Trans Labrador Hwy to St. John's, Newfoundland

I am planning on riding to St. John's, Newfoundland in June via the Trans Labrador Highway. I'll be entering Canada from New York State and will visit Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City on my route. If anyone has done this ride and have any suggestions, please let me know.
Thank you and best regards, Herbert Green. I can also be reached at herbert.green.one@gmail.com

Always have enjoyed the St. Lawrence south shore ride but locals tell me it is much more spectacular on the north side. You'd leave Quebec City and ride to Baie Comeau and then a three hour ferry ride to Matane on the south shore. From there continue on 132 around the Gaspe Peninsula, a very scenic ride.

Uh... make a turn northbound at Baie Comie

... that is a nice ride & route Paul. But it won't get Mr Green around the Tran's Lab and ultimately... on to "the rock" for St. John's NF.
Your described route is for the Labrador "Lite" folks! Not that there's anything wrong with that mind you.

I recommend the OP visit the "ADV website"... and review the numerous Trip Report Threads, from within the "EPIC Rides" selection.
That serves as the riders Bible on all things Adventure Rider/Travel related.

While still figuring out how to get to the downtown Leabnon TN donut shop from the Fairgrounds without hitting the four-lane around Nashville...
I'm still known as "three bowl john" vicinity of Larry's River, Canadian Maritimes NS!

"travel'n" john

What are you riding? I hope you're looking for more pavement than dirt as most of the Trans Lab is now paved except a few short sections. That being said it is still remote and still pretty if you like rocks and trees. Do you know which way you want to ride? ie clockwise or CC? Have you thought about getting on or off the island? If you plan to go all the way to St. John's will you take the Argentia ferry one way to save riding across the island twice? Have you thought about how much time you want to spend on the island? The TLH will take you a few days minimum but the island is way bigger than you think it is and for many there is a lot to see. Do you want to do the island first or last?

My missus and I are building a B&B for touring motorcycles, we'll have everything you need for basic maintenance, if you need bigger service the local BMW dealer is our shop sponsor we can help arrange to book in for service, order tires etc. PM me and I'll send you a link to the ADV build thread I have up. We are doing a soft opening this year, you are welcome to join us.

Toronto, Montreal, QC. What kinds of things do you like? What kinds of things do you want to see? I'm really good at sending people to beer bars in cities around the world.

As was previously stated there are many RR's on ADV and the local adventure forum is ridetherock.com where any number of locals will happily chime in, I'm on there too. There are 5 of us on the Avalon on the ADV tent thread map too. Feel free to PM me with more questions etc, do you want me to put up some nice pics so you have something to look forward to?

this is 300 meters from my house

Trans Lab Hwy inquiry: Thanks to those who submitted suggestions

Gentleman:
Thank you all for your suggestions. I am 77-years old, so the fact that most of the route is paved is (in a way), good news. I ride a 2015 BMW R12300GS with Continental T-80's, so I think I'll probably be okay with the lessor amount of gravel. I will be going to St. John's clock-wise. I want to get the tough route done and have a more leisurely trip home. That way, I can spend more time on the island and look around. I haven't made a firm decision yet as to which ferry I will take to Nova Scotia. (Although, tentatively, I will leave from Port-Au-Basques to North Sydney, thence north around the Cabot Trail.)
To: skybum69....while in the Toronto and Montreal, I'd like to visit the museums and enjoy the older architecture. Out in the bonnies, yeah, I like the rocks and tress, so it'll not be too boring. Where are you building your B&B? I will check out the ridetherock.com site. Thank you for the link. I will also check out the ADV site also.
Thanks again to all. Best regards, Sputter

Voni had been to Newfoundland twice. I had never been there. Finally, after we retired we both went there together. After our first half day or so of riding on the island, at a rest stop, I told Voni, "I have figured this place out. If we are in sight of the coast this looks like a place where fishermen in little white houses with little white boats live. Otherwise it looks like a place where moose live." I stand by that notion.

I lived in St Johns for three years when I was a kid. I remember snow - lots of snow, a seemingly endless supply of lobster and moose often. There are far worse memories to have.

My brother & I made it a ways past the manic 5 dam until the gravel trucks & soft gravel forced us to turn around. We had a great time.

documented here

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?b...;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=4;src=postname

It's now paved well past Manic 5 to at least Relais Gabriel but it's been a few years since I've driven that side. TKC's will serve you well, just remember when you hit the first dirt in Quebec you will be in twisty terrain so keep your speed down until you get used to it. How familiar are you with riding dirt? Look far ahead and watch for any colour changes in the surface, it will warn you of changing conditions, always slow down until you know. Watch for the gravel ridges left by graders, gas on when you have to cross them, if you do the instinctive thing and grab brakes you are likely to go down. It's fun, enjoy it.

So by clockwise you will be doing the cities first? No architecture is all that old, a few hundred years mostly is it but Old Montreal and QC are pretty. Depending what kind of museums you like it might be worth your time to detour to Ottawa. The Air and Space, National Gallery and the Museum of civilization across the river in Hull is amazing. And a lovely arboretum and the canal. Toronto has the Royal Ontario Museum and others, not sure about Montreal and QC as I'm usually camped out sipping pints but both cities are nice. It's worth learning to at least say hello and please and thank you in French, the barest attempt will often get Francophones to switch to English. If you just bull forward with only English they may only speak French to you and watch you squirm. I've seen it and it makes me laugh every time.

Both ferries land in North Sydney so same to get on the Cabot Trail, it just depends where you want to leave the island from. Since you are coming down the Northern Peninsula and riding across the island to St. John's anyway I would suggest going home via the Argentia ferry to save a second run across the island. But I'm biased as I'm pretty sick of riding across just to get the boat. I can help you find routes of interesting places to go when you're here. Since you asked we are east on the Avalon Peninsula, you can waste an hour or so reading through this thread, I will be updating a little about our maple syrup production in the next day or two. https://advrider.com/f/threads/newfoundland-two-wheel-inn-campground-under-construction.1234815/

Glaves is mostly right in that the coast means fish and inland means moose which translates to not riding at night if you don't have to. AK is also right that fresh seafood is available all over the place, cod is my favourite. What fish will depend on timing and what's in season when you're around. I get my fish and lobster from my buddy up the road who is an inshore fisherman.

What else?

skibum69 said:

It's now paved well past Manic 5 to at least Relais Gabriel

Click to expand...

This is great news I'm going back to swim in Lac manicouagan!

Why not take the Trans Labrador to Blanc Sablon and the the ferry to Ste Barbe Newfoundland? It’s not a trip I’d fancy, but it seems to logical route.

I'm pretty sure that's the way he's going.