Has anyone been there? If so, do you have any favorite spots, cuisine, or events?

Unfortunately the farthest in that direction I've been is Montreal. Are you riding up that way? I'd love to hear reports of what you find.

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Can't say I've been there, but I've heard that it's an excellent ride.

I wonder if Phil (not sure if he's been here to the forum recently) has made that trip?

No, we've been to Montreal. (Nice City, but not much in the way of topology around it, as I recall.)

The tentative plan: Quebec, is first on the menu, then up the Saint Laurent River to Gaspe and the Atlantic Provinces. We'll barnstorm through the vast Maine wasteland to get back home.

Now, off to find Rosetta Stone - French.

Sounds like an excellent trip--I've not been to Quebec for years, nor ever to the Atlantic Provinces--put me down in the "envy" column. Hope it's a great trip!

The Forillon National Park is beautiful. There really isn't all that much up there and the forrest scenery, while magnificent, kind of looks the same after a while. You may enjoy it more going on the other side of the St Lawrence north of Quebec City. Lake Sait Jeane is gorgeous and there are litterally thousands of lakes and glacial lakes in that area. There can also be better support if needed. If you are feeling very adventerous you can leave from Lake St Jean and do a loop on CA 167 - 113 - 397 - 117 back to Montreal and go through the lakes region.

We were planning on going north out of Quebec on 176 to 170 east then up 138 before hopping a ferry over to Rimouski. That would take us north and east toward Gaspe, with a bit of better terrain than can be had on the eastern side of the river. But, it seems the riding is better is going north and west?

A primary attraction of Gaspe (say, over Nova Scotia) was a perceived combination of terrain, remote quaintness and ocean. Basically, I was hoping for a trip to a place like Ireland by bike. Am I mistaken?

Lastly, do you recommend heated apparel for up there - even in the summer. Seems temps in July and August range from high 40's at night to upper 60's in the day.

It's been a long time since I took a trip without at least my electric vest. I can't imagine going on a trip without! I imagine you'll encounter cold, rain, or both, so take _something_ with you.

Have fun!

Listen to the man. The coldest I've been in recent memory is on a trip with Ian.

I never leave home without my electric vest even if it's 100 degF outside. Strangely I /always/ end up in widely varying temperatures.

O.K. - Electric apparel is a must.

But, since I'm just getting into electric apparel, I have a few questions: would you suggest a vest over a jacket?

Also, I was thinking of getting the gloves also, as I once got frostbite on my hands and they seem rather more sensitive to cold, as a result. What do you think?
Gerbing's? Revzilla?

Thanks in advance, for any and all experience or advice you can share.

I'm a minimalist as far as that goes. The concept behind electric gear is to keep your core warm that your body does not slow blood flow to your extremities.

As such I use a vest instead of a jacket. It's easier to put on and is less bulky. I don't know if having the extra draw for the arms provides that much extra. I have a mountain climbing fleece that I wear over it and that does a real good job.

Does your bike have grip heaters? Your mileage may vary, but I find grip heaters and good leather gloves to be good down to really low temperatures. There are now gloves available that are thing on the palm side and insulated on the other side specifically for use with heated grips.

I also recommend grip heaters over electric gloves. No wires to get in the way and they work very well. No reason not to install them - you'll use them often.

My electric vest still works great after many years of use. Nowadays there are good electric jacket liners that include heated sleeves. I've heard and read good things about them. It would just be a judgment call on your part. I personally really like having a high fuzzy colar on my vest to keep the wind off my neck.

Electric vests are worn under regular cycle jackets. Gerbings is good, as is Aerostich. You can certainly get gloves, though I've found that even with thin leather gloves, grip heaters go a long way.

BTW, it's of course possible to have factory heated grips installed on any BMW that was originally available with them. It's worth checking prices before jumping on electric gloves. You can also get electric socks from Gerbing.

You may also wish to consider a retrofitted pinlock face shield. I never had satisfactory results with any anti-fog treatment before the pinlock I bough just prior to our Gap trip last month--it really works well.

Personally, the electric vest, long underwear, a good fleece neck protector and heated grips have worked for me well into the upper 30s.

I rode up towards the Gaspe Peninsula in 1990 or so (with Yermo's sister and another friend, Leonard). Went up through New York, through Montreal, Quebec City, along the St. Lawrence, and then cut across the peninsula to New Brunswick on 132. It was August- and did the 132 section at night. It got really cold, and there were very long stretches of *NOTHING*. Was in no way prepared for the cold. Daytime temperatures were cool, but comfortable.