheels or four.

A possible advantage of doing a long trip like this on a bike is being able to store it along the way and then re-deploy later when time, finances or weather permits. It is also worth mentioning, a DS bike doesn't have the load capacity of a 4x4, but they can travel about 30% faster on rough tracks.

And yes, other than my unfortunate experience with that treacherous Nuvi my TAT trip was a whole lot of fun.

John

 

[deadly99]

All you need do is mark the single track and technical sections and it should be do-able on two wheels or four.

The blue line is the main route and is one track file, the pink lines are the optional technical sections and each one is a seperate track file. Waypoints for gas stations also included. This would comprise on "section" of the route and is one gpx file.

Here is a very, VERY. very rough draft (hasnt even been spell checked so no complaints on grammer, layout, spelling, quality or anything else please) of that "sections" write up in the guidebook. Enjoy the read, I'll be nuking this link in a few days. Positive comments only :ylsmoke:
LINK

 

[ben2go]

That is awesome.I like the layout and it's very informative.

 

[Paladin]

It is also worth mentioning, a DS bike doesn't have the load capacity of a 4x4, but they can travel about 30% faster on rough tracks.

More like 3-400% faster in my experience, depending on the terrain, and the bike.

Ted, a couple things I just thought of. I think people might appreciate a two-level definition of "passible" in a truck. ie: Is the technical trail wide enough for the truck to pass without having to cut down any trees, but likely to experience pin striping? Or is the trail wide enough that pin striping is not a major concern? Some people have differing opinions on pin-striping.

I think it would be more interesting if the track were renamed with names instead of a technical filename. You know, like "Lingham Lake Road" or "Phil's Folly" instead of "ONTech05". Just as an example. Suitable names could likely be suggested by locals along the route.

 

[deadly99]

More like 3-400% faster in my experience, depending on the terrain, and the bike.

Ted, a couple things I just thought of. I think people might appreciate a two-level definition of "passible" in a truck. ie: Is the technical trail wide enough for the truck to pass without having to cut down any trees, but likely to experience pin striping? Or is the trail wide enough that pin striping is not a major concern? Some people have differing opinions on pin-striping.

I think it would be more interesting if the track were renamed with names instead of a technical filename. You know, like "Lingham Lake Road" or "Phil's Folly" instead of "ONTech05". Just as an example. Suitable names could likely be suggested by locals along the route.

Thanks for the advice :ylsmoke:

I seem to keep up to bikes just fine, all depends on the truck and the bike I suppose

 

[Paladin]

I seem to keep up to bikes just fine, all depends on the truck and the bike I suppose

And the road. That road looks pretty easy, and I daresay I'd be faster in a car than my bike. I'm talking about significantly harder roads then that.

I think you ran the Lingham Lake road on your bike right? I do that at about 40-60 km/h on my bike, and 10-20 in the truck. I wouldn't be able to do that speed on a big bike though. But then my bike isn't fun at more than 120 on the open road.

Different strokes.

That does look like a really sweet truck though and I'm really curious to check it out someday. Could probably run some interesting trails with it. With a little bit of skinny pedal, and a 4wd along to winch you out of the really tough spots. What does it have in the rear diff?

 

[x32792]

4x4 vs DS Speeds

Unless you're making a Cannon Ball Run across Canada or North America, I think your pace will get slower after the first 2,000 or 3,000 miles...Or at least, mine did.

I chased and caught two BMW motorcycles in Oklahoma on the TAT in my '01 Jeep TJ. The bikers were not going as fast as they could, but they were going about 30% faster than I wanted to drive for any extended period of time.

My suggestion for any long trip is to estimate your daily progress and speed on the low side...In this way you'll have a safer, less stressful and more enjoyable trip with time to make those unplanned extra stops, fix a flat or visit with someone you meet along the way.

John

 

[deadly99]

Unless you're making a Cannon Ball Run across Canada or North America, I think your pace will get slower after the first 2,000 or 3,000 miles...Or at least, mine did.

I chased and caught two BMW motorcycles in Oklahoma on the TAT in my '01 Jeep TJ. The bikers were not going as fast as they could, but they were going about 30% faster than I wanted to drive for any extended period of time.

My suggestion for any long trip is to estimate your daily progress and speed on the low side...In this way you'll have a safer, less stressful and more enjoyable trip with time to make those unplanned extra stops, fix a flat or visit with someone you meet along the way.

John

Very good advice

 

[deadly99]

That does look like a really sweet truck though and I'm really curious to check it out someday. Could probably run some interesting trails with it. With a little bit of skinny pedal, and a 4wd along to winch you out of the really tough spots. What does it have in the rear diff?

Slip dif, and yes it's good to have friends with a winch and 4x4's :ylsmoke:

I'm surprised though it seems to get threw stuff I didn't think it would, just a game of keeping the momentum. I'm not much into mud these days, more getting out an exploring and just cruising back roads, tHis truck seems to be good for that, handles the bumps well and is decent on gas. A few mods in it's future I ......

 

[Paladin]

Unless you're making a Cannon Ball Run across Canada or North America, I think your pace will get slower after the first 2,000 or 3,000 miles...Or at least, mine did.

Well, this was an enduro... so no, not 2-3000 miles.

I'm surprised though it seems to get threw stuff I didn't think it would, just a game of keeping the momentum. I'm not much into mud these days, more getting out an exploring and just cruising back roads, tHis truck seems to be good for that, handles the bumps well and is decent on gas. A few mods in it's future I ......

Slip diff? No LSD at all? It would be a difficult decision between say, a Torsen, or a locker. The torsen would be much more useful for what the truck is intended. But the locker would allow you to get over much tougher stuff. Too bad nobody makes a selectable locker on a torsen?

Your suspension is also what allows you to hit stuff with momentum I'd never attempt in mine.

That truck would be a hoot to try out in a rally. I often wonder why they work so hard to drive a car fast on car-breaker roads. A truck would never be as fast as a top level rally car. But there are so many amateurs struggling to keep the wheels attached to an old Golf that isn't even fast.

 

[deadly99]

Northern Ontario

In AUgust we are heading out for a few weeks to go and explore Northern Ontario and Western Ontario. We have a proposed route in place, alot of folks from up in that neck of the woods have been helping out with route suggestions for roads and trails. From what I have seen this very well will become one of the highlight areas of the TCAT. The majority of land is owned by the government, camping is allowed almost anywhere you would like, roads appear in the middle of nowehere thanks to the logging and mining industry, people...well there really are no people. A few small native reserves, a few camps for people working up there and not a whole lot else. Looks like a paradise for exploring and a perfect fit for the TCAT :smiley_drive:

The next few posts are cut and pasted from a bike forum, so please forgive me if some of the comments dont make much sense...

It's not hard to hop on and off the rail line...a secondary highway parallels it. The railbed was mostly ok when I last rode it, but with the complete demise of the forest industry, many of the back roads aren't getting that much attention.

Here's a shot of it.

You can camp pretty nuch anywhere up here, it's all Crown Land.
This Quorn Lake, where we camped on the rail bed.

 

[deadly99]

Canadian shield in NW Ontario

 

[deadly99]

NW Ontario

A bit of this and that...

[/QUOTE]

 

[deadly99]

NW Ontario

And a couple more, just for good measure...

One last one, with bikes, at an abandonded Iron mine.

[/QUOTE]