RHoude
06-02-09, 06:29 PM
And Montreal now has Bixis!!! http://www.bixi.com/home Bicycles RULE in Montreal!!!
Eastern Canada - montreal or toronto?
Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.vincentnyc
08-07-09, 04:30 PM
I'm getting pretty close in booking my trip to montreal. Probably in late sept or early oct. A few last questions:
1. I will be staying in a hotel in the downtown area. How safe is that area? Can I bike/walk around in that area at nite? Are there a lot of homeless/bums?
Any ghetto areas that I should avoid? I don't to bike into the wrong area and than get mugged.
2. Do I need to change my us dollars to canadian dollars or they pretty much accept us dollars everywhere? How about for credit card?
3. I'm thinking of doing a bike tour from one of those bike store? Is it worth it or I can pick up one of the bike maps and do it myself?
4. Where can I get a montreal bike maps online?
Thx in advance.
1. I will be staying in a hotel in the downtown area. How safe is that area? Can I bike/walk around in that area at nite? Are there a lot of homeless/bums?
Any ghetto areas that I should avoid? I don't to bike into the wrong area and than get mugged.
2. Do I need to change my us dollars to canadian dollars or they pretty much accept us dollars everywhere? How about for credit card?
3. I'm thinking of doing a bike tour from one of those bike store? Is it worth it or I can pick up one of the bike maps and do it myself?
4. Where can I get a montreal bike maps online?
Thx in advance.
IronMac
08-08-09, 06:12 PM
I'm getting pretty close in booking my trip to montreal. Probably in late sept or early oct. A few last questions:
1. I will be staying in a hotel in the downtown area. How safe is that area? Can I bike/walk around in that area at nite? Are there a lot of homeless/bums?
Any ghetto areas that I should avoid? I don't to bike into the wrong area and than get mugged.
2. Do I need to change my us dollars to canadian dollars or they pretty much accept us dollars everywhere? How about for credit card?
3. I'm thinking of doing a bike tour from one of those bike store? Is it worth it or I can pick up one of the bike maps and do it myself?
4. Where can I get a montreal bike maps online?
Thx in advance.
1. Pretty safe. Yes you can walk/bike around the area at night. And no.
Ghetto areas where the colour of your skin can cost you your life? No, this is not NYC.
2. Best to change your dollars to our dollars.
3. Do it yourself. Mtl is not that big.
Go make a list of spots that you would like to see and then get a map to map it all out. There is no need to stick to "bike paths".
1. I will be staying in a hotel in the downtown area. How safe is that area? Can I bike/walk around in that area at nite? Are there a lot of homeless/bums?
Any ghetto areas that I should avoid? I don't to bike into the wrong area and than get mugged.
2. Do I need to change my us dollars to canadian dollars or they pretty much accept us dollars everywhere? How about for credit card?
3. I'm thinking of doing a bike tour from one of those bike store? Is it worth it or I can pick up one of the bike maps and do it myself?
4. Where can I get a montreal bike maps online?
Thx in advance.
1. Pretty safe. Yes you can walk/bike around the area at night. And no.
Ghetto areas where the colour of your skin can cost you your life? No, this is not NYC.
2. Best to change your dollars to our dollars.
3. Do it yourself. Mtl is not that big.
Go make a list of spots that you would like to see and then get a map to map it all out. There is no need to stick to "bike paths".
vincentnyc
08-08-09, 07:24 PM
1. Pretty safe. Yes you can walk/bike around the area at night. And no.
Ghetto areas where the colour of your skin can cost you your life? No, this is not NYC.
2. Best to change your dollars to our dollars.
3. Do it yourself. Mtl is not that big.
Go make a list of spots that you would like to see and then get a map to map it all out. There is no need to stick to "bike paths".
when i'm talking about ghettos, i'm talking about projects aka public housing...are there any bad neighborhood in montreal?
also what time does most restaurants closed?
so what are some touristy spots that i should visit? what do you recommend. btw museums ain't my thing.
Ghetto areas where the colour of your skin can cost you your life? No, this is not NYC.
2. Best to change your dollars to our dollars.
3. Do it yourself. Mtl is not that big.
Go make a list of spots that you would like to see and then get a map to map it all out. There is no need to stick to "bike paths".
when i'm talking about ghettos, i'm talking about projects aka public housing...are there any bad neighborhood in montreal?
also what time does most restaurants closed?
so what are some touristy spots that i should visit? what do you recommend. btw museums ain't my thing.
Windrush
08-10-09, 06:18 AM
I was in Montreal a month ago with a group of 15 cyclists from for a week.
* We stayed at McGill University near base of Mount Royal and did walk around at night, never had a problem
* Always, always change to local currency when bicycle touring. While American dollars will be accepted you will lose on the exchange. All credit cards are accepted.
* Do your own touring.
1. Following bike paths entire way: port area, Lachine Bike route, over to Ile Notre Dame island,
Ile Sainte Helene, back to port area. About 50-80 km.
2. Take bicycle path from Ile Bizard Island to Oka, ferry across Ottawa River to Como,
and follow shores and back. 78 km. See Beaconville Bike Club website for great routes in English.
http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/divers/pdf/voiescyclable2004.pdf Montreal Bike Map
Montreal has a great cycling culture, you won't need to cycle on busy roads.
* We stayed at McGill University near base of Mount Royal and did walk around at night, never had a problem
* Always, always change to local currency when bicycle touring. While American dollars will be accepted you will lose on the exchange. All credit cards are accepted.
* Do your own touring.
1. Following bike paths entire way: port area, Lachine Bike route, over to Ile Notre Dame island,
Ile Sainte Helene, back to port area. About 50-80 km.
2. Take bicycle path from Ile Bizard Island to Oka, ferry across Ottawa River to Como,
and follow shores and back. 78 km. See Beaconville Bike Club website for great routes in English.
http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/divers/pdf/voiescyclable2004.pdf Montreal Bike Map
Montreal has a great cycling culture, you won't need to cycle on busy roads.
vincentnyc
08-10-09, 08:38 AM
thx windrush...i will be in montreal for 4 days...actually i get 2 full days to ride...first day i will arrive around 7 pm and my last day i have to leave early in the morning by 8 am.
so with 2 full days to ride..what do u recommend riding/visit first? is 2 full days even enough?
so with 2 full days to ride..what do u recommend riding/visit first? is 2 full days even enough?
redg35
08-10-09, 04:11 PM
This is a nice day route from old montreal:
OLD Montreal -> Lachine Canal bike path (All the way to end in Lachine) -> Lakeshore boulevard (Bord-Du-Lac) -> Beaconsfield Blvd -> Lakeshore boulevard (Brod-Du-Lac) -> Rue Saine-Anne -> Chemin Senneville -> Boul Gouin O
This route will take you from old Montreal along the Lachine Canal then completely around the western tip of the island. All of the route is paved bike path or very nice roads to ride on. There are lots of nice spots along the way to stop. Haven't measured but I would guess this is about 80KM no significant hills.
I would recommend you then take the AMT train from the Roxboro Pierrefond station back downtown. They allow you to walk right on with your bikes and yo can take it to central station in downtown.
If you wanted to cut it short there are multiple train stations prior to passing saint anne de bellevue.
Here is the train map make sure you check the schedule because it is limited.
http://www.amt.qc.ca/tc/train/images/plans/Carte_Train_2009.pdf
Have fun!
OLD Montreal -> Lachine Canal bike path (All the way to end in Lachine) -> Lakeshore boulevard (Bord-Du-Lac) -> Beaconsfield Blvd -> Lakeshore boulevard (Brod-Du-Lac) -> Rue Saine-Anne -> Chemin Senneville -> Boul Gouin O
This route will take you from old Montreal along the Lachine Canal then completely around the western tip of the island. All of the route is paved bike path or very nice roads to ride on. There are lots of nice spots along the way to stop. Haven't measured but I would guess this is about 80KM no significant hills.
I would recommend you then take the AMT train from the Roxboro Pierrefond station back downtown. They allow you to walk right on with your bikes and yo can take it to central station in downtown.
If you wanted to cut it short there are multiple train stations prior to passing saint anne de bellevue.
Here is the train map make sure you check the schedule because it is limited.
http://www.amt.qc.ca/tc/train/images/plans/Carte_Train_2009.pdf
Have fun!
vincentnyc
08-10-09, 05:26 PM
This is a nice day route from old montreal:
OLD Montreal -> Lachine Canal bike path (All the way to end in Lachine) -> Lakeshore boulevard (Bord-Du-Lac) -> Beaconsfield Blvd -> Lakeshore boulevard (Brod-Du-Lac) -> Rue Saine-Anne -> Chemin Senneville -> Boul Gouin O
This route will take you from old Montreal along the Lachine Canal then completely around the western tip of the island. All of the route is paved bike path or very nice roads to ride on. There are lots of nice spots along the way to stop. Haven't measured but I would guess this is about 80KM no significant hills.
I would recommend you then take the AMT train from the Roxboro Pierrefond station back downtown. They allow you to walk right on with your bikes and yo can take it to central station in downtown.
If you wanted to cut it short there are multiple train stations prior to passing saint anne de bellevue.
Here is the train map make sure you check the schedule because it is limited.
http://www.amt.qc.ca/tc/train/images/plans/Carte_Train_2009.pdf
Have fun!
thx for those routes and train info!
OLD Montreal -> Lachine Canal bike path (All the way to end in Lachine) -> Lakeshore boulevard (Bord-Du-Lac) -> Beaconsfield Blvd -> Lakeshore boulevard (Brod-Du-Lac) -> Rue Saine-Anne -> Chemin Senneville -> Boul Gouin O
This route will take you from old Montreal along the Lachine Canal then completely around the western tip of the island. All of the route is paved bike path or very nice roads to ride on. There are lots of nice spots along the way to stop. Haven't measured but I would guess this is about 80KM no significant hills.
I would recommend you then take the AMT train from the Roxboro Pierrefond station back downtown. They allow you to walk right on with your bikes and yo can take it to central station in downtown.
If you wanted to cut it short there are multiple train stations prior to passing saint anne de bellevue.
Here is the train map make sure you check the schedule because it is limited.
http://www.amt.qc.ca/tc/train/images/plans/Carte_Train_2009.pdf
Have fun!
thx for those routes and train info!
Azreal911
08-13-09, 08:44 PM
I'm from Toronto and even I say go to montreal to cycle. It's not that great in Toronto, we barely even have like painted bike lanes much less segregated bike lanes. I wish we had it as good as the Netherlands! We have that one waterfront trail and one that goes up down along the don valley parkway. As for painted side lanes there's probably only 50km of it in the city out of the few hundred KM's of car lanes we have! Some roads are pretty narrow they never really designed it for cyclists to feel safe which is why you'll see some cyclists uptown actually ride on the sidewalks even though the law doesn't like it but they feel like they'll get run over on rush hour.
AndrewP
08-14-09, 01:39 PM
The Plateau area of montreal between Parc Ave and St-Denis has great social life.
joco
09-14-09, 04:37 PM
mabe a little stop in ottawa..a lot off bike lane here to.
I am in ottawa and love it here.
gatineau parc on the qc side in hull is just amazing.
joco
I am in ottawa and love it here.
gatineau parc on the qc side in hull is just amazing.
joco
coldfeet
09-14-09, 09:40 PM
And before someone screams about all the ethnically diverse food you can get in Toronto that you can't get in Montreal, remember the OP is coming from NYC which whoops ass when it comes to ethnic food. Plus Montreal has Schwartz' (Montreal smoked meat which is basically a smoked pastrami), Ummm Schwartze's!
It's a nothing place, no booze, and the decor is strictly utilitarian, with the exception of all the celebrity's photos on the wall. ( Yes, they've all eaten there. ) But the steak platter! Sorry if you're vegetarian, but I have to go drool now.
It's a nothing place, no booze, and the decor is strictly utilitarian, with the exception of all the celebrity's photos on the wall. ( Yes, they've all eaten there. ) But the steak platter! Sorry if you're vegetarian, but I have to go drool now.
chephy
09-14-09, 10:25 PM
I just have to step in and speak up for the poor Toronto.
While Montreal is an island and you can not only see the river, but you can climb the mountain and view the city from a breathtaking viewpoint. In Toronto you can climb the C.N. Tower for an even more breathtaking experience. :p And you can fly in via Porter airlines that would land on the Island Airport pretty much right downtown, and if you sit on the right side of the plane by the window, you'll get some awesome views on approach and descent. Speaking of which, we have a car-free Island, btw, which is pretty cool. And a big lake. Big lake is better than a river. :D And we have streetcars (and all T.O. cyclists get extra skillz points for masterfully dodging the treacherous tracks). We also have longest street in the world, almost tallest free-standing structure, shortest scheduled ferry route and the distinction of hosting the biggest Thriller dance in history. There!
Toronto is relatively flat too and Montreal is a lot more hilly, you'll definitely have fun navigating the streets. Watch out for Potholes! Pff. Our potholes are way more impressive than your potholes! Yours may trip an occasional cyclists, but ours can swallow cars! (http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/672235) ;) And we have tornadoes (http://www.blogto.com/city/2009/08/massive_storm_hits_toronto_tornados_reported_across_gta/)! And our mountains of trash (http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/photos/2009/07/garbage_strike_queen_sherbourne_03_bw.jpg) are taller than your Mt. Royal!
While Montreal is an island and you can not only see the river, but you can climb the mountain and view the city from a breathtaking viewpoint. In Toronto you can climb the C.N. Tower for an even more breathtaking experience. :p And you can fly in via Porter airlines that would land on the Island Airport pretty much right downtown, and if you sit on the right side of the plane by the window, you'll get some awesome views on approach and descent. Speaking of which, we have a car-free Island, btw, which is pretty cool. And a big lake. Big lake is better than a river. :D And we have streetcars (and all T.O. cyclists get extra skillz points for masterfully dodging the treacherous tracks). We also have longest street in the world, almost tallest free-standing structure, shortest scheduled ferry route and the distinction of hosting the biggest Thriller dance in history. There!
Toronto is relatively flat too and Montreal is a lot more hilly, you'll definitely have fun navigating the streets. Watch out for Potholes! Pff. Our potholes are way more impressive than your potholes! Yours may trip an occasional cyclists, but ours can swallow cars! (http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/672235) ;) And we have tornadoes (http://www.blogto.com/city/2009/08/massive_storm_hits_toronto_tornados_reported_across_gta/)! And our mountains of trash (http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/photos/2009/07/garbage_strike_queen_sherbourne_03_bw.jpg) are taller than your Mt. Royal!
Erick L
09-15-09, 12:14 AM
Montreal (http://images.google.ca/images?hl=fr&safe=off&rlz=1B3GGGL_frCA233CA233&um=1&sa=1&q=montreal+women&btnG=Recherche+d%27images&aq=f&oq=&start=0) vs Toronto (http://images.google.ca/images?q=toronto%20women&sourceid=navclient-ff&rlz=1B3GGGL_frCA233CA233&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=fr&tab=wi). :D
Flow
09-15-09, 01:14 AM
I just have to step in and speak up for the poor Toronto.
In Toronto you can climb the C.N. Tower for an even more breathtaking experience.
Hardest bike climb ever.
In Toronto you can climb the C.N. Tower for an even more breathtaking experience.
Hardest bike climb ever.
chephy
09-18-09, 09:44 PM
Hardest bike climb ever. Hey, if it can be done on a pogo stick, or carrying a piano, it should be a piece of cake on a bicycle!
vincentnyc
10-19-09, 10:26 PM
hey
i'm about to book my trip for my next week trip in montreal. if any1 wanna meet up and ride together, pm me and let's meet up. i'm a foodie. so i would like to enjoy some nice foods along the way during the bike ride. i will be arriving sunday nite and have 2 full days to ride around montreal. and then i will be leaving wed. morning. i'm pretty flexible and open to anything. so hit me up if u r intereted. thx.
i will return the favor if u ever come visiting nyc.
i'm about to book my trip for my next week trip in montreal. if any1 wanna meet up and ride together, pm me and let's meet up. i'm a foodie. so i would like to enjoy some nice foods along the way during the bike ride. i will be arriving sunday nite and have 2 full days to ride around montreal. and then i will be leaving wed. morning. i'm pretty flexible and open to anything. so hit me up if u r intereted. thx.
i will return the favor if u ever come visiting nyc.
redg35
10-20-09, 12:29 PM
would love to but am traveling.
Bring your cold weather gear has been quite cold here in the last 2 weeks. Went on a ride Sunday morning and despite thermal socks, booties and toe covers on top feet were still cold.
Bring your cold weather gear has been quite cold here in the last 2 weeks. Went on a ride Sunday morning and despite thermal socks, booties and toe covers on top feet were still cold.
vincentnyc
10-29-09, 03:20 PM
just got back from my montreal trip. it was a great trip. it is a bike friendly city. lotsa bike lanes and most drivers are courtesious of bikers. i would say it is similar or even better than nyc in term of biking.
here are some of the areas i bike in montreal: lachine canal, jean-talon market, atwater market, downtown, old port, st. laurent blvd., st. denis, and mt. royal. i didnt get a chance to go to st. helene cuz i thought it was going to rain...heard it was nice. oh well, mabye next time.
also tried out some foods at schwartz, romados, and pho bang new york. all highly recommended foods. had a great times...would do it again if i get a chance.
love the architectures and houses, laid back vibe and family oriented environment. and oh yeah...the women...ou la la. may not be as attractive compare to nyc...but montreal women are friendly and quite approachable.
thx all for ur help.
here are some of the areas i bike in montreal: lachine canal, jean-talon market, atwater market, downtown, old port, st. laurent blvd., st. denis, and mt. royal. i didnt get a chance to go to st. helene cuz i thought it was going to rain...heard it was nice. oh well, mabye next time.
also tried out some foods at schwartz, romados, and pho bang new york. all highly recommended foods. had a great times...would do it again if i get a chance.
love the architectures and houses, laid back vibe and family oriented environment. and oh yeah...the women...ou la la. may not be as attractive compare to nyc...but montreal women are friendly and quite approachable.
thx all for ur help.
09box
01-15-10, 10:03 PM
I was in Montreal last May and didn't get a chance to get some riding in (even though I brought my bike). It rained almost the entire weekend I was there. I'm planning to make a second trip later this year..
vincentnyc
01-17-10, 09:20 AM
That's why I always check the weather before I book my trip. #1 tip for all ur travelers.