Mountain Biking in Quebec

Much of southern Quebec is easy cycling. Along the Saint Lawrence River there is fairly flat farmland for about 50 km on each side of the river. The land gradually rises up to the hills of the Laurentians to the north and the Appalachians to the south. One of the most scenic and challenging bike tours in Quebec is the 900-km route around the Gaspé Peninsula. Two interesting island destinations are the Iles de Madelaine located east of Prince Edward Island and Isle d'Orléans (a 65-km loop) near Quebec City. Some highways in Quebec can be unpleasant for cycling due to unpaved shoulders, potholes and heavy traffic. Along the Saint Lawrence Valley, however, there are plenty of side roads with less traffic. The Trans-Canada Trail and La Route Verte are two projects that will greatly improve bicycle touring. By the year 2005 the Route Verte will provide about 4,000 km of long-distance bicycle paths and road routes throughout Quebec. Many of the bike paths are being developed from abandoned railroads. Road routes will either be along the paved shoulder of highways or on quiet country roads. The project is an initiative of Vélo-Québec and funded by the Quebec government. Dozens of cycle tours are organized throughout Quebec each year. Foremost among them is Montreal's Tour de l'Ile. In the late 90s the number of participants peaked at about 45,000, making it the world's largest tour. Several other day-long tours are offered by non-profit groups to raise money for charity.