This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
The cycling competitions organized in September in Quebec City and Gatineau are an opportunity to rediscover urban cycling circuits and their many attractions. And others!
September is bike month! There are plenty of beautiful days to get on your two-wheeler and head out on an adventure in the city or in the backcountry. Let the pros of the little queen fix their eyes on the handlebars, play against the clock in the speed races, and take your nose (and your foot) off the urban trails and along the peaceful country roads. The Grand Prix cycliste, which will take place in Québec City on September 13, and the Tour de Gatineau, from September 20 to 23, will be the perfect opportunity to discover — or rediscover — the incredible cycling network of two regions that are neither lacking in charm nor challenges.
Quebec and its corridors
In 2022, the City of Québec launched active mobility, particularly cycling, as one of its priority orientations. In addition to its network of utility trails that allow you to get almost anywhere in the city, several recreational cycling routes offer beautiful playgrounds from Québec City to its surrounding areas. Like the Rivière-Saint-Charles corridor, a 9 km route that runs along the eponymous river from the Samson Bridge to the Scott Bridge. This multifunctional trail is to be shared with walkers, so take it without putting pressure on your watch!
This is a circuit well known to locals, and not the least: the Cheminots corridor, 22 linear km that start at La Cité-Limoilou and wind their way to the district of La Haute-Saint-Charles. This also multifunctional route does not present any difficulty, especially since it is installed on an old railway line, so there is no difference in altitude. It offers a significant breath of fresh air in the middle of an urban environment.
More fluvial, the aptly named Littoral corridor totals 48 km between Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures and Montmorency Falls, with breathtaking views of the St. Lawrence River and the relief of Quebec City looming on the horizon. Connected to the Marie-Hélène-Prémont bike route, the circuit allows you to reach the famous Cap-Tourmente wildlife reserve, where you can observe the greater snow geese before they take flight, and the Mont-Sainte-Anne trail network to combine cycling with hiking. An undeniable gem.
The Outaouais, bike version
Gatineau’s reputation as the cycling capital of Quebec is well-deserved. Nor is it new: cycling culture dates back to the 1970s, with Vélos-dimanches, the summer event during which car traffic is stopped from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Ottawa and Gatineau to make way for cyclists. All year round, the Rives de la capitale cycling network, which connects Gatineau to Ottawa on asphalt, stretches along the Ottawa River for about a dozen kilometres. It connects major attractions: the Rideau Canal locks, major national museums and a host of café-bistros where you can stop.
From cycling to green
Want to explore a more rural atmosphere? Head to the Cycloparc PPJ bike path, which crosses the Pontiac sector from west to east on the old railway line, built by Pontiac Pacific Junction in the 19th century.e century. Along 92 km, the cycle path covered with rock powder takes the cyclist through the heart of a charming countryside with its dairy farms, fields of crops and vineyards.
A section of the Trans-Canada Trail, the Gatineau Valley Linear Park (or Véloroute des Draveurs) starts north of Gatineau and heads north to Maniwaki on a 72 km rock powder trail. There, you will be surrounded by nature in the heart of a diversity of ecosystems that will give your getaway a significant charm. Along the way, you will pass vast forest and lake environments, including Blue Sea Lake, where several stops allow you to stop for lunch—or catch your breath—before continuing on the road.
If you have time—and energy—you can complete this route with an additional 85 km loop from Blue Sea to go around the lake via Messines, or to head west to Cayamant. These cycling routes are an opportunity to explore the Gatineau Valley, one of the outdoor gems of the Outaouais, which will appeal to lovers of wilderness and contrasting landscapes.
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