Where in the world

[old bell]

I saw a cycling holiday to Machu Pichu where over two weeks you visit Lake Titicaca and then down 'the most dangerous road in the world' ending up at La Paz in Bolivia.
They say there a 62km downhill section, but don't say how far up the other side.

 

[jay clock]

A friend and I are talking about that, though every report I've read says that the roads can be pure hell with no alternative but to share them with lorries etc.

Certainly true if you are not careful. I went there a few years back but to be frank there are routes where the ONLY option is a busy road. Anywhere in the UK, there is always an alternative route down small lanes even if that takes some navigating. But for example the 141km from Napier to Taupo there is one paved road here https://www.google.com/maps/preview...88!3m2!1i1838!2i856!4f13.1!5m2!13m1!1e1&fid=0 and to avoid that by my reckoning is about 600km, still on busy roads. But there are loads of quiet roads too

 

[welsh dragon]

Certainly true if you are not careful. I went there a few years back but to be frank there are routes where the ONLY option is a busy road. Anywhere in the UK, there is always an alternative route down small lanes even if that takes some navigating. But for example the 141km from Napier to Taupo there is one paved road here https://www.google.com/maps/preview#!data=!4m21!3m17!1m1!1sNapier, New Zealand!1m5!1sTaupo, New Zealand!2s0x6d6bef77144b165b:0x500ef6143a309e0!3m2!3d-38.6856924!4d176.0702098!3m8!1m3!1d111074!2d176.044764!3d-38.6898288!3m2!1i1838!2i856!4f13.1!5m2!13m1!1e1&fid=0 and to avoid that by my reckoning is about 600km, still on busy roads. But there are loads of quiet roads too

You do have to put it into context though. Canada is the second largest country on the planet and is only populated by around 30 million people, 90% of whom live within 200 miles of the american border. The logistics let alone the cost considering the number of cyclist and the general numbers of the population just make it far to expensive to do anything. On the bright side, at least the roads are wide.

 

[coffeejo]

Certainly true if you are not careful. I went there a few years back but to be frank there are routes where the ONLY option is a busy road. Anywhere in the UK, there is always an alternative route down small lanes even if that takes some navigating. But for example the 141km from Napier to Taupo there is one paved road here https://www.google.com/maps/preview#!data=!4m21!3m17!1m1!1sNapier, New Zealand!1m5!1sTaupo, New Zealand!2s0x6d6bef77144b165b:0x500ef6143a309e0!3m2!3d-38.6856924!4d176.0702098!3m8!1m3!1d111074!2d176.044764!3d-38.6898288!3m2!1i1838!2i856!4f13.1!5m2!13m1!1e1&fid=0 and to avoid that by my reckoning is about 600km, still on busy roads. But there are loads of quiet roads too

Confirms what I thought, thanks. Whatever the roads are like, NZ has topped my 'must visit' list since I was a kid, long before the days of The Ring! Personally, I'd like to hire a car and some MTBs and do a mix of hiking and MTBing so we could explore the beauty of the wilderness as well as what can be seen from the roads. Not sure my friend would be as keen on this option, mind!

 

[jay clock]

I am not picking on the Kiwis, but theirs is an unusual country as it is not very big but just has so few roads as to be very very different to the UK. Imagine driving from Southampton to Bristol and having one single road (and the roads are not wide or with shoulders). If you did not want to cycle on the one road, you would have to go from Southampton to Bristol via Birmingham or Truro

 

[Globalti]

You do have to put it into context though. Canada is the second largest country on the planet and is only populated by around 30 million people, 90% of whom live within 200 miles of the american border. The logistics let alone the cost considering the number of cyclist and the general numbers of the population just make it far to expensive to do anything. On the bright side, at least the roads are wide.

If you can't afford the air fare, jump on the train to Scotland. It has similar climate and landscape and only 4.5 million people live in that huge country, 3 million of them in Glasgae and Edinburgh, the rest spready thinly out over the rest of it. The big difference is that Scotland is much more compact than Canada and you could probably cross it or ride end to end in 3 to 4 days.

The downside? The Caledonian Luftwaffe and the lack of places where you can eat Scotland's seafood - you need to go to Madrid for that.

 

[Dave 123]

Ellesmere Port. They have palm trees.

 

[welsh dragon]

Ellesmere Port. They have palm trees.