Ste-Martine to Franklin Centre 80 km and easy hills

Go south of Montreal. Ride your bike.

Do you recognize Montreal island in the middle of the picture?




From the top of Covey Hill you can see Montreal way off in the distance.

It is much better to come here in person and see it with your own eyes.

It is also better to come here when the 100,000 apple trees are in spring bloom. 100 billion flowers have certain positive mental health benefits.




This ride takes you to the rare-in-Quebec Pitch Pine tree.


The Pitch Pine (pins rigide) is the only native three needle pine tree in eastern Canada.

In the middle of "the Rock" (which is what locals call this area, Le Rocher in french) is the only place in Quebec you can find this tree.

This area is an protected ecological reserve as the following sign informs.




Another ride, and another tiny-but-protected rare-tree ecological reserve.




Sunshine, blue skies, smooth roads, even a south wind today.



Sainte-Martine to Franklin Centre in southwest Quebec is another of the excellent medium distance rides in this region.

Lots of geographic diversity on this ride. Lots of options for shortcuts too, if you want or need a shorter ride. We like this specific ride because it has just the right amount of distance, and is almost all downhill after the halfway point.

The map of this ride is here at bikely.


Today's ride was counter-clockwise.

If the wind is from the west, you may prefer to do the ride clockwise.



Getting to Ste-Martine is easy.

Cross the Pont Mercier, follow Rt 138 to Ste-Martine, park at the arena, get on the bike path at the Arena, and ride south and west to Franklin Centre.

This is another favorite/standard ride with much appeal. 80 km but can be shortened a bit by turning back to the east at Ste-Antoine instead of Franklin Centre.