Month: September 2022

Start: Trois Rivieres
End: Joliette
Mileage/cumulative: 59.07 / 721.75
Elevation Ascended/cumulative: 817’ / 25,591’ 
Weather: Start – Cloudy 52 degrees / Finish – Cloudy 61 degrees
Flat tires (entire group) day/cumulative: 0 / 6

Day 17 was a rest day in Trois Rivieres, the second settlement in New France. Its name (Three Rivers) is bit of a misnomer since it sits at the confluence of two rivers, the St. Lawrence and the Saint-Maurice. However, because the Saint-Maurice is divided by two islands in the river, it technically has three mouths at the St. Lawrence River. Thus, the name “Three Rivers”.

Trois Rivieres is a city desperately trying to redevelop their riverfront in the historic part of town. Unfortunately, this was the first city we’ve been in (including Montreal and Quebec) where we didn’t feel completely safe. The area has clearly suffered from COVID, with many restaurants and pubs only open several days a week and struggling to attract employees. It also didn’t help that it rained for most of our rest day, adding to the dreariness of the location. However, our hotel (Hotel Oui Go) was ideal for cyclists with a very friendly staff and a very comfortable room for our two night stay.

Continue reading “Quebec Days 17 and 18”

Start: Saint Louis / Quebec City
End: Trois Rivieres
Mileage/cumulative: 78.02 /  662.68
Elevation Ascended/cumulative: 1,552’ /  24,774’
Weather: Start – Rain 54 degrees / Finish – Cloudy 55 degrees
Flat tires (entire group) day/cumulative: 2 / 6

It took until Day 16 but our streak of dry days finally came to an end. When planning for this trip we expected to ride in rain, on average, every three days. Fifteen days without donning all of our rain gear was more than we could have asked for. 

Bev said that this was a “car wash” day. First, you get soaking wet. This stage lasted for about 2.5 hours. Then the water stops and you go through the blowers to dry off. In our case, this was a headwind that lasted another 2.5 hours. All that was missing was the soap, which would have helped wash all of the dirt and grime off of our bodies and our bikes. 

Continue reading “Quebec Day 16”

Start: Mont St. Anne
End: Saint Louis / Quebec City
Mileage/cumulative: 37.30 / 584.66
Elevation Ascended/cumulative: 699 / 23,222’  
Weather: Start – Sunny 50 degrees / Cloudy 57 degrees
Flat tires (entire group) day/cumulative: 0 / 4

This was a good day for Team Pea. First, we woke up to no wind. That would change quickly but it was still refreshing. Second, there were a lot of things to stop and see all along our route, as opposed to the past few days of grinding it out and just getting it done. Third, the route was short and flat with most of it on dedicated bike paths. We were able to take our time and be reminded of why we love to ride our bikes!

Once we left the Mont St. Anne ski resort, we found ourselves on the Route de la Nouvelle-France (New France Route) that links Old Québec to the Côte-de-Beaupré region and traces the path taken by inhabitants of the Côte-de-Beaupré when bringing their crops to Québec City. The Côte-de-Beaupré is considered the birthplace of New France and was populated beginning in 1623. The region was known for its rich, fertile soil and even today, we saw vegetable cellars along the roadside that dated back to the colonization of Côte-de-Beaupré. The architectural style of homes we passed clearly have a French influence from the colonization period. 

Continue reading “Quebec Day 15”

Start: Baie Saint Paul
End: Mont St Anne
Mileage/cumulative: 34.59 / 581.95
Elevation Ascended/cumulative: 3,261 / 22,523
Weather: Sunny 55 degrees / Sunny 53 degrees
Flat tires (entire group) day/cumulative: 0 / 4

We left Baie Saint Paul at sea level and rode up, up, and up some more to a ski resort. Our route included two five-mile long climbs on a particularly unpleasant highway but once we turned off from there around mile 20, the riding improved. As promised, Hurricane Fiona delivered high winds the entire day, pushing us around quite a bit but also giving us a tailwind for a stretch.

Continue reading “Quebec Day 14”

Start: La Malbaie
End: Baie Saint Paul
Mileage/cumulative: 27.36 / 547.36
Elevation Ascended/cumulative: 3,264’ / 19,262’ 
Weather:  Partly Cloudy 45 degrees / Sunny 54 degrees
Flat tires (entire group) day/cumulative: 0 / 4

Looking for extreme, historic, freakish weather events? All you need to do is follow this group on a multi-day cycling trip. When we rode from Chicago to New York City in 2019, we encountered a bomb cyclone on the approach to Philadelphia. For our current trip, we have drawn a hurricane toward Quebec. Hurricane Fiona is not in our direct path but she’s bringing some crazy wind that makes it a little more adventurous on a bicycle. A meteorologist with Environment Canada has said that “though Hurricane Fiona will no longer be categorized as a tropical storm by the time it reaches Quebec, some sites are still quite vulnerable to this ‘historic’ storm. There might also be some outdoor furniture flying around, so people should be careful”. Great. We could be taken out by a flying Adirondack chair.

Continue reading “Quebec Day 13”