Planning a trip on the Trans Labrador Hwy, Newfoundland and the Cabot Trail. Expecting around 5000 miles. I know my rear Anakee 2 won't survive the trip so I'm looking at a new set of tires for the trek. What would you want for lots of loose gravel and lots of highway miles.
I guess the one that does all is the Heidenau K60 Scout. You also have the Continental TKC80 that is a bit more off-tarmac orientated but does reasonably well on. And the new TKC70 that is mostly on road. I read in the US the Sinko is populair, not so much well known in Europe.
More important than tires is the nut that connects the handle bars to the seat. Good tires can't make up for a 'bad nut' :hat10 What tire pressure are you going to use, or is tarmac pressure also good for gravel? In my case it would, but that has more to do with my (lack of) off road riding skills then anything else I'm afraid :icon_redface:
(http://motorbazaar.nl/diversen/tiger20132.jpg)
I did the same trip from Long Island New York a few years back. I left with anakee 2s and had tkc80s strapped on top. I figured the tkcs would be shot if I left home on them. And I always had extra tired in case I had issues. My trip was just over 5k too. I know the TLH has changed a lot since I rode. How much is still gravel? I brought extra gas but never had to use it. I lowered the pressures whenever I was off road. And pumped them up again when I hit the paved sections. I switched the tires to TKCs about 100 miles before leaving NewFoundland. And switched back to anakees when I was down with the gravel in Labrador. Worked great for me but it made the bike a bit heavy.
Yeah I'm trying to get a sense of how much gravel is left, hoping someone has been up there in the past year or so with some insight. I'm leaning towards the Scouts myself, even though they aren't a gravel tread but more suited to dirt/sand. How long did you take for your trip? I'm limited to about 6 hours a day medically, was planning on going west to east, ferry to Newfoundland, explore there and then hit the Cabot trail on the way back down. Have it planned out for 16 days or riding and 5 off to play catch up or do some sight seeing. Longest day ride is 408 miles (which I know will be pushing it but it is just how things worked out)
I've heard good things about the Mitas E07 Dakar. Better in the gravel.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/03/3a5asu5u.jpg)
You should check on Ridetherock or advrider. Both have topics discussing how much had been paved. I know a lot has been done since I was there. Can't imagine it being paved. Scouts are great tires. At least what I have heard and read. I want going to go with them for my next set. I hear that he center compound is harder to get more distance out of them. Maybe take an extra rear since they wear out first? My trip was 21 days and 5005 miles. I
I did several detours around Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. I would think that 16 days and a limit on saddle time is pushing it. Then again, I am slow on any surface. I like to look around a lot. I had a couple from England that would hit the road after me and pass me every day leaving me in a cloud of dust. Always wondering when I would show up to the next town.
That's what the extra 5 days or so is for plus I don't mind dropping the Cabot Trail off for now either if needed, picking up the slack. Not planning on taking another set along as if it does wear in the rear I'll buy a more streetable tire at that point as it will be on the home stretch. Oh and anybody try these? Good review on avrider http://www.shinkotireusa.com/tire/804-and-805-series
Like I wrote previously, Shinko isn't popular in EUR (hell, I couldn't even get the name right first :augie ), over here the A brands (Michelin, Pirelli, Bridgestone, Dunlop etc) are prefered. Maybe a bit more expensive but quite often they perform better with longer life. And even the just better is worth is, 10 bucks saved on tires and $ 1000 crash damage doesn't sound like good economics to me.
How twisty is that Canadian Gravel? I can imagine that on strait roads the real knobbies aren't as necessary as in the corners.
Quote from: Dutch on January 17, 2015, 02:09:41 PM
How twisty is that Canadian Gravel? I can imagine that on strait roads the real knobbies aren't as necessary as in the corners.
not much for twisty roads but the gravel can be really deep , especially after the road graders go thru .............
As Mustang says. it ain't the twisty it's the depth, size of the stuff and all of a sudden coming across a pile of the stuff pushed up by a truck. Trust me I've ridden it, TKCs or something like the Shinkos will be heaven sent
Thanks for the explanation, as you can tell I'm no off-tarmac specialist :icon_redface:
Will the Anakee's last to the start of the gravel roads? If yes, would it be an option to contact a bike shop in that area and ask if they can have a set of knobbies waiting for you when you get there?
there are no bike shops on the translab. In Lab City and Goose Bay there are powersport dealers (selling mostly quads) and you might possibly be able to arrange to have the proper size tyres waiting for you. Maybe. Possibly. But...
more than half of the translab is now paved, but as I understand it there remains +/- 500 km from Goose Bay to . So a mostly-paved heavy-haul truck route through black-spruce swamp with blackflies...
That said, since the question was about tyres, and given the remoteness of Labrador and the consequences of having things go sideways... I would bring a set of TKC's or have a set of TKC's waiting for me at Goose Bay (assuming clockwise travel) or put a set of TKC's in the post and pick them up when I got there.... I like my heidenau K60 scouts, but in crappy deep loose crud, I would go with TKC's every time. Unfortunately, a rear TKC lasts 2000-3000 km in my experience...
There's lots of great dual-sport trails in Canada that would appeal to me a whole lot more... Check out the TCAT trans-Canada adventure trail (graveltravel.ca)
Ian
you think it's remote now ................ I lived in Goose Bay on the US Air Base that used to be there , from 1970-1973, there wasn't even a road then. :bug_eye
the road now
(http://tlhwy.com/travelogues/jul2000central/TLHkm540.jpg)
(http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NnyHqiE75K0/TEYmVeusnVI/AAAAAAAAGYI/kGUYTHqpU2E/s800/20100703091634%281%29.JPG)
https://alavigne.net/Outdoors/TripReports/2011/NfldAndLabrador/?p=translabhwy&n=2#_
Reason I'm looking at the Shinkos (and they aren't bad simply because they are cheaper, come from Korea and lack the name of a Mich or the like who also make grade B and C tires) is they are said to last about 5k miles on the rear which would allow me to run a set the whole way making my life much easier (at the worst case I'd need to replace the rear with a tire on the ride home in N.S. or even the states where a 150/70 17 should be a dime a dozen. I don't ride off road enough to warrant a Scout for another 5k after I get home either. The Lab. trail was an afterthought as I wanted to do Newfoundland and the Cabot Trail so naturally it fit in the loop. :) I'm hoping to go prior to the black flies waking up (late May thru the 1st week of June) am told most years they aren't in full force until late June. The downside to that is it is early after spring regrading of the highway.
we used to get killer snowstorms in may.............when I lived there got 10 inches snow on graduation night May 25
the weather is far more suitable in mid july .
The black flies are not that bad .
get a good bug net for your head is all you need if you are planning on camping
June is when it is, as that's what fits the family schedule, besides, I turn 40 at the end of Jun so I'm sure I'll be trike shopping by July 1st :) I know that is still a bit early but, I'm the idiot who worked for years at a Ski Resort and rode his cb650sc to work 40 miles away every Saturday and Sunday at 6am. It did suck in the snow!
Quote from: lukeman on January 14, 2015, 08:41:27 PM
I've heard good things about the Mitas E07 Dakar. Better in the gravel.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/03/3a5asu5u.jpg)
8300 touring miles with some dirt thrown in in my 800XC.
Mitas E07 which is now dual compound.
(http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp48/black955tiger/WRC%20CATALUNYA%202014/IMG_0945.jpg) (http://s396.photobucket.com/user/black955tiger/media/WRC%20CATALUNYA%202014/IMG_0945.jpg.html)
When new they now look like this with a centre section to prevent the block breaking away.
(http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp48/black955tiger/TIGER800XC%20LV11UXM/IMG_0091.jpg) (http://s396.photobucket.com/user/black955tiger/media/TIGER800XC%20LV11UXM/IMG_0091.jpg.html)
I ran the Mitas E-07 Dakars up to Alaska last summer. Over 8k miles on them. They are phenomenal!!!
Thanks for the replys, I'm not wanting something that will last too long beyond when I return home as I do like a more performance oriented tire on my vehicles and have no real pretenses of doing much off roading aside from the trip. Still not sure what I'll go with.
Shinko has got an 804 front, 805 rear out now. Front looks to rival the tkc 80, though much cheaper. reviews are saying decent on road performance too. Should handle all that gravel well. Got one shipped up to Alberta from rocky mtn atv for $125cad.
Pjammer those are the tires I'm really leaning toward. Have you mounted yours yet?
Well I pulled the trigger and ordered the 804 and 805s, should have a full life review of them by July. Won't mount until end of May to do my best not to need to replace the rear on the trip.
Labrador high heels arrived today. Will post up my thoughts on 'em when I get back and have killed 'em in end of June
They look good. Running 705's now and not particularly happy. Thought I would look for something with some more bite :wheel
High heals are installed and have about 20 miles on them to ensure they are balanced right, oil has been changed, chain cleaned and lubed and bike is 90% packed. A look at Wabash/Labrador City weather yesterday had snow in the forecast thru Friday. Guess I will need to find room for my winter gloves as well as my mesh gloves. Finally route is set. Going north to Syracuse, then to Montreal and north to Lab City, will take the hwy east to Blanc Salbon and ferry to Newfoundland. 8 days on the rock then Cabot and Evangeline trails followed by a coastal trip back down to PA. Still limited to a max of about 6 hours a day with my DVT/ PTS clotting issues and a very bum shoulder so I should do about 8k over 21-24 days. Leaving June 2nd.
Quote from: benebob on May 21, 2015, 04:19:35 AM
High heals are installed and have about 20 miles on them to ensure they are balanced right, oil has been changed, chain cleaned and lubed and bike is 90% packed. A look at Wabash/Labrador City weather yesterday had snow in the forecast thru Friday. Guess I will need to find room for my winter gloves as well as my mesh gloves. Finally route is set. Going north to Syracuse, then to Montreal and north to Lab City, will take the hwy east to Blanc Salbon and ferry to Newfoundland. 8 days on the rock then Cabot and Evangeline trails followed by a coastal trip back down to PA. Still limited to a max of about 6 hours a day with my DVT/ PTS clotting issues and a very bum shoulder so I should do about 8k over 21-24 days. Leaving June 2nd.
Sounds hard but fun. Enjoy. :wheel