Saturday, February 26, 2011

biking indoors, skiing outdoors

We've been biking indoors and skiing outdoors. This is a good combination for february.

Skiing at parc Mont Orford continues to be an excellent experience. 90 minutes from Montreal. Mont Royal trails need more frequent trail-grooming.

We have been watching slide shows of pics taken on previous years' bike rides to improve the indoor biking experience.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Weekend!

Weekend!

Montreal Bike Show! (9th Salon du Vélo de Montréal)

Lots of snow to play in and on!

Get out and do something, and if possible, everything.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

more great xc ski conditions

We skied up the xc-ski trails of Mont Royal early (for us) this morning, early enough to see the Ski-Doo snowmobiles grooming the trails, and we can report that snow and ski trail conditions are as perfect as you could ever hope for!

We know that winter's primo snow conditions are both finite and fickle, so get out now and enjoy some winter fun before it disappears.

We saw a few cyclists on Olmstead road, but seriously, it really isn't bike season in Montreal. Winter is the season for skiing, snowshoeing, skating, and polar bear swimming.

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

eat, love pray... for spring!

Spring is on his way. Along with desireable warmer weather, there's going to be potholes, cracks and chasms, all kinds of crunchy crap on the road surface, and those 'ostie spring rain showers.

So why are we wanting it SO much? because we are cyclists. and we have a certain addiction to the sensation of traveling rapidly and silently across our fine planet on our own power, attached to a pair of wheels and some pedals.

Also, we know that summer follows spring. We like summer more than a lot.

And that's why we are going RFN to ride the bike trainer.

Saturday, February 05, 2011

Spectacularly great conditions at Parc Orford xc skiing

Highly excellent winter adventures on cross country skis can be had at Parc Orford. It's one of the premier locations for skiing in a province known for good ski destinations. Snowshoe too. But we like the skiing here.

Today's conditions were prime spring day, and at the beginning of february, that is a good day indeed. Fresh snow and lots of it, perfect and fresh groomed trails, a large network, lots of climbs and descents, wait, climbs and descents... is that a good thing? You betcha.

Simply put, it was another "best day ever." We were not alone in this assessment. The many big smiles were matched in number only by by the many excellent gluteus maximuses, because skiing (and cycling) have this effect on people.

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

BAPE public hearings on new Robert Cliche bike path

When there is a big project of some sort in Quebec, the provincial government holds a public review process at the "BAPE" or Bureau d'audiences publique sur l'environnement.

The BAPE is holding a hearing right now on the Projet d'aménagement d'un lien cyclable entre Vallée-Jonction et Notre-Dame-des-Pins. (Project to build a bicycle path between Vallée-Jonction and Notre-Dame-des-Pins. This bike path is located along the Chaudiere river south of Quebec City on an old railroad right-of-way.

This path fills a big gap of missing bike path along this very scenic river valley. Quebec City is becoming a really excellent location/destination for cycling.

There is extensive online documentation, and for the first time there is a map of the project.

Very interesting stuff.

Did you know that Quebec's longest covered bridge is at Notre-Dame-des-Pins?


1) New Robert Cliche section of Route Verte
2) The "Circuit de decouverte Chemins Craig et Gosford" region
3) Cycloroute de Bellechasse (74 km of pure fun)
4) South coast of the St-Laurence river where it becomes a maritime coastal ecological zone
5) Route Verte rail-trail coming from Sherbrooke

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

We miss summer, and Roadsworth




Remember Roadsworth? The man who single-handedly changed the Montreal streetscape for the better (and then got busted for it?).

You can view his many improvements to Montreal's city streets at roadsworth.com.

As for summer, well we will have to wait a little bit longer.