Montréal’s most scenic bike paths

Rated “North America’s premiere biking city” by the Copenhagenize Report (2013), Montréal boasts 645 kilometres of bike paths. Itching to explore the city on two wheels? Here are our picks for Montréal’s prettiest urban routes, pedaled carefree and car-free.

The Lachine Canal bike path
Ranked third on Time magazine’s Top 10 Urban Biking Trips in 2009, the nearly 15-kilometre-long Lachine Canal bike whisks cyclists alongside a canal that is operated by modern locks, open to small pleasure craft and bordered by old 19th-century factories. Starting from the Old Port, up to the Atwater Market, until the Chemin du Musée, in Lachine, where a stop-off at Parc René-Lévesque is recommended, this pretty circuit winds you through natural spaces and industrial parks alike. On the way back, follow the Berges Ouest bike path along the St. Lawrence River to Verdun and LaSalle, where you can watch surfers or kayakers navigating the rapids.

De Maisonneuve Boulevard bike path
Ideal for exploring downtown by bike! If you start from the Grande Bibliothèque (near the Berri-UQAM métro station), you can ride past skyscrapers right up to the sweet boutiques and museums of downtown Montréal, and get a glimpse of Place des Arts at the same time.  Kick back with lunch in the city’s west end at Westmount Park and then take a stroll in its chic streets bordered by stately and impressive homes. Continue on to Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, a Montréal neighbourhood that’s not high on tourists, but right up there on authenticity.

Parc Jean-Drapeau bike path
Situated on an island in the middle of the St. Lawrence River and south of downtown, Parc Jean-Drapeau offers 25 kilometres of bike paths that form part of the Route verte du Québec, the longest bike path in North America and the TransCanada Trail, one of the world’s longest networks of trails. To get there, pedal from the Old Port by the De la Concorde Bridge or, from the south shore, by the Victoria Bridge bike path. The more daring can cycle on the Jacques-Cartier Bridge. You can even take the subway (bikes are allowed in the first car of the train) to the Jean-Drapeau station.

The north-south bike path
If you want to zip straight through the city, this nearly 10-kilometre bike path is what you’re looking for. From the St. Lawrence River (corner De la Commune Street and Berri) up to Rivière des Prairies, cycle by the pretty Plateau Mont-Royal neighbourhood and stop for a picnic at picturesque Parc La Fontaine. Discover the up-and-coming Villeray neighbourhood as well as Ahuntsic’s chic and leafy locales, right up to the corner of Christophe Colomb Avenue and Gouin Boulevard. A bit of advice: don’t take this bike path during rush hour – bottlenecks guaranteed.

The Go Bike Montréal Festival
During the week of May 24 to 31, newbie or seasoned cyclists can take part in a panoply of urban activities and see a different side to Montréal, under the sun or stars. Both athletes and Sunday riders alike will have a blast: register now for the Tour de l’île de Montréal, Tour la nuit, Défi Métropolitain or Opération vélo-boulot!