 Newfoundland Bicycle Tour
"Truly and inspired and inspiring tour. Great scenery, every day was different - scenery, weather, terrain. What a nice group of people I have met. Thanks and good luck."
S.R.R.
 Newfoundland Bicycle Tour
"My girlfriend Sandi and I both participated in the Atlantic Canada Cycling tour of the northern peninsula of Newfoundland last summer. We're both strong cyclists who will ride distances of up to 160 km (100 miles) on weekends. But we don't like to ride too fast. We'd never done a bike tour, organized or otherwise.
The first thing I would tell you about the tour is that there were cyclists of all strengths participating, from novices to experts, and I believe that everybody found the tour to be well designed, and challenging. The terrain is sometimes hilly, but the big factor is wind -- tailwinds and you're laughing, headwinds you're crying.
Atlantic Canada Cycling's management style of the tour was very good -- they don't baby you, so that you feel like you're accomplishing the tour on your own -- but they provide enough support and cold beer that you don't have to worry about anything but cycling and having a good time.
The northern peninsula of Newfoundland contains some of the most awe-inspiring landscapes I've ever beheld. It's also full of moose, which are a thrill to observe. The food is fantastic (provided you ask the chef to broil or bake your fish, rather than fry it), and the cultural landscape is sparse, but interesting.
I would highly recommend this trip, and, if I it hadn't turned me on to cycle touring as much as it did so that I'm already thinking about where to go next, I'd do it again!"
L. Poplak
Newfoundland Bicycle Tour
"You'll have the time of your life!"
"This is the best tour I've ever done!"
"Make sure you bring plenty of film -- as well as plenty of warm clothes."
"You may not need the warm riding stuff at all, of course, but just on the chance that you encounter the weather we did --"
"-- when we hit one day of 45 MPH headwinds, 40 degrees at ride start time, and rain turning to snow -- this on an 80-plus-mile day! -- my advice is to have the kind of Thermax and/or Polartech that you can ride in."
"That day we had snow in July I wore seven layers of lightweight Thermax and was just able to stay warm while riding. When I pulled off the rode to commune with nature, however, I FROZE."
"The scenery is out of this world, really."
"More spectacular than almost anything I saw on my TransAmerica Trail ride across America back in 1978. I mean, they have FIORDS up there!"
"Also, if you have a propensity to get seasick, bring pills. You'll need them. Especially if you go out on one of the lobster boats that doubles as a sightseeing boat in the off-season. They bounce the waves like you will not believe."
"But you'll see caribou and seals and waterfowl and maybe even whales.
You may even see the polar bear we missed."
"You almost surely will see icebergs."
"Also, if you are driving off the ferry up to Deer Lake, do not, REPEAT, DO NOT get caught out on the highway at night. You WILL SEE MOOSE. And they WILL RUN IN FRONT OF YOUR CAR. Happened to me twice on the drive in."
"Remember, it may be July here in the States, but up there the weather is incredibly changeable. I mean, it can be 70 degrees and sunny and then 15 minutes later it's 50 and rainy and then 15 minutes later and it's 70 and sunny again."
"It's a once in a lifetime trip! Enjoy!"
F. Iannotti
Newfoundland Bicycle Tour
"The Newfoundland trip has a little bit of everything - hills, flats, riding along the ocean, riding in Tundra and some good hiking. Along the way we were able to catch a glimpse at whales, and even saw icebergs! Newfoundland is a remote area of Canada, and you get to experience great open spaces, which also means limited services to some extent. There is never a day without something along the way, but you definitely realize that you are removed from the congested city life. The trip is well planned out, and the cycling nicely spread out over the ten days. The longest day of the trip is not overly challenging - unless Mother Nature has her way. Last year we ended up having our worst weather day on our longest day, which meant colder weather than expected, and some tough head winds - but it is all part of experiencing Newfoundland. The weather can change quickly, and we saw that first hand. I really enjoyed the trip, and would highly recommend it."
K. Bota
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