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Eastern Canada
The wife and I are dusting off the tandem with plans to do a stretch in Eastern Canada this summer (Detroit - Toronto- and on to the East Coast then down into Maine and .....?) Usually we are skittish of big cities but a glance at the map doesn't really show too many choices. Are Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec bike friendly enough for a couple of old geezers on a loaded tandem to enjoyably ride through or should we be thanking of alternatives? Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks -- Tailwinds, Charley & Kamala Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting, "Holy ****, what a ride!" |
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#2
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Eastern Canada
Montreal is a great bicycle city. Everyone rides there. They have the
biggest bicycle ride in the world. Montreal is as close as you get to an International City in North America. They have an excellent system of bike trails through out Quebec. Combine that with great food, the best beer in North America, and outdoor dining, what more could a bicyclist want? We often stay in Longueil, across the river from Montreal and take the ferry into the city. You can ride the bridge but there is something about bikes and ferries that just seems to work. Longueil is close to the bike system that takes you all over Quebec. We love the ride to Chambly. Quebec City may be the most beautiful city in North America, much more Quebec than Montreal. It is also a great bicycling destination. Enjoy the ride ... Roland You can see some of my rides at http:www.e-bent.com |
#3
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Eastern Canada
"Charles and Kamala Land" wrote in message ... The wife and I are dusting off the tandem with plans to do a stretch in Eastern Canada this summer (Detroit - Toronto- and on to the East Coast then down into Maine and .....?) Usually we are skittish of big cities but a glance at the map doesn't really show too many choices. Are Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec bike friendly enough for a couple of old geezers on a loaded tandem to enjoyably ride through or should we be thanking of alternatives? Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks -- Tailwinds, Charley & Kamala Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting, "Holy ****, what a ride!" Here are some daily reports of the Canadian portion of my long 2004 ride: Tuesday, May 25, 2004 - Day 4 I "waited out" some rain, since the radar showed it was passing - showed in fact, that it had already passed. I welcomed a little extra sleep anyway. I left about 6:25 and biked 64 miles to St. Johnsbury, arriving about 11:15 and stopped to eat and rest. There were a few flat stretches that acted like a real river valley - but also still a lot of climbing. The small town scenery was like yesterday; village greens with white Congregational/UCC Churches, sometime a bandstand. After St. Johnsbury, I continued on Rt. 5 for 9 more miles - I had been on Route 5 since Springfield - then switched to 114 to the Canadian line, which I hit around 4:30 at mile 113 for the day. The country was markedly less populated and less "quaint" - mostly wooded land. Still plenty hilly but less so than further south. Temperatures today were mostly in the 50s peaking at 61° or so. It started raining near the border and continued for a couple of hours, so I'm all wet again. I took Quebec Route 147 to Coaticook, where I got some Canadian dollars at an ATM. Then I switched to Route 141 to Magog where I quit for the day at about 7:15. Mileage for day - 145 Vermont - 113, Quebec - 32. Mileage for trip - 602 Wednesday, May 26, 2004 - Day 5 Light rain and drizzle in the morning caused me to "wait it out" - 3 days rainy weather (in a row) is too much. [Drei-Tagen Regenwetter is a German expression for a bad situation.] So I left at 8:30, after having some breakfast in the room [there was a store next door]. I caught the last half of a Mass at Eastman about 10 miles out, and then rode to Granby, where I had a roll and juice, and got some bike lubricant. It was a hard town to ride through. It seemed every traffic light was red. After Granby the road flattened a lot and the countryside became farm country. Route 112 was not good riding. In some areas there was no paved shoulder. In many areas, the pavement was in awful condition Nearing Montreal, I asked a police officer for directions to get across the St. Lawrence river, which was a good idea, as there is only one option. With some difficulty, I found the Notre Dame Basilica and St. Margaret Bourgoys Church/Museum, leaving a few prayers behind as silent "markers" of my visit. Then I found a bike shop and asked about the best route to Quebec City. The fellow I asked consulted someone who "knew" and the advice was to use 138 along the north bank of the River. It was good advice! I rode about ½ way to Trois Rivières, stopping at Berthierville. I expected there'd be motels all along the way. I was wrong. I had difficulty finding a place - it was after dark when I got here. There were 2 brief showers today before my big mistake tonight. Instead of ordering food, I took the bike 1 ½ miles into town to eat. About as I arrived at a restaurant, so did a big thunderstorm. I ended up very wet. Mileage for day - 134; all in Quebec. Mileage for trip - 736. Thursday, May 27, 2004 - Day 6 I left, seemingly a little late, at 7:15, intending to ride to Trois Rivières before breakfast. What I quickly discovered was the light fog I thought I saw at the motel was not so light and I didn't feel safe riding in it. So I stayed for breakfast in Berthierville. The road up from Montreal so far has provided the best riding yet on this trip. It's been flat, good pavement, extra width much of the way and only modest traffic. Having a freeway nearby is usually helpful in reducing traffic and this is no exception. Unlike the Connecticut River earlier, the St. Lawrence, at least in this area, has a broad valley. There's consistent but not constant development along the river bank but within 5 miles or so past the end of Montreal's island, farms took over on the inland side of 138. I got started riding at 8:30 and by 8:50 the sun was shining and I was soon able to shed my heavy shirt, which I wore for the first time this morning. Temperatures warmed into the 60s and have stayed there. I stopped in Trois Rivières and, feeling a little dehydrated, drank 2 quarts of Five Alive, plus ate 2 large Valencia oranges. I also got $80 more of Canadian dollars. A 15 ½% sales tax in Quebec doesn't help limit costs. That was at 43 miles for the day, after which I rode another 44 to Portneuf, which I reached a little before 3:00, and am having some pizza here. I put on sunscreen for the first time since day 2. The roads remained flat until 10 miles ago and have had only gentle hills since then. The stop in Portneuf was calculated, as ancestors of mine lived here eons ago (18th century). Notably, there are few farms around here, after they dominated the countryside all the way from Montreal to where the small hills started a few miles ago. The moderate hills continued north of Portneuf. The road was frequently level but elevated, so you could see down a length of the river, and not just across it. It was really a majestic view, watching the river course north-eastward. There were farms there, but not as prosperous looking as further south. There were a lot of bike riders out - a couple dozen on 138 south of Quebec and many dozens on bike paths along the north shore beyond the City. The land there forms a small valley where the road, railroad and paths are, then there is a sharp rise. The Montmorency falls were spectacular - there's been a lot of rain, obviously, contributing water to the falls. Ste. Anne de Beaupré proved to be on the plain. If it had been at the top of the highest local hill - like the Holy Hill shrine and monastery near home in Washington County, Wisconsin, that would have been a negative for my ride, I'm having some Canadian red wine tonight - nothing to boast about. There is a political campaign going on. The signs are uniform (regulated?)- more party oriented than in the U.S. All of each party's signs are of the same color and all have the same slogan: "A party proper for Quebec" for the Bloc Quebecois; "Team Martin" for the Liberals; and "Enough is Enough" for the Conservatives. The only difference is the picture and name of the local candidate. In Montreal, where there are many districts (ridings) there are signs with no "local" candidate; just the party leader. Conservative signs are missing in many districts. Social Credit doesn't appear at all. None of the signs identifies an incumbent, all of them are in French " Un Parti propre au Quebec" "L'Equipe Martin" and "C'est assez", for the three parties, respectively. Mileage for day - 144, all in Quebec Mileage for trip - 880 Friday, May 28,2004 - Day 7 I went to the first Mass at Ste. Anne de Beaupre at 7:10, and was on the road about 8:10, riding back to Quebec and locating the ferry to Levis, which is where I am as I begin this note. I was on the boat at 10:00 a.m. The weather channel promised rain for today, which is just beginning. (It also apparently rained during the night, as there were lots of puddles to ride around or through.) By the time the ferry arrived in Levis, it was definitely raining, which continued all day. I battled it for 75 miles, plus the 23 mostly dry miles I had from Ste. Anne de Beaupré to Quebec. I made no stops for those 75 miles and knew I'd have trouble when I did have to stop. That's exactly what happened. I stopped at a McDonalds at La Pocatière and was immediately cold when I went back outside. The odds are I could have "worked up" enough heat, but this was not the place to take a chance. The temperature was around 50° and dropping. So I rode back a mile or so to a motel I had passed and checked in before 6:00 p.m. The "white whale" won today! I didn't get any where near to Rivière du Loup which was my goal for the day. Other than the rain, the ride on Route 132 wouldn't have been bad. There were some hills but not bad. The area near Quebec had paved shoulder area which continued much of the way, though it's been absent in "recent" miles. There's a parallel expressway that picks up the through auto traffic, so traffic isn't bad. Mileage for day - 98, all in Quebec Mileage for trip - 978 Saturday, May 29, 2004 - Day 8 Following the early stop yesterday, I got an early start this morning at 5:00 a.m. The rain has exited, and been replaced by mostly cloudy skies - it's also colder, low 40s maybe and hasn't warmed by noon. I've had my heavy shirt on all morning and considered switching to my full-fingered gloves, though I never did. I rode 46 miles to Rivière du Loup to Route 185 only to find it closed to bikes. The bike path was near it but didn't look attractive. The stone was insufficiently packed. There was a gas station nearby where I had some pastry and beverages. Then I started down the path, not liking it at all. But about a mile later, I realized 185 was no longer an expressway so I moved over to it and have been on it ever since, I stopped at a Mike's restaurant in Cabano with 81 miles for the day, which is where this note is written. Most of the way from La Pocatière to Rivière du Loup was fairly flat farm country. That changed toward the end to hills, which have also dominated the route east of Rivière du Loup - and trees - with few farms. I reached Edmunston about 3:30 EDT - 4:30 locally, since New Brunswick is on Atlantic time - and looked into the Mass situation. The two Churches I went by had late Saturday Masses - 7:00 and 7:15 -so I crossed to Madawaska, Maine just in time for a 4:00 Mass, after which I rode 25 miles to Van Buren, and found no motel. But there is one across the river in St. Leonard, New Brunswick, which is where I am tonight. It wouldn't have been out of the question to go another 22 miles to Caribou as it wasn't 7:00 yet, but I hadn't eaten since the earlier note, it had never warmed up (high around 47°) and it was threatening rain. Quebec was as stereotyped as Vermont had been or more so. The street and town names were usually after Saints (or Notre Dame), and each small town was dominated architecturally by a large Catholic Church. Old Quebec was as truly Catholic or more so than Poland or Ireland. But the faith in the current generation isn't what it used to be. The Church in Madawaska still has a French Mass on Sunday. French ethnic Catholics apparently dominate in the far north of Maine. Mileage for day - 148 Quebec - 107 (515), New Brunswick - 14, Maine - 27. Mileage for trip - 1126 |
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