North American Epic | section 4

Road to the sun
The 4th section of our Epic Ride. From the Rocky Mountain resort down of Banff our journey continues on a stunningly beautiful section. Waterton lakes, Glacier National Park, climb to the Continental Divide at Logan Pass and ride into Montana to end in Helena.

Highlights

  • Kananaskis Highway
  • Waterton Lakes
  • Glacier NP’s Road to the Sun
  • Cycle friendly village of Ovando

Details

TypeTour bike
Duration11 days
LevelModerate
SupportGuided
Total distance590 mi / 950 km
Group sizeMin.10 max. 45
LodgingCamping, hotels
BicycleBring your own
MonthAugust
StartBanff
FinishHelena
States or countryCanada, Montana
Airport startCalgary International Airport YYV
Airport finishHelena Regional Airport HLN

Starting from $ 2,950.00

*Please note the prices are subject to change depending availability *

Persons number of persons
Tour date
Itinerary
Bicycle
Lodging
Included / not included
Pricing / Tour dates
Conditions
Information

Itinerary

Road to the sun
From the Rocky Mountain resort down of Banff our journey continues on another shorter but stunningly beautiful section. Along the seasonal Kananaskis highway we spin up and down the foothills of the Rockies, climbing to 2200 m at Highwood pass, and camping in provincial parks.

Then it’s down the Cowboy Trail with the MacDonald Range appearing in the distance and into the oil fed town of Pincher Creek. Riders can cycle into beautiful Waterton Lakes Park before climbing to the remote Canada-USA border crossing at Chief Mountain, Montana. From there we enter the lands of the Blackfeet Indians which surround Glacier National Park. After a rest day at the village of St Mary eating huckleberry pie, we’ll cycle on the Going to the Sun Road through this jewel of the USA parks system surrounded by towering peaks as we climb to the Continental Divide at Logan Pass and then descend past ice fed Lake MacDonald.

After a rest day in the outdoor recreation playground of Whitefish, it’s a 4 day ride to the Montana’s capital of Helena. Cycling through state forests and ranch-lands, along the Flatbush and Blackfoot rivers, including a lunch stop in the bike friendly hamlet of Ovando (population 50) and a sweet ascent and descent into Lewis and Clark County.

All of the sections of this tour offer a different window into the natural splendors of the continent, but if you’ve only got a couple weeks to spare in late summer, the Road to the Sun section will wow and invigorate you to come back for more.

* This is a general itinerary. Tour itineraries are subject to change based on the group, available accommodations and other unforeseen circumstances such as the weather, local conditions, government intervention, that may affect the quality of the trip and/or safety of the participants. Please view this itinerary as an outline as to what to expect on this tour.

Bicycle

Bring you own bike
For this tour, we recommend a touring bike with 35-40c tires.
Bring your own bike
Make sure you bring a bicycle that is appropriate for your tour, and in excellent working order. If you intend to use your current bicycle, it needs to be fully tuned, cleaned and ready to go. Ideally, get your bike shop to do an overhaul of your entire bike three to four weeks before your departure. Have them inspect, and if necessary replace, the drive train, pedals and bottom bracket for wear.
Choosing a bicycle for long distance touring
This is the most common question we get asked by people contemplating a bicycle tour with us. For any cycle tourist – whether in a group or going solo, and cycling the smooth cycleways of western Europe or thru the rugged back roads of South America – choosing an appropriate bike for the tour is no easy task
Three Basic Types To help you make the right choice, we have broken down your options into the three most suitable options.
1. Mountain Bike with Front Suspension A ‘hard tail mountain bike’ is the most versatile choice for any bike tour. It provides suspension and relative comfort for the off roads, and with a thinner set of tires it provides a decent ride on paved roads. The drawback is that it will be a little slower, a little heavier, and a little less efficient than other bikes on pavement. Having locking front suspension is useful, as you can ‘lock out’ on the smooth roads and engage the suspension on the rougher roads. This bike is the most common choice on tours crossing rugged terrain.
PROS: versatility, durability, and comfort
CONS: less efficient on smooth roads, less mounts for panniers, more complicated parts
2. Cyclocross or Touring Bike Cyclocross bikes are becoming more and more popular among cycle travelers, as they combine the ruggedness of a mountain bike, with the speed and efficiency of a road bike. These are quite similar in style and form to classic touring bikes. While cyclocross/touring bikes do accommodate wider off road tires they do not have suspension, and riders may be seriously challenged on the rougher off-road sections. Touring bikes, moreso than cyclocross bikes will have excellent mounts for racks and extra water bottles. Both these bikes are a good choice for places with better roads or on any tour where speed is more important to you than comfort.
PROS: efficient on the smooth roads, while still rugged enough for the rougher roads
CONS: no suspension, less comfort
3 Hybrid Bicycle This bike has the same wheel size as a cyclocross bike, but with straight handlebars instead of road style drop bars. Hybrids sometimes have front suspension and suspension in the seatpost. Hybrids are designed more for comfort and leisure than for performance, and have more of an upright sitting position. This is a very popular style of bike for European cycling trips, that also works well in other places.
PROS: comfort, good mounts for racks and bottles
CONS: not always designed for rugged terrain
Consider your Riding Style: What type of rider are? Do you like to sit upright to have a full view and worry little about speed? Or do you like to be tucked into an aerodynamic position and go as fast as you can, and as efficiently as you can? This will help you narrow down your options very quickly.

Lodging

4 Nights in hotels
7 Nights of camping, bring your own camping gear
9 riding day, 1 rest day
Note:
We advise booking at least 1 additional night at tour accommodation before the tour, to be able to attend rider briefing and have assistance from tour bike mechanic in setting up your bike.

Included:

  • Accommodation the night before first cycling day and the night of last cycling day are included in entry fee.
  • 4 nights hotels
  • 7 Nights of camping, bring your own camping gear.
  • Most dinners, Most breakfasts, All roadside lunches.
  • Experienced chef
  • Vehicle to carry your bags
  • Experienced tour leader
  • Sweep rider
  • GPS tracks & route notes
  • Bike mechanic
  • Medic
  • Local support
  • Pre-tour information bulletins

Not included:

  • Flights and transfer to and from the tour
  • Night after the tour
  • Bicycle, camping gear
  • Visas and related costs (requirements vary by rider’s nationality) are not included.
  • Gratuity guides

Pricing / Tour dates

Tour price 2025: $ 2950.- pp Single fee, double occupancy rooms on hotel nights, we pair each rider with others of same gender.
Tour date 2025:
22 Aug – 31 Aug, limited space available

Conditions

Deposit 25%
The deposit payment for a tour must be paid within two weeks after the booking is confirmed.
The remaining payment is due 90 days before the start of the tour.
For tours that are booked within 90 days before the start of the tour you will pay 100% of the tour price

Information

Some long and tough days with shorter less challenging days mixed in. Environment (sometimes including wind and heat) and terrain (including some significant climbing) are more of a factor. Some unexpected challenges may creep in from time to time.


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