CANADA

CONTINENTAL DRIFTER
Montréal by bicyclette
by Elliott Hester
click on photo for enlargement

Stepping from the elevator into the lobby of the ultra-chic Hotel Godin, I felt out of place. Not simply because I wore tight shorts and a cycling jersey. But because I seemed to be the only guest pushing a bicycle.

As I rolled the rented mountain bike across the Balsatico stone floor—past the smiling receptionist, the ogling guests and the sleek modernist chairs in which they sat—the awkwardness passed. This was Montréal, after all. Bicycling is as “in” as the latest boutique hotel.

A few years ago, Bicycling magazine named Montréal the number one cycling city in North America. After pedaling around for 3 days, I understood why. This French-speaking island of 1.8 million boasts more than 200 miles of bicycle paths in and around town. The paths run alongside leafy parks and busy boulevards. Through the heart of the city and along its scenic shores. Cyclists can zigzag up Mount Royal (the hill-size “mountain” from which Montréal takes its name), ride for miles along the St. Lawrence River, or escape to smaller islands like Île Notre-Dame and Île Sainte-Héléne.

Twelve percent of Montréal’s population uses a bicycle as the main mode of transportation. Thousands ride their bikes to work everyday. Thousands more ride to nearby metro stops and take a train to work. Those who are unwilling to part with their bicycles can take them aboard commuter trains.

If Vélo Québec has its way, bicycles will one day rule the boulevards. From May 29 to June 2, 2006, the non-profit cycling organization will sponsor “Operation Bike-to-Work.” The city-wide program offers incentives to companies and organizations that encourage employees to pedal to work. Vélo Québec experts will visit virtually any workplace and teach managers how to install bicycle parking spaces. They even offer bicycle awareness and mechanics workshops.

To celebrate this vibrant cycling culture, each summer the city hosts the Montréal Bike Fest. The Tour de l’Île de Montreal is listed in Guinness World Records as the world’s largest bicycling event. More than 45,000 are expected to attend.

Of all the on- and off-path possibilities in and around Montréal, my favorites were the Des Berges and Lachine Canal paths. Together, they form more than 20 miles of uninterrupted paths along the St. Lawrence River.

I sped past rusting warehouses near the Old Port, pumped the pedals furiously alongside the Lachine Rapids, sprinted past rollerbladers, overtook a group of senior bikers, rocketed down a verdant peninsula and finally screeched to a halt at Réne Lévesque Park.

Lance Armstrong I am not. Exhausted, I flopped on a bench and watched an orange sun dip into Lake St. Louis. Dreading the long ride back to my hotel, I pedaled to a pay phone and made a desperate call.

More than 100 city taxis are equipped with bike racks. In the event of bad weather, equipment failure, or in my case, fatigue, cyclists can call a taxi and pay a $3 surcharge to have their bicycle whisked to the hotel along with them.

Which is exactly what I did.

Next stop: Turks & Caicos Islands

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