All my friends who've biked across Canada all said the same thing "one of the hardest parts of the whole trip were the prairie headwinds" (combined with 100's of kms of riding in a straight line). Beautiful series thus far!
WOW, that big Grizz was beautiful. Good on you keeping calm. This ride shows more bear activity than any other I have been watching. That rocket stage separation was very cool.
This is one of the absolute best series of bike-packing vlogs I've seen! Feeling stoked and extremely inspired to ride from AB to Victoria! You rode right through my local park in Fort Saskatchewan, AB. Until I have time, I will live my dream vicariously through you! Good luck on your trip, all the best!
Appreciate the nice words! And you should go for it, it will be an amazing journey no matter the route you take. That park I stopped in in Fort Sask was very nice, that's where the fascinating red wing blackbird and muskrat interaction took place.
Suggest going from west to east!! Really enjoyed this one as I have ridden on many of the roads and trails you rode. You certainly did not go the shortest route, but a well thought out route to catch many interesting landmarks!! Yes we have ridden parts of the Iron Horse Trail and found it hard and or boring in certain sections.
Lovely video. Nice to see that you came to Edmonton and Elk Island National Park. Most cyclists tour through the south, and miss the beauty of Alberta's Capital and the area surrounding the city.
I really like the way you described your trip, the weather, the landscape, etc. The video editing was awesome. Great job, but would like to see you wearing a helmet all the time.
Great info about the challenges of the GCT and some of the more, uh, "technical" rail trails. (I got stuck on one in Ontario that was more of an ATV trail. Managed until it was under water. Turned back after struggling for an hour and took the pavement.) Next trip, Waterloo, Ontario, to Halifax, NS, will be on 700x47 Schwalbe Marathon Touring PLUS tires and disc brakes! (Uh, don't tell the wife. All on a new Kona Sutra. Because. Surly puts 650B wheels on the Trucker in my frame size.) Really looking forward to the next video! Peace and stay safe!
Thanks! Yes it can be hard to find the true nature of the trails until you are on them. Between Toronto and Ottawa I followed the TCT, and most was good rail trail, but the sections that allowed ATV's had been destroyed to near unrideable trash. Highly unfortunate. Sounds like an awesome setup you've got there.
It took me years to see as many Grizzly Bears as you saw in one week. WOW! I'm sending this TH-cam link to cycling friends in the UK to entice them out here to Calgary for some great riding. Beautifully done.
@@nathanstarzynski I cycled across Canada back in the mid-70's as a teen. We had to have my friend's mom look at European magazines to figure out how to sew panniers and a back carrier bag. Amazing trip. We didn't do side trips the way you did, but did a bit of a windy route through the Prairies to visit my friends family. By the way my UK cycling friends loved it, but are a bit bear shy!
This was such a delight to watch... it ended too soon! Loved all the wildlife, ( prairie dog in mid leap!) the night skies, great music.... so much beauty! Thank you, Nathan!
Love your videos. One request, can you include in the videos some map action so I can get a better feel where you are. Hard to watch following google maps. Thanks.
Hi Lawrence, thank you! While I understand that maps included in the video would help at points, I have no intention of including them for now. I find for the most part they would disrupt the flow. If TH-cam had an option for toggleable map overlay like the closed captioning system I’d be all over that. For now, you can take a look at the gps tracks on ridewithgps I’ve included in the description. Cheers :)
Wow. This is one of the best bikepacking video I've seen, and is showing so muc beauty of my country. Thanks for taking the time to do so, it's awesome to watch.
I have seen your video shared somewhere in the Facebook. I'm glad to have come to have a look. Just stunning, no words. Loved the beautifull landscapes seen from the old railways. Can't wait for the next. Cheers from Portugal.
Thank you for the incredible video. I live in Alberta and it was lovely seeing my province showcased like this. Would love to do a ride similar to this someday!
Looks like a great adventure! Sure would like to see your campsites, and maybe some activity around camp. What are you doing about food/cooking? Happy Trails!
I randomly came across your 1st video. Which lead me to wanting to watch more. I'm on #2 Alberta and your skills/content and educational information is superb. I can't wait the see the rest of your series. Beautiful work/landscape/photography
So excited to see episode 2. I had no idea how diverse and stunningly beautiful Alberta was (other than the mountains of course). It was breathtaking. With your calm narration and the music it was like a surreal reality moment - like I could imagine being right there. And certainly I wished I was.
Wow you really visited most of Alberta. Most people doing a cross country trip just follow the trans Canada highway. This is the first video I saw of yours. Ill have to go back watch the BC one and continue with the rest
I love how you cut in sync with the music. These first two parts have been great with stunning views and drone shots. I would enjoy to also see the camping, what you eat, interactions you have etc… But your videos are already so good so it feels wrong to give suggestions… so maybe just ignore what I just wrote.
Video one was difficult to top but you did it. Well worth the wait! On a bike tour myself right now (Cuenca, Spain at the moment) and this makes me long for the summer ;-)
Thank you! And are you traveling for long in Europe? I’m actually in Spain right now as well heading East. Started in Porto, rode the coast of Portugal, then inland through Seville and over the mountains, getting to Cabo de Gata today. Feel free to message me if you’re in the area or want route tips for Andalucia. And definitely summer like weather right now this far south. Shorts and t-shirt most days.
Thats is wonderfull, the feeling you give me is indescriptible, its a call that as to be answered ,otherwise i can feel the infinite regrets to not doing it, i got to hit the gym this winter... btw elk island is one of my favorite places because of the bison that are not scared .
Elk Island is for sure magnificent. Such a peaceful land so close to a major city. And definitely follow those touring dreams! As everyone will say: you'll never meet anyone who regretted going on a long tour, only those who didn't and wished they had.
@@nathanstarzynski thank you! I see the route for video two. That’s awesome! If you get a chance can you post the route from Vancouver to Baniff from video 1 as well! Thanks:-)
Your videos deserve more attention. They are stunning! (SOOOO much backtracking for all of those shots!) How do you do so much night riding?!? And bears, bears, bears, bears!
Thanks! I love riding at night. It's so peaceful and calm. The videos don't actually show nearly as much as I truly did, 90% of the time I ride until dark I'd say. I have dynamo lights so no worries about losing charge, and they are bright to see and be seen. Often I actually feel safer at night with the lights and reflectors than during the day.
Your photography and narration are just stunning. You are an excellent wildlife photographer as well. And who doesn't love a good perogi😋 Happy New Year
Your filmmaking and route selection are just superb. I used to live in Edmonton, that's a tough time of year to be out on the trails when they still hold moisture from the snow melt earlier in the year. I'm curious, where did you sleep when you had to travel through the nearly endless agricultural areas in some parts of the prairies around the cities, and did you get any ticks on you from spending so much time in the grasses?
Thank you very much! In the prairies I mostly stayed at the small town municipal campgrounds, or provincial parks. And yes, many ticks! One day in Manitoba I got 23.
Hi! Great filming and commentary. :) I was wondering if i could reach you so that you could transfer me your route. Me and two of my friends are about to bike Vancouver to st-johns this summer!
That’s correct. Although highway work is ongoing and it seems to get better every year. The section between Thunder Bay and The Soo was the only one I did while staring cross eyed into the rear view mirror most of the time. Will talk about it more in the ON video
All my friends who've biked across Canada all said the same thing "one of the hardest parts of the whole trip were the prairie headwinds" (combined with 100's of kms of riding in a straight line). Beautiful series thus far!
Merci beaucoup t'es vidéo son fabuleux WOW!
WOW, that big Grizz was beautiful. Good on you keeping calm. This ride shows more bear activity than any other I have been watching.
That rocket stage separation was very cool.
This is one of the absolute best series of bike-packing vlogs I've seen! Feeling stoked and extremely inspired to ride from AB to Victoria! You rode right through my local park in Fort Saskatchewan, AB. Until I have time, I will live my dream vicariously through you! Good luck on your trip, all the best!
Appreciate the nice words! And you should go for it, it will be an amazing journey no matter the route you take. That park I stopped in in Fort Sask was very nice, that's where the fascinating red wing blackbird and muskrat interaction took place.
Suggest going from west to east!! Really enjoyed this one as I have ridden on many of the roads and trails you rode. You certainly did not go the shortest route, but a well thought out route to catch many interesting landmarks!! Yes we have ridden parts of the Iron Horse Trail and found it hard and or boring in certain sections.
This looking amazing cant wait till they open the Canada boarders again the day they do i pack my bike a get the first flight there
Lovely video. Nice to see that you came to Edmonton and Elk Island National Park. Most cyclists tour through the south, and miss the beauty of Alberta's Capital and the area surrounding the city.
I really like the way you described your trip, the weather, the landscape, etc. The video editing was awesome. Great job, but would like to see you wearing a helmet all the time.
Great info about the challenges of the GCT and some of the more, uh, "technical" rail trails. (I got stuck on one in Ontario that was more of an ATV trail. Managed until it was under water. Turned back after struggling for an hour and took the pavement.) Next trip, Waterloo, Ontario, to Halifax, NS, will be on 700x47 Schwalbe Marathon Touring PLUS tires and disc brakes! (Uh, don't tell the wife. All on a new Kona Sutra. Because. Surly puts 650B wheels on the Trucker in my frame size.) Really looking forward to the next video! Peace and stay safe!
Thanks! Yes it can be hard to find the true nature of the trails until you are on them. Between Toronto and Ottawa I followed the TCT, and most was good rail trail, but the sections that allowed ATV's had been destroyed to near unrideable trash. Highly unfortunate. Sounds like an awesome setup you've got there.
so smooth and heart touching moments ......v good videography
Wow, just wow.
Legend!!! can't wait to watch both on a bender tonight!!
It took me years to see as many Grizzly Bears as you saw in one week. WOW! I'm sending this TH-cam link to cycling friends in the UK to entice them out here to Calgary for some great riding. Beautifully done.
Thanks! Those bears were all within 24 hours haha. Adventurous times in the Canadian rockies for sure.
@@nathanstarzynski I cycled across Canada back in the mid-70's as a teen. We had to have my friend's mom look at European magazines to figure out how to sew panniers and a back carrier bag. Amazing trip. We didn't do side trips the way you did, but did a bit of a windy route through the Prairies to visit my friends family. By the way my UK cycling friends loved it, but are a bit bear shy!
So very spectacular both in video and in journey. Soooooo proud.
Thank you!
This was such a delight to watch... it ended too soon! Loved all the wildlife, ( prairie dog in mid leap!) the night skies, great music.... so much beauty! Thank you, Nathan!
Absolute right. th-cam.com/video/c58bkbPd_E0/w-d-xo.html
Sets the standard for filming and narration. A#1.
It sucks that there’s not one unified bike pathway that connects the whole country
idk why you don't have WAY more followers.
the work you put into your videos is apparent time and time again, in each video you put out.
thnx so much.
Beautiful footage and storytelling 👏🏼
Love your videos. One request, can you include in the videos some map action so I can get a better feel where you are. Hard to watch following google maps. Thanks.
Hi Lawrence, thank you! While I understand that maps included in the video would help at points, I have no intention of including them for now. I find for the most part they would disrupt the flow. If TH-cam had an option for toggleable map overlay like the closed captioning system I’d be all over that. For now, you can take a look at the gps tracks on ridewithgps I’ve included in the description. Cheers :)
complimenti ....bellissime immagini!!!
The best bikepacking video I've seen. So good!
Nathan, thanks for a great trip.
This series just keeps getting better and better!
wow what an amazing trip
Wow. This is one of the best bikepacking video I've seen, and is showing so muc beauty of my country. Thanks for taking the time to do so, it's awesome to watch.
I have seen your video shared somewhere in the Facebook. I'm glad to have come to have a look. Just stunning, no words. Loved the beautifull landscapes seen from the old railways. Can't wait for the next. Cheers from Portugal.
Great job! Looking forward to the rest of the trip. Interesting strategy to ride through the cities late night when traffic is light.
Amazing work! Thoroughly enjoyed your video.
Nathan, what a wonderful video! Thank you for sharing your journey.
Watched previous video...I think Alberta would be more scary..it's amazing how the grizzlies were so mellow 😮❤.. stunning videos
Thank you for the incredible video. I live in Alberta and it was lovely seeing my province showcased like this. Would love to do a ride similar to this someday!
Enjoying your journey and loving the pace and beauty of your cinematography!
Love the videos Nathan! Great work on the video and narration. Loved it. Looking forward to the rest of the videos in the series!!! Keep riding 🚵
Looks like a great adventure!
Sure would like to see your campsites, and maybe some activity around camp. What are you doing about food/cooking?
Happy Trails!
I've been looking forward to this next instalment and thoroughly enjoyed it, great work! Looking forward to the next stage of your trip!
Excellent Photography! Very Nice Video Buddy! Safe Travels!
Love the videos ! Truly amazing journey! Greetings from Calgary!
I randomly came across your 1st video. Which lead me to wanting to watch more. I'm on #2 Alberta and your skills/content and educational information is superb. I can't wait the see the rest of your series. Beautiful work/landscape/photography
Thank you the best bike packing video I have seen I am inspired by your bravery camping in bear country in the spring
So excited to see episode 2. I had no idea how diverse and stunningly beautiful Alberta was (other than the mountains of course). It was breathtaking. With your calm narration and the music it was like a surreal reality moment - like I could imagine being right there. And certainly I wished I was.
Thank you for the kind words! There's beauty to be found everywhere for sure, all one needs is a positive outlook and a curious mind :)
Beautiful video!
Wow you really visited most of Alberta. Most people doing a cross country trip just follow the trans Canada highway. This is the first video I saw of yours. Ill have to go back watch the BC one and continue with the rest
Please share more about your camera equipments and editing softwares. Stunning nature well complimented with video editing and music score.
The production quality is so good, made me wanna get on the bike. Those prairie winds look like a test of the human spirit 😭
I love how you cut in sync with the music.
These first two parts have been great with stunning views and drone shots. I would enjoy to also see the camping, what you eat, interactions you have etc… But your videos are already so good so it feels wrong to give suggestions… so maybe just ignore what I just wrote.
Video one was difficult to top but you did it. Well worth the wait! On a bike tour myself right now (Cuenca, Spain at the moment) and this makes me long for the summer ;-)
Thank you! And are you traveling for long in Europe? I’m actually in Spain right now as well heading East. Started in Porto, rode the coast of Portugal, then inland through Seville and over the mountains, getting to Cabo de Gata today. Feel free to message me if you’re in the area or want route tips for Andalucia. And definitely summer like weather right now this far south. Shorts and t-shirt most days.
@@nathanstarzynski What a coincidence! I arrived today in Valencia being haunted by horrible winter weather in the mountains.
Just outstanding video and narration! Loved it.
Thats is wonderfull, the feeling you give me is indescriptible, its a call that as to be answered ,otherwise i can feel the infinite regrets to not doing it, i got to hit the gym this winter... btw elk island is one of my favorite places because of the bison that are not scared .
Elk Island is for sure magnificent. Such a peaceful land so close to a major city. And definitely follow those touring dreams! As everyone will say: you'll never meet anyone who regretted going on a long tour, only those who didn't and wished they had.
Super videos. It is interesting to see someone go cross Canada and not be in a hurry,taking the railtrails and backroads. Look forward to future vids
Killing it dude!! Cant wait to see more! Hope you are doing well! Cheers
Thanks bro! Loving the cycle life. Hope to see you again somewhere out in the world
Truly amazing journey!
Do you have a gear list? What light do u use?
You are incredibly lucky to be able to do this.
its amazing!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful images and storytelling. Amazing. I love following your journey and look forward to your next video.
Fantastic videos! Very interested in the route!
Thank you, I added a GPS track in the description. All my days are also available on Strava.
@@nathanstarzynski thank you! I see the route for video two. That’s awesome! If you get a chance can you post the route from Vancouver to Baniff from video 1 as well! Thanks:-)
Your videos deserve more attention. They are stunning! (SOOOO much backtracking for all of those shots!) How do you do so much night riding?!? And bears, bears, bears, bears!
Thanks! I love riding at night. It's so peaceful and calm. The videos don't actually show nearly as much as I truly did, 90% of the time I ride until dark I'd say. I have dynamo lights so no worries about losing charge, and they are bright to see and be seen. Often I actually feel safer at night with the lights and reflectors than during the day.
Your photography and narration are just stunning.
You are an excellent wildlife photographer as well.
And who doesn't love a good perogi😋
Happy New Year
Your filmmaking and route selection are just superb. I used to live in Edmonton, that's a tough time of year to be out on the trails when they still hold moisture from the snow melt earlier in the year. I'm curious, where did you sleep when you had to travel through the nearly endless agricultural areas in some parts of the prairies around the cities, and did you get any ticks on you from spending so much time in the grasses?
Thank you very much! In the prairies I mostly stayed at the small town municipal campgrounds, or provincial parks. And yes, many ticks! One day in Manitoba I got 23.
What a awesome documentary. Thank you for sharing it.
Not planning on cycling this but I have to admit that it's a feast for the eyes! Wonderful video!
Love your video! Great storytelling and footage
Fantastic video, Nathan!
Great video!!!
I’ve got a surly lht. U inspire me. Are u a filmmaker? What camera equipment do u use?
Hi! Great filming and commentary. :) I was wondering if i could reach you so that you could transfer me your route. Me and two of my friends are about to bike Vancouver to st-johns this summer!
great video!
What bike are riding for this trip?
🚴🚴👍👍🥰🥰
What are your thoughts on cycling northern Ontario? I've heard that the roads can be sketchy with little to no shoulder room.
That’s correct. Although highway work is ongoing and it seems to get better every year. The section between Thunder Bay and The Soo was the only one I did while staring cross eyed into the rear view mirror most of the time. Will talk about it more in the ON video
Nice video. Wondering, which camera did you use for vidos?
Sony a7s3, DJI air2s, GoPro 10
@@nathanstarzynski Thanks
What kind and size of tires were you riding?
hi great video just wondering about your bike what are you using
Surly disc trucker. 2021, 56cm frame, 700x45 Schwalbe Marathon Mondial tires.
@@nathanstarzynski thanks
did you find this heavy at all
would a bike that could handle 45c tires be better on the dirt?
If you are wondering about the sections of the iron horse trail… I had 45c tires. It’s still very tough. Suited probably to 2.5”+
Hey guys❤
STP comment as tu fait avec tous ces ours ?
You must speak bear. Moi, j'aurai peur.
Did you camp
Yes, I'm camping most of the time. Although also using warmshowers and friends'/networks' places occasionally as well.