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Gary’s Notes: The Cape Breton Island Bicycle Tour was among our participants favourites. We went around the entire island on this event 26 times. The Cabot Trail is a loop at the north part of the island. We ran 22 additional trips of this section each Labour Day weekend. |
| Not ever having a drivers license I was of most use on the road cycling with my groups for these 48 trips. Adding bicycle trips and my own solo tours fof Cape Breton, plus passing through biking to and from on my trips to Newfoundland, this gives me perhaps 65 occasions cycling across Cape Breton Island.
First, why this route. As the Cabot Trail is the highlight, with this route it came late in the tour. during our trip. This gave something big to look forward to was a camping tour. My group Cabot Trail is not the entirety of cycling Cape Breton Island. My direction allowed the best views of Lake Bras D’Or. In addition, we could follow the island’s western coast all the way to our end point at Port Hawkesbury. I give my full list of pros and cons on each direction of the Cabot Trail on that area’s own pages, look for link below. In short, this direction provides the best views along the shore of Lake Bras D’Or, the best views and toughest challenges on the Cabot Trail, and the seacoast side again to complete the tour. The downside is a prevalent headwind from Cheticamp onward. Whether this can be avoided with early departures is debated. This route connects campgrounds. Take a look at my routes to determine which ones. For those of you planning to stay indoors along the way, add or deduct distance from these routes from your accommodations. I have never been happy with Day3 of this tour. Between North Sydney and Englishtown there is need to take a major highway. The Trans-Canada Highway, Route NS-105, is legal to bike on and in most spots has a wide shoulder. This shoulder, however, is cut down when an extra lane is added once the climb up Kelly’s Mountain is reached. In spite of this being a major bicycle touring link, with no consultation with cycling groups a hurdle was added with putting in rumble strips. I have not heard of any response beyond a shrug, as cyclists do not really matter and there is “enough pavement for them”. You will have a small area to pick through. You will need to go slow coming downhill to the tour’s turn off to Englishtown. The second major concern is the Seal Island Bridge. This is on the same day and just minutes before the rumble strip section. The bridge has no shoulder. Here you must take the lane and slow traffic for just a short while. Motorist impatience is less important than your safety. Do not be modest and allow yourself to be crammed to the side. The good news here is with this direction the bridge is downhill and you can get through quite quickly. Frustrated with this I changed route one year to Route NS-105. Even with the wide shoulder people felt uncomfortable and we switched back and dealt with these two issues. in case you might ask me, I see the route NS-4 as how many locals do, a shortcut to Sydney. Vehicles race through, I have never liked this road. Perhaps when shoulders are completed it may be more bikeable. The lower road NS-327 never seems to leave interior of scrubby trees much to go along the shore. Both the NS-4 and the NS-327 both dump you off to deal with traffic around the city of Sydney and fighting your way on bike unfriendly roads to North Sydney.
added extra hurdle with putting in rumble strips. The response seemed to feel like a shrug, as cyclists do not really matter and there is enough pavement for them. I chose this direction as I like doing the Cabot Trail counter-clockwise. Another reason as bein a trip highlight, the Trail comes in with anticipation later in the trip, clockwise is is reached on Day 3. Another challenge was securing camping for our group at Inverness. We were welcomed with open arms until 2022, when golfing expanded to the point campgrounds did not want our larger group and neither did the local pub. We had to alter to a longer route than our group felt comfortable with, in effect ending our route we had had for 30 years. Perhaps with a few people is easier but eve for indoor accommodation Inverness is a busy place these days and golfers are number one.
There also exists a series of bicycle paths that make it possible to cycle between the Parc Linéaire des Basses Laurentides at Blainville and Montréal. It crosses the huge sprawling suburban island of Laval. There are some park sections, but overall it is urban cycling. I find the signage not that intuitive. I pride myself as good with directions, yet always seem to need to get a bit lost and need to be constantly checking navigation. There are commuter trains from Montreal. On some weekends they do not go all the way in and a connection from the second last subway stop, de la Concorde, is required. With close distance to both Montreal and Ottawa this region can get busy. Reservations can help. Note if camping, campgrounds along the Trans-Canada Highway may stick you out by the highway. Bring earplugs in case you end up there. The area around Mont-Tremblant is the most popular. Around here you must have patience! The bike paths outward from here are busy, complete with children, family meetings in the middle of the path, people riding side by side, and wanna-be Tour de France speedsters. I feel a hybrid to be a great choice for this relaxed-style trip, not just for the trail, but for other exploring around. Larger tires are always comfy on trails. I like 700x35s. Going down in size as far as 700×28 tires should be okay. If you insist on 700x25s note there will most likely be some short sections of freshly laid stone dust and you need to watch the uneven wood on the trestles. |
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Day 2 – Whycocomagh to North Sydney
Day 3 – North Sydney to Ingonish
Day 4 – Ingonish to Cape North
Day 5 – Day Ride to Tip of Nova Scotia
Day 6 – Cape North to Cheticamp
Day 7 – Cheticamp to Inverness
Day 8 – Inverness to Port Hawkesbury
This is the ride everyone dreams of doing: Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island and the Cabot Trail! Spectacular scenery is one reason that it is, by far, the most popular bicycle touring region in Atlantic Canada. Cape Breton must be the luckiest cycling place in the world, with its magnificent seacoast mountains, clean rivers and lakes, ocean breezes, plentiful wildlife, and unique Gaelic culture. The Cape Breton Bicycle Tour is an affordable camping vacation, which will enjoy a carefully selected route around an unforgettable island. It will be a fun and friendly tour, with a great deal of socializing. Along the way, we will learn about Cape Breton’s history, discover its incredible variety, and experience what makes the island distinct. Join us for a tour which will be both enjoyable and memorable.
Converting abandoned railroad lines into bicycle paths has become popular in recent decades. Some of these trails can be a little monotonous because they are often laid out in straight lines and run through open fields or industrial parks. The P’tit Train du Nord, however, curves around rivers, lakes, and the base of mountains. More importantly, the trail benefits from the tourist infrastructure that developed when the train used to bring thousands into the Laurentians for summer vacations and winter skiing.
Being built on the old train line, the “Petit Train” is an easy-to-ride trail. There are a few long gradual uphill sections but overall it is gentle riding, impressive considering that it winds its way through the Laurentian Mountains. It has to rate as one of the very best bicycle trails in North America.
AdvertisementCape Breton Island Bicycle Tour Route Outline
We circle Cape Breton Island, starting where it meets the North American mainland.
Our tour first follows Lake Bras d’Or, an inland sea. We then go counter-clockwise around the Cabot Trail. We then follow the Gulf of St. Lawrence coast back to our start point.
The amounts each day vary, with the days in hillier Cabot Trail terrain lower. You can bicycle each day in five hours or less of actual biking, leaving plenty of time for sightseeing and relaxing.
Options will be offered for both shortcuts and for scenic side routes. Terrain on the island is rolling to hilly. The three days in Cape Breton Highlands National Park have several small mountains. This road though this area is the famed Cabot Trail. Th ese are challenging, even with their much lower daily distances. With a relaxed tour schedule, however, they are feasible, even for casual cyclists. With the assistance of our support vehicle, we can offer a worry-free tour. By Atlantic Canada standards, the terrain is from rolling to hilly. New or casual cyclists will find this tour quite feasible. For more accomplished bicycle tourists, detailed options will be offered for longer daily routes. These will allow for taking in more of the province, while enjoying the event with others.
Tour Outline
Day 1 – Port Hawkesbury to Whycocomagh 78 km (49 mi.) Our first day follows the shore of Lake Bras d’or, an inland sea. We pass through Orangedale, with an old train station now a museum. Whycocomagh is two villages in one. On one side is a community settled by the Scots. On the other is a Mi’kmaq native community, one of several on the island.
Day 2 – Whycocomagh to North Sydney 91 km (56 mi.) Our route today will be a very pleasant run around the Washabuck Peninsula, through the once Gaelic speaking village of Iona and along the shore of grand Narrows part of Lake Bras d’or.
Day 3 – North Sydney to Ingonish 62/83 km (39/52 mi. We are nearing Cape Breton Highlands National Park and the Cabot Trail! Enjoy the spectacular coastal scenery, and the green dense forests. Cape Smokey Mountain stands in our way just before our day’s end, the first major climb of the tour.
Day 4 – Ingonish to Cape North 49 km (30 mi.) We follow a roller-coaster shoreline. Bay St. Lawrence is home to whales, often sighted while cycling. It is also bird country, including herons and eagles. This is a shorter day but there is a lot to see and do. There is also an extra optional ride out toward the northern tip of Nova Scotia.
Day 5 – Day Ride to Tip of Nova Scotia 45 km (28 mi.) We stay based at Beautiful Cape North and ride out as far north in Nova Scotia as one can go. The road follows the spine of what remains of the Appalachians, before they abruptly end at the ocean. Bay St. Lawrence is the suggested stop, an attractive and isolated fishing village. Meat Cove, the furthest one can go in Nova Scotia is a bit further on. It requires sturdier tires than 23 or 25’s. There are also other things to do! There are other short bike rides. There is also hiking. Kayaking is available a short distance from out camp. There is also a nearby beach.
Day 6 – Cape North to Cheticamp 70 km (43 mi.) One of the greatest days of cycling you will ever have! We will challenge ourselves on small mountains that rise up along the Atlantic Ocean. The ride down French Mountain is thrilling, a curving road, which looks out over the Gulf of St. Lawrence, one of the most photographed places in North America.
Day 7 – Cheticamp to Inverness 64 km (40 mi.) We follow the Ceilidh Trail, along the shore of the Gulf. We pass a region of French-speaking Acadian fishing villages, and later, into the heart of Nova Scotia’s rich Gaelic music and culture. This is our last night together- let’s party!
Day 8 – Inverness to Port Hawkesbury 89 km (55 mi.) Our last day. Enjoy this pretty ride along Cape Breton’s rocky west coast. As the Nova Scotia mainland comes into view, you will no doubt think about our trip around this beautiful, rugged island… from our ride around its inland sea, through the highlands, and along its barren coast. You’ve done it! Fantastic!