Take advantage of November before the snow hits by trying out a new bike route! Here we've got a collection of bike paths found by our very own execs which you might not have considered before. Placed around the city, these paths could give you one last outdoor adventure before the season gets too harsh (Finals season, that is).
Nuns Island
Take a tour of the cutest suburban island just off the shore of Montreal. The
route is only composed of bike paths from Atwater Market to the island. Then the bridge that crosses a small part of the St-Laurent river has a wonderfully wide bike path from which you get a fantastic view of downtown Montreal. On the island itself, you’ll find one continuous bike path that circles the entire place, passing solely through parks either alongside the inner roads or alongside the external st-laurent river. The park surrounding the island is a gorgeous forest with a few paths and intermittent joys such as play structures, benches, and even a small work out station found at the end of the island (Parc l’Orée-du-Fleuve).
Starting Point: Concordia Downtown campus
End Point: Maynard Ferguson park
Duration: 35min
Distance: 9.1km
Link to map: https://goo.gl/maps/J1iRUuKrsER1uNjcA
Difficulty: Easy, medium amount of road crossings before the island. One steeper slope, a few medium slopes, otherwise more or less flat. One section is gravel (by the golf course).
Lachine Canal
Any stretch of this canal is surrounded by parks with winding bike paths. Starting at Old port and ending on the other side of the island at René Lévesque park, it’s a beautiful chance to bike through the south side of the island. Stop anywhere along the way to sit in the grass. or you could grab a snack from Atwater market.
Starting Point: Old port
End Point: René Lévesque park
Duration: 45min (one way nonstop)
Distance: 15km
Link to map: https://goo.gl/maps/iT7ogHG76Wk91hXc7
Difficulty: Easy. Very flat, minimal road crossings. Might run into some construction but there always seems to be a way around it. Mostly likely the solution will be to cross the canal at an earlier bridge.
Bois-de-Liesse Nature Park
If you live in this neck of the woods then the bike route within this park is definitely worth the trip. This park is oddly wonderfully contradicting because although it is cut down the middle by a major road (which runs on a bridge above), it remains secluded and full of wildlife. Last time I went myself, I had to stop because three wild turkeys had decided to stroll across the path. The park in general is filled with dirt paths, boardwalks, benches, and lookouts onto either the St Laurent river or the small river within (Ruisseau Bertrand).
If you find the whole route too arduous then no stress, the path also passes by Bois Saraguay Nature Park (though bikes aren’t allowed on the paths within), Bois Franc Park, Parc Noel, and a few others which might be worth exploring.
Starting point: Côte-vertu metro station
Ending point: Bois-de-Liesse Nature Park
Duration: 25min
Distance: 7.4km
Link to map: https://goo.gl/maps/G2im4iKfr2yXfaH38
Difficulty: Hard. Although it’s flat it also crosses some bigger streets. Most of it is on neighbourhood streets with designated (though not separate) bike paths, though be careful while on Boul. Gouin which doesn’t have a separate section for bikes.
Notre Dame St.East
You’d be surprised to find a sweet park with a bike path that runs alongside rue Notre Dame St. East. It includes a dog park, a play structure, and a workout station (both of the latter at Parc Morgan). With one end a 10min bike ride from Parc La Fontaine and the other a 10min ride from the Botanical Gardens, it’s a path that makes the most of nature in a very industrial section of the city. The beginning of this route takes you a small hill from which you can see a gorgeous view of the St Laurent river with La Ronde on the other side.
The connection between this route and the Botanical Gardens is entirely bike paths, whereas the connection parc la Fontaine takes you through a few quieter neighbourhood streets, as well as the bike path on rue DeMaisonneuve.
Starting point: Parc du pied-courant
Ending point: Parc Joesph-Octave-Villeneuve
Duration: 17min
Distance: 4.20km (nice)
Link to map: https://goo.gl/maps/x3Wo84FDP216tUtL6
Difficulty: Medium, relatively flat. Some major intersections to cross. From the route to Parc la Fontaine it’s a steep incline either on bike paths or small city streets. From the route to the Botanical gardens it’s a minor incline on bigger streets but all bike paths.