Alaska Highway
The 2nd section of our Epic Ride This section starts in Whitehorse and follows close to 1400 km of the Alaska Highway. This section ends in Fort St John.
Type | Tour bike |
Duration | 14 days |
Level | Moderate |
Support | Guided |
Total distance | 833 mi / 1340 km |
Group size | Min.10 max. 45 |
Lodging | Camping, hotels |
Bicycle | Bring your own |
Month | July, August |
Start | Whitehorse |
Finish | Fort St. John |
States or country | Canada, |
Airport start | Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport YXY |
Airport finish | North Peace Regional Airport YXJ |
*Please note the prices are subject to change depending availability *
Alaska Highway
Hot springs, buffalo, and moose…
The 2nd section of our epic ride follows close to 1400 km of the Alaska Highway, which was constructed during World War II for the purpose of connecting the contiguous USA to Alaska. Legendary for being a rough, challenging drive, the highway is currently paved over its entire length, although we can expect a few rougher stretches due to construction work and periodic flooding.
From Whitehorse, our route takes us past tranquil Teslin Lake, then across the continental divide for the first time, and into Watson Lake famed for its signpost of license plates from around the world. From there, it’s into the northeast corner of British Columbia and a rest day in search of moose and a refreshing dip at the Liard Hotsprings.
The quiet majesty of jade green Muncho Lake will beckon us on wards towards Fort Nelson which was founded as a trading post but today derives its livelihood from oil & gas and forestry. This section ends in Fort St John. Here departing and arriving riders have the convenience of an airport with connections to and from Edmonton and Vancouver.
* 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.
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.
6 Nights in hotels
8 Nights of camping, bring your own camping gear
11 riding day, 2 rest days
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.
Tour price 2025: $ 3450.- pp Single fee, double occupancy rooms on hotel nights, we pair each rider with others of same gender.
Tour date 2025:
28 Aug – 08 Aug limited space available
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
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.