I have to go to Vancouver at the end of May. Considering going by bike. Have you done it? Can you suggest the fastest and or most interesting route? Would it be faster or more fun through the states or via Sault Ste Marie and Thunder Bay?

Google Maps is your friend.

Be careful, fastest and most interesting definitely do not go together. Fastest is Interstates, most interesting is not. You will have to look at your proposed routes and evaluate things for yourself. The American route is definitely faster than the Canadian one. You could compromise and take different routes there and back.

Fuel costs are also a factor. If you really want to ride cross country on the bike, go for it. But if you are really taking the bike so you can ride it when you get there, you may want to consider flying and renting a bike when you get there. It may actually work out a lot cheaper, both in time and money.

Having said all that, I firmly believe that everyone needs to drive across the country at least once. You gain a much better appreciate for the country that we live in from looking at the scenery then you ever will from the air.

Thanks Goochman, I'm hoping to avoid the most boring stretches without adding too much time to the ride. I've never done a trans Canada trip and it looks like this is as good a time as any to do it.

I have done it in a van, but never on a bike. We did something like 14,000 kilometers in 22 days (with 2 teenagers in the back!).

I can't advise you on the routes, but I do remember thinking "I wish I had my bike" in a number of locations.

The way around the Great Lakes is gorgeous (ie up around the Sault, etc). Get gas there, as there's no stations between Sault Ste. Marie & Wawa. It's exactly 234 km's.

I've never rode across the prairies, so I can't help there.

Cannon

Prairies are interesting, but you only need to travel across them once to experience them. My prefered route out west is to cross at the Sault and take highway 2 across the northern US. Montana is fantastic and then you can come up to Canada at the Osoyoos crossing.

I have always found bike rentals in BC to be really expensive and if you intend on putting a lot of kilometers under the wheels each day, it is cheaper to ship you bike out there.