A few weeks ago we put up an article that laid down the best bike paths in Quebec City.  We’re focusing on French Canada once again and this time giving you the top 3 cycling itineraries for Montreal.  Thanks to Caroline Simpson for providing this valuable information to any of you traveling to Canada this summer.

Cycling Around Montreal: 3 Itinerary Suggestions

by Caroline Simpson

Montreal is one of the most bicycle-friendly city in North America. When the fair season comes, there are almost as many cyclists than cars on the road! Quebec’s largest city being mostly flat, it is quite easy to explore on two wheels – and there are pretty amazing bike paths to discover. Here are three itinerary suggestions.

Itinerary #1: The Canal Lachine

This completely off-road, flat and paved bike path will take you along the Lachine Canal, which runs on the Southwest part of the city. Get started at the Old Port (the bike path is clearly spottable, right by the water) and keep on pedaling, towards west. First you’ll pass along industries, old Montreal buildings, the Atwater market, going from one side of the canal to the other as you follow the path. And then the landscape will slowly change, as you get closer to lake St-Louis. By the time you reach the end of the path, you won’t believe you were downtown a mere forty-five minutes ago. It is a true must-do for every cyclist visiting Montreal.

Itinerary #2: The Cap-St-Jacques Beach

The Cap St-Jacques Nature Park, located on the western tip of the Montreal Island, has much to offer: An Ecological farm, an Arboretum, miles of peaceful paths in the nature and, of course, a stunning beach. There are a few bike paths within the park itself; You can either choose to get there by other means (car, bus, etc.) and ride your bike once you get at the park or, if you’re up for a ride, you can bike there from downtown; there is no direct bike path leading you there, you’ll have to follow different ones and to ride on the road as well. A quick research on Google Maps will help you figure out the way. It’s a long ride, but you’ll be rewarded by a swim in the fresh water when you finally get to the beach!

Itinerary #3: The City

Your cycling experience in Montreal will not be complete until you ride your bike within the city itself. Start at the Old Port, approximately where you started for your trip along the Lachine Canal, but instead of going West, go North, towards the city center. It is a pleasant bike ride that’ll take you right in the heart of the action. You’ll pass by the imposing National Library, by some buildings of the UQAM, one of Montreal’s most important universities; you’ll go through the trendy and hip neighborhood of Plateau Mont-Royal and its colorful houses. The path will also take you across the beautiful Park Lafontaine, an ideal place to stop for a picnic.

Caroline Simpson is a writer, a translator and a travel addict who’s always looking for ways to make life easier. She works as a freelance blogger for Le Yeti, a Montreal-based bike dealer that sells a great variety of brands, such as the famous De Vinci bike.

As I’m sure you are aware this week’s #bikeschool class is being hosted by two special guest Professors; Joe from @ryderseyewear and Canadian Olympian Lauren Campbell (@gunzycampbell). Having both hosted a class before I’m sure they will be very comfortable with the format but we wanted to find out more from the lady who will be pinning her hopes on selection to the Canadian Triathlon squad for London 2012 and hoping for some retribution dating back to Beijing!

Stevie Dexter – An athletes’ first Olympics can notoriously be a nervous and overwhelming time in their career. Having experienced the 2008 Olympics and the added media pressure that comes with that, are there areas of your life, training or racing that have changed because of those experiences?

Lauren Campbell - There’s no question that the Olympic experience was like none other and it’s something that has definitely left some lasting changes. The added media pressure really did affect how I carry myself, as I find that I am more comfortable speaking publicly and being interviewed. I used to be an incredibly shy person, nervous to even speak with sponsors or interviewers over the phone, but since I’ve come out of my shell a bit and put some of those fears behind me. As for training and racing, I guess you can say I’ve been carrying some unfinished “Olympic business” and have had that on my mind over the past four years! (I was involved in a bike pile-up in Beijing, resulting in a broken elbow and a DNF).

SD - Within the cycling peloton there are riders who are allowed to boss the race due to their experience, calibre or both. Is the same true within Triathlon and how do other athletes react to seeing you on the start list?

LC – There are definitely some more dominant riders in the pack, those that tend to be the stronger riders and want to see something happen, rather than sitting in and waiting for the run. The packs can be quite large in some events, often with the entire field of a World Series race, with over 60 women, so you can imagine some of the stronger personalities can emerge in those conditions. There are some women who are known to make some noise out there to get the group organized, which I respect (as I am often one of them), but the races are tactical so none of us want to work more than we have to get in position for the win.

Being away from racing for most of the past two years, I’m no longer a “big name” on the start lists. As a past podium contender and decent runner, I might be on the minds of some, but there are so many other potential winners these days. I’m still working my way back up to the top!

SD – Your blog mentions some of the ups and downs you’ve had in the last couple of years from ‘marriage, to injuries, crashes, sickness, surgery, frustrations, comebacks, and everything in between’. These are things that might happen to all of us, but how does a professional athlete cope with them?

LC – It’s definitely been a challenge to work through all of this over the past couple of years, and given the fact that my job relies on a healthy and functional body has made some of these setbacks even more frustrating. I have been very fortunate to have an incredibly supportive network around me that keeps my mind on track when I start to doubt my ability to return to form. Injuries and illnesses are all part of the game and I’ve learned that they DO heal, but you have to be patient and pro-active throughout the recovery. I can’t tell you how many physio, chiropractic, massage, surgical, and doctor appointments I’ve had over the past two years. It’s definitely been quite a process!

SD – When you see or hear LONDON 2012 what is your first thought?

LC – Pure excitement! It’s been a LONG road over the past few years to even get myself into contention to qualify for the team, so the Olympics will be nothing more than a celebration of everything I’ve been though. That, and the most competitive race I’ve ever done in my life. The sport has really grown over the past four years and I’m excited for the challenge to step-up and see how I go amongst the world’s best.

SD – Anyone with dreams of London 2012 has had to put in some big efforts during 2011 and this early part of 2012 to make sure they shine in front of the selectors. What are you doing to make sure you get to the start line in London this summer?

LC – Because I’ve been out of competition and training for all but 5 months over the last two years, I’ve been playing a lot of catch-up in terms of fitness and earning World Ranking points. Thankfully my health was back on track as of October of last year so I was able to put in a consistent block of aerobic, strength and base training, a critical component that I’ve missed out on over the years. By December I was able to add in some intensity and now I am away at a training camp in Florida, putting in a solid pre-race build that will hopefully set me up well for the busy season ahead. Because of the missed World Ranking Points, I need to race as much as possible between now and the end of May (the end of qualifying). The Canadian qualifying criteria is top-8 finishes at both Sydney and San Diego World Series events in April and May. As much as I’d like to only target those races, I haven’t earned that luxury and need to earn Canada another “country spot” for the Games, which is determined based on my Olympic ranking. It’s a bit of a confusing process, but thankfully I have a coach who is good at math and has figured out where I need to race and how I need to do at those races to earn the spot!

SD – Swimming… Cycling… Running… Which do you consider your forté and how do you use that to your advantage against your opponents?

LC – Running has always been my forté so I always race to get myself at the front of the race, or at least in a position to run myself up there. Racing has changed over the years though and there are many more strong runners, who are strong swimmers and bikers so I can no longer plan to run myself up from the 2nd pack. I’ve worked hard at my swimming and riding so that a) I’m in the lead pack off the bike and b) I’m strong enough on the bike that it won’t completely zap my run legs. But basically my race strategy is pretty simple: race hard and smart!

SD – When you need to completely switch off from training or racing what do you do to wind down and relax?

LC – I love to cook and have plans for my next career to be something food-related, so I spend a lot of my down-time researching recipes, sourcing foods, and of course cooking! I also love to read a good book, go for coffee, catch up with friends and do a spot of shopping every now and then.

SD – Many #bikeschool class members are triathletes or time-trialers and I find it hard to give advice… as I have no idea what I’m doing on a TT bike and swim like… well like a Richards Bay blue-bottomed monkey! What are your top 3 tips for #bikeschoolers?

LC – Top 3 tips, eh? There’s a lot I could say here but if it’s only three things then..

1) Enjoy what you are doing. There’s no sense in pursuing this path if you don’t enjoy it. Life’s too short, so find something you love and work hard at it!

2) Embrace the pain. I’m talking about the “good” pain, the lung-bursting, quad-burning pain that comes with a great workout or race. Getting to the next level is going to take you out of your comfort zone so you might as well welcome this discomfort!

3) Have balance in your life. Triathlon, cycling, etc is wonderful and exciting, but never let it take over your life. I’ve learned through my setbacks that there is much more to life than my sport/job. So whatever your goals, always remember why you are doing this and what’s most important to you in life.

SD – You’re running #bikeschool this week with Joe from Ryders Eyewear and we’re all really stoked. How does a relationship with a company like Ryders help you compete to your maximum potential?

LC – I’ve been so fortunate to have connected with a company like Ryders Eyewear. I’ve been on board with them leading up to the Beijing Olympics so we’ve been able to share this roller coaster of events over the past four years. They have been incredibly supportive of me through this hard time and this is the type of support network I mentioned earlier that has help keep me moving forward. So it’s this support AND getting to wear some of the sweetest sunglasses out there is what keeps me going!

SD – Finally, why are YOU loving the bike?

LC – I’m loving the bike because it’s a chance to see the world at my own speed. There’s nothing quite like rolling around a beautiful place and soaking in the sights! That, and getting to fill my belly with delicious post-ride treats!

My thanks to Lauren for some great answers and a lovely insight into a professionals career and life off of the bike (and out of the water). Don’t miss this week’s class as it’s sure to be a real doozy!

Keep The Rubber Side Down

Stevie

I’ve never cycle toured before, but I sure would like to one day.  To get a taste for what it’s like, today I am posting a story by Maximillian Birkner who did a 9,000km ride across Canada this past summer.

I got home from Afghanistan in May and two weeks later I left to bike across the country. I’ve bike toured twice before, the longest stretch being four weeks, and living in the city I do a lot of commuting this way.

Because of my overseas deployment, preparation had been interesting. My buddy Jono and I had begun planning the trip in December via email. We bounced back and forth for months discussing gear and route plans. Jono knows a lot more about bikes than I do, having been in the industry for years as a racer, and he’d found a bike online called Surly Long Haul Trucker. When I got home it was waiting for me, plus panniers bags from Ortlieb, and another few days of prepping saw us breaking everything down and boxing it for the flight from Vancouver to St. John’s, NL, a nice little town with a deadly night-life that almost killed the trip before we even started.

Here comes the bad bit: We got as far as Clarenville, Newfoundland before the trip’s first hospital visit. Jono, used to carbon-fiber racing bikes, had matched his knees against a steel frame and a load weighing eighty+ pounds, and lost. It goes without saying that he had neglected to train, due to work and time issues, and the only thing that saved me from the same fate were the countless hot days of lugging water and weapons in the desert, moulding iron quads.

It was hard to leave Jono behind, but in the end I carried on alone. Through Newfoundland I had no tent, just a worn-out bivy bag, and most nights I got soaked. By the end of 700km I was nursing a knee injury as well – repetitive stress and over-rotation – but in Corner Brook is saw a doctor who gave me an orthotic insole which helped a lot. That’s also where I got rid of half the luggage – the front two panniers plus the stove. If packing light means eating cold, I’m up for it.

The rest of the Maritimes were good to me. In Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island I bought a one-man tent for a hundred bucks, and Montreal where I stayed for four days in Old Town, was a blast. During my time there it was forty Celsius and humid, the view from Mont Royal hazy, and after dark the clubs downtown throbbed and bounced.

I continued along the St. Lawrence and stayed in Ottawa for another three days, right in time for the Blues Festival, and in Toronto I met a buddy I haven’t seen for several years. The ride in to the big city was easier than I’d expected and three days of the CN tower, Kensington Market, Canada’s Wonderland and Korean BBQ had me ready to roll again.

Wasaga Beach, Manitoulin Island, Sous-Saint Marie and Thunder Bay were all good. Beware the northern route along Lake Superior. If you think you know what hills are, you don’t. The only thing to match it was the Cabot Trail that I detoured for in NS. But it was gorgeous and the lake was warm.

I came out of Ontario via Kenora and spent a day or two in Winnipeg, Manitoba to rest up and meet another friend, Sarah, that I hadn’t seen for years – a nice red-head from summer camp. The Crime Capital’s a nice town, if a little crazy. While i was there three houses burned down, one very close to the hostel. It had been raining a lot and the walkway by the river was flooded, but I biked it anyway. I also went to MEC and got a second tune-up. The Surly is a tough bike and all it needed was gear and brake adjustments. It was already on its second set of tires.

Getting out of Winnipeg in early August, I began feeling some time constraints. My brother’s wedding in Vancouver was coming up on the 24^th. This was one of the reasons I’d gone East-West, unlike most people because they’re afraid of a bit of wind. Long, flat story short, I did the 1500+ km from Winnipeg to Edson Alberta, just east of Edmonton, in 8 days, re-aggravating my knee. Having left the bike at a friend’s place I hitch-hiked home in time for cake and returned a week later to finish the trip. From there it was all I could do to maintain a hundred km a day. Anything more would have turned an aggravated knee into a blown-out mess. The big town behind the Rockies was Prince George and 700km later I hit the Ocean at Prince Rupert and jumped a ferry to Haida Gwaii where I did the final sprint to the Yellowhead Highway Mile Zero at the northern end of Graham Island. On a rainy day in mid-Sept I flew out of Masset – just threw the bike on the plane, no hassle since the airport there is so small, and arrived in Vancouver two hours later – the real end of my trip.

People sometimes ask me what profound ideas I have about Canada and cycling after my epic trip. Usually I just have two things to say: Canada is huge- much bigger than most people think – after all the zig-zags the total distance biked came out to 8924Km. My advice to long-distance cyclists is this; pack light. All along the trip I came across fellow riders under mountains of gear – front and back panniers and large bundles on top their back racks, not to mention elaborate handle bar panniers. If it wont kill you to miss it, don’t bring it. The experience lies in the trip, not the the gear.