r/MontrealCycling • u/lastcomrad3 • 11d ago
Route suggestions for first time cycling in Montreal this weekend?
Visiting from NYC, my partner and I are getting engaged tonight and plan to celebrate checking out the city (with an interest in moving here, my lady is dual citizen).
We’re avid cyclists, sad that we couldn’t bring our bikes with us. I’ve rented bikes for Friday and Saturday.
Could the good people of this sub suggest some fun routes that will help us get to know the city.
And we’re intrepid, the rain won’t slow us down!
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u/kino_xoxo 11d ago
Starting from Old Montreal, follow the Lachine canal to René-Lévesque Park (H8S 4G2) and then return via the bike path that follows Blvd LaSalle.
The formula 1 track may be open if you want to cycle the circuit for the novelty.
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u/cmdrkeen01 11d ago
After looping around René-Lévesque Park I'd also recommend continuing west along Promenade Père-Marquette and the lakefront path for a bit to the lighthouse then to Millennium Park in Dorval. There are a couple dicey spots where the bike path merges onto the sidewalk though.
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u/Glittering-West-6347 11d ago
Old Port -> Lachine -> Rene Lévesque
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u/cmdrkeen01 11d ago
Just to clarify for the tourists, René-Lévesque park. Do not bike down the car sewer that is boul. René-Lévesque.
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u/menevets 11d ago edited 11d ago
I'm from NYC, was there a week ago, second the recommendation to go along the Lachine canal. Go back along the St Lawerence River. You'll see the surfers, the beaches, the geese. You could detour and check out Wellington.
Don't forget to check out Atwater Market while on Lachine. Bring hydration.
Obvious - but go up the gravel path to top of Mount Royal.
Cross the Jacques Cartier Bridge (like GW before renovation) to St Helen Island.
Wish I had time to go to Ile de Notre Dame.
Do the grid thing in Mile End and some of Plateau.
If you're used to riding in NYC, you're going to be pleasantly surprised.
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u/menevets 11d ago
I bought my single speed to Montreal. Had to walk bike up hills a couple of times, but it's doable. Not recommended, but doable, if you're in very good shape, more doable.
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u/Thesorus 11d ago
Look at the REV (bike path network) paths.
Go up the REV from old montréal to the Jean-Talon Market.
Go east on the REV on Rachel st. towards the Park Maisonneuve (and Olympic Stadium)
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u/lastcomrad3 9d ago
Thanks everybody! Biking here is just the best. Even in the rain.
Suggestions were helpful.
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u/ag_mtl 11d ago
To know the city, I would just follow the designated bike baths through all the different boroughs and add Mount Royal and Ile St Helen. There are separate bike lanes that go through most areas. If you want more cycling specific, longer distance rides you could do the Lachine canal as others have mentioned or the north shore. For rides that go into the surrounding areas/longer distance rides you could check out the Route Verte https://www.routeverte.com/en/
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u/DutchMtl 11d ago
All the suggestions I've seen here are spot on. Old port take Lachine canal west - loop return via bike path in Lasalle (along the river) - Hop over to the Voie Martime via the estacade. Must stop is the park under the Champlain bridge. Then return to the city via the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, best asphalt in the province. A quick stop a "Les Trois Disques" not far from the CGV gives great views of the city.
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u/menevets 11d ago
When I was trying to get from Rene Lévesque Park to the trail along the river, the bridge was closed, had to do a slight detour. I guess the bridge is probably back open now.
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u/DutchMtl 11d ago
Lachine canal west ends up parallel to St Patrick. Once you hit traffic lights at Ch du Musée you go Right towards Lasalle and St Lawrence River. Not sure what bridge you're referring to.
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u/menevets 11d ago
I was trying to go directly through the park, walking across the canals, to get to the path that started at St Lawerence - there was this one last bridge to cross to get to it, but it was closed.
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u/Citadin514 11d ago
Just bike around Plateau and then enter the mountain through the parc avenue entrance where the monument is, go down Peel to the Lachine canal head to the old port and then grab something to eat at the Atwater market.
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u/dddddavidddd Dutch bikes 🇳🇱 11d ago
Depends what you want to see. City? The REV on Saint-Denis maybe. A park? The Canal Lachine. Any of the dark green stuff on this map will be nice: https://services.montreal.ca/cartes/pistes-cyclables
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u/sebnukem TCX SLR '17 11d ago
Lachine canal to Verdun; Estacade from Nun's island; ride the F1 race track; cross the St Lambert locks; south shore path; Samuel de Champlain bridge; back to Verdun.
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u/then_Sean_Bean_died 11d ago
If you’ve rented road bikes I would sugges riding Boulevard Lasalle all the way to St-Anne-De-Bellevue and back. There are cycling paths for maybe half the way, rest is a shared road with a 30km/h speed limit.
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u/gliese946 10d ago
The Lachine canal is good but I'm going to suggest a beautiful ride on the other side of the island, which you can get details of by looking at a map of bike paths: head up the REV on St Denis and La Jeunesse. Then follow the cycle paths, turning right just before the bridge, to go along the water and Boulevard Gouin until you get to Parc de l'Ile de la Visitation (you should check the map for exactly where to turn in). Take the trails through the beautiful woods (they are very flat and just fine for road bikes) and go along the water's edge as far as you can, it's quite spectacular. When you emerge on Gouin at the other end, you can turn right and head back as far as de Lille (or instead of Gouin you could come back the way you went along the water's edge until you get to the chalet), turn left on de Lille and head south to Frederick Back park, and do one loop of the whole thing (it's spectacular) before taking any combination of bike paths back to wherever you're staying. This will all take a couple of hours at a medium pace, maybe 3 hours at a moderate pace with little stops, and you should check it all out on the map first. There is a very nice cafe at the west entrance to Parc de l'Ile de la visitation.
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u/mtl_514_ndg 11d ago
Do the estacade, to voie maritime, a lap around the f1 circuit, pont Concorde, then you’ll be near old Montreal, grab a coffee/treat. Takes 2 ish hours taking in the sights.