Heading out of the city and down the road. First stop Granby via "La Route Verte" to Chambly and then "La Route des Champs".
A very well maintained path once you get on to it proper at Marieville after meandering around the streets from the bridge at Chambly (bike path on the north side of the bridge).
Some of it was crushed stone and some of it was paved but it was a pleasure to ride along on a warm, dry, sunny day with a bit of a tailwind for our first day.
Biking doesn't get any better than this.
A recent trip to Victoria along with a hybrid bike rental allowed a chance to check out some of the biking around the capital city of British Columbia.
Coming from Montreal where you have limited hilly areas in town, Victoria is an up and down delight though it always seemed that it was uphill wherever we went.
Cycling infrastructure throughout the city is limited to painted lanes on the streets though there are some interesting designs for bike parking.
Unlike Montreal, city officials don't want bicycles locked to parking posts though not everyone follows the instruction.
Some parking spots are truly inspired.
What really stands out in Victoria is their rail trails that start right downtown and extend north to Schwartz Bay and west to Sooke.
Although they are supposed to be rail trails, expect a fair amount of up and down riding in some sections. These trails are used extensively by cyclists commuting to and from Victoria though they are considered multi-use trails so expect lots of dog walkers and other pedestrians. For the most part, people seemed quite courteous to each other.
The trails are well serviced. Check out the watering hole at the Switch bridge where the Lochside trail branches off from the Galloping Goose. There is a bottle filling station and even a lower one for your pet.
There is also a cool looking bike shop just by the Switch bridge.
There are other trails that can be found by visiting the town of Saanich's website. We tried out the Colquitz River trail that was very picturesque and narrow in some spots.
Victoria and its environs is definitely a great place to visit by bike.
This is, by far, not the worst culprit in the bad parking competition but he could do with a lesson or two in parallel parking.
Oh, the joys of moving around the city of Montreal. Pothole capital of the world and now the highest gas prices in the country.
Makes you want to ditch the car altogether. Wait, already done that years ago.
Still, I try to have some sympathy for the petrol-dependent. That is, until I observe how the majority of motorists continue to careen around the city with a heavy foot on the gas pedal; oblivious to the waste inherent in how they drive.
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/efficiency/transportation/cars-light-trucks/fuel-efficient-driving-techniques/7507
So, keep it up oil companies and governments; keep those gas prices sky high. I just wish they would funnel a few of those dollars towards filling the odd pothole; preferably the ones on the bike paths and lanes.
Spring is ever so slow to come to Montreal this April, but the Bixi system still lives thanks to the city taking over the reigns after the company managing it filed for bankruptcy protection in January.
Still, the question is whether the bike share system will survive beyond this current season?
One factor will be a decision by the city to accept Bixi as part of the public transport system rather than an enterprise that should be completely self-funded.
The other factors, however, relate to the dependability and usability of the overall system and its component parts. If users regularly find Bixi stations that are not working properly, such as blank touch screens, they will turn away from using Bixi.
Similarly, if the Bixi bicycles are not maintained properly this will engender a further point of frustration. Last spring I got a three day subscription and by the third day I was so fed up with Bixi as almost half of the bikes I used had some mechanical problem with them.
Finally, I think the city should re-evaluate the usage terms for Bixi. Specifically, the first sixty minutes should be included in the subscription fee instead of thirty minutes. This acknowledges the reality of the terrain and the territory of central Montreal. It will make the system more attractive to users and it should also reduce the number of movements of Bixis by truck/trailer as users will be more likely to take a Bixi from downtown back to their neighbourhood since they will not be penalized due to the uphill journey.
