a typically great 50 km local ride

One great thing about Montreal is that you can link together some bike paths into a great medium distance ride.

A lazy sunny summer saturday afternoon saw me:

- ride up Parc Mont Royal's tranquil tree-covered and car-free Olmstead road to Beaver Lake, where I stretched and enjoyed the acres of shiny summer flesh on display, then walked around the lake and rode along the newly-restored Beaver Lake Pavillion's 2nd floor outdoor balcony-terrace.

- ride down Westmount's steepest hill (Clark street - 63 km/h between stop signs! - much safer uphill ride - take Mount Pleasant for a relaxed good downhill - take cote de neige for an adreline-filled top speed descent), eventueally reaching the down to the lachine Canal, where idiots on racing bikes play "chicken" with leisure cyclists.

- Lachine Canal out to the western end (intersection before Parc Levesque)

- go down river with tailwind via the Saint Laurence river path (Les Berges) past the Lachine Rapids along one of the great riverside parks of Montreal

- Cross the Saint Laurence river via Nuns Island and the Estacade (crossing Nun's Island's new "traffic circles" where the cars stop for bikes: amazing!)

- Ride along the Saint Laurence Seaway to Ecluses Saint Lambert Locks

- On to dry land and along Longueuil park land to Jacques Cartier Bridge (turn off of Tiffen for shortcut)

- Across Pont Jacques Cartier with amazingly great views of Montreal

- Through Parc Lafontaine, do it right and pass the giant trees section, and along the "lac Lafontaine" and through the Plateau Mont Royal to home.

Total distance 50 km, total fun 100%!!!!

This is a fantastic ride and it just took a bit of knowledge to link to gether these different bike paths.