A Montreal Hills Ride

I rode up the hills of Montreal tonight, because...

After many months delay, tonight I got my new rear wheel.

Now my bike is like new again.

Silent, strong, fast.

Hey is that me or the bike?

It's the bike, I was huffing and puffing as I climbed five of Mount Royal's best hills.

First stop was Fernhill, the light appetizer before the big meal of the next climb: Camilien Houde, getting passed by a few guys, then Westmount's Mount Pleasant/Belvedere, then the amazing St-Joseph Oratory new road, after which I did UdeM's Poly Hill, and finally, a repeast climb of the Montreal jewel: the 1.7 km 8& climb Camielien Houde again, this time I did some passing! OK, I got passed too, but I was hitting the hill harder and feeling good.

OK, at the top I wouldn't say I was exactly feeling "good." But what I was feeling would kill most 47 year olds, and that's something I think is good!

I had been avoiding the urban hill because of the bad wheel, now that I am back on them, let me say that many of the roads on and around Mount Royal are complete crap.

Aside from that the uphills are great. Each hill I did tonight was a great hill. Every one. It's great to be back with a bike I can ride hard.

Yeah! New wheels! Woohoo!

The two best westmount climbs: