My name is Rémi. I'm a French student that will soon be graduating from the École Polytechnique de Montréal. You're reading the first article in a long series...that will tell the story of my cycling adventure through North America. Yup, once I get that diploma, my career (anti-crisis) plan is to go ride a bike!
"What an absurd idea" you might be left thinking...well please note that I've been surrounded by bikes since my entire life : I wasn't a year old when I started playing with my parents' tire levers when we'd go on bike tours in Averyon. Today, I've grown a little and I have a deep thirst to see me some countryside. North America in particular! The North America where it rains, the North America where you get a flat tire in the middle of nowhere...and not the North America of airports, nor the souvenir shops of Old Montreal... Continue reading North American Tour
Waaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy back in spring, I decided to make a few outdoor plans for the summer. The only problem was that I wrote them in French and have not bothered to share them in English. UNTIL NOW! So here ya go, without further ado, my summer checklist:
Montreal as seen from the Jacques-Cartier Bridge
1. Ride the entire circumference of the Island of Montreal. In one shot. Distance: about 160km.
Mont-Tremblant recently closed its proverbial doors for the season. It is cold. What isn’t still frozen is muddy. Skiing is over, but those -2 degree mornings keep the bike in the garage. The age old of conundrum: what to do in-between seasons. Up here in Tremblant there are many options when not partaking in outdoor activities. A movie theatre on the mountain provides amusement, a delicious micro-brewery provides libations and succulent chicken burgers, Les Promenades Tremblant (that’s where we are located if you have no heard yet) provides shopping of all kinds, just to name a few. But what is a man (sic) to do athletically speaking? The beautiful shop and its beautiful Icebreaker, Arcteryx and North Face products can only keep me busy five days a week.
Then it struck me. I sell warm clothes. Maybe if I combined my two passions: cycling and outdoor technology, I could get out my bike and start riding on those chilly days. Straight to my wardrobe I went. Icebreaker 150 merino wool base layer (I like the Atlas longsleeve), Arcteryx synthetic midlayer (definitely the Atom LT) and a North Face softshell (my favourite Nimble Jacket) combine to make one warm, highly breathable happy camper (that’s me). Throw in some merino socks and beanie and I’m roaring to go. Now I just need to find 2 other people stupid enough to enjoy riding at zero degrees and I will be out the door.
After yesterday's crazy bad avalanche video, I figured I would give you something a little less scary. I thought this mountain bike ride through the favelas was pretty exciting.
Perusing the information superhighway, I came across this video by Scott Stoll. I figure we can always use some inspiration to go out there and rock the world, in a good way. It also reminded me of the many places on my to-do list, not to mention this little story: a few years ago, while still living at my parents, the doorbell rang. I went and answered and some dude asked for my parents. I went to get my mom. It turns out the guy had been our neighbour when I was too young too remember. He was cycling across the world and thought he'd drop by. He'd started in Amsterdam, went East through Europe, Central Asia, South Asia, East Asia. Took the plane to San Francisco and was now in Montreal, woo!
Warning: the focus of this article was nearly taken hostage, prior even to its own creation, by the sheer rudeness and paranoia of America (more specifically their border guards); however, my train of thought will remain unwavering: that’s right this is another article about cycling.What could be better than a cycling trip?A cycling road trip is the only correct answer, my friend.
So off we go to Burke, Vermont in the world’s sexiest traveling vessel, the Chevrolet Venture.Two guys, a dog, and a painting brought back from Vietnam.The aforementioned border guards apparently found my person suspicious and felt compelled to search our car.An empty ski box was violated, dog food was discarded like bio-waste and stern scowls were thrown around like Michael Jackson references a few weeks ago.It was like being in Super Troopers but without the hilarious laughter and mustaches. Read more about Mark Altitude's adventures in Burke, Vermont
Remember that part in Forrest Gump when he just starts running and doesn’t stop? I sort of did that the other day. After a delicious meal at my parents’ place, I left on my bike with the intention of going home, a paltry 9km away. Along the way, I realized I had an urge to go further. And with apologies to Oscar Wilde, I can resist everything except an urge to go further. And further I went.
My calves ache and my quads shake, but my smile shines like a thousand LED headlamps. It is certainly true that without pain you cannot have pleasure; however, this afternoon I learned once again that having both simultaneously can be a more fervent experience. Let me, like I so often do, set the stage for you:
Alongside his wheeled, aluminum steed stands a man (trying desperately to remain a boy- that’s me), helmet in hand, modest calves coyly poking out from his cycling shoes. A nervous smile escapes his lips. Next to said man/boy is the owner of a great local bike store (Tremblant’s Cycles et Sports), and all-round pleasant fellow who had graciously accepted to take me for a “relaxed” ride around the nearby trails. A beautiful sheep dog, barely bigger than her owner’s cast iron legs, waits for the proverbial bell to signal the start of what I believe to be an epic ride with a fierce, but relaxed, pace. What have I gotten myself into?
Mark should have neither watched nor listened to this video before leaving Read more about the Ride
I do apologize for leaving you hanging like that in my previous article, but my unquenchable desire to use question marks got the best of me. Here I am once again. So fret not my darlings, that fresh air did not choke my city lungs, nor did the sun burn my pasty skin. Quite the contrary in fact: I am told I wheeze much less when watching my soaps, and that raw chicken skin look I was going for seems to have been remedied (my Udon noodle shade of white is much more becoming).
Oh, did I mention that Veronique and I are now waiting for your patronage at our new Mont-TremblantAltitude Sports? Well we are. Seriously. Come buy stuff. I’m nicer than I look, I swear. Ok, maybe not Monday mornings, so swing by Wednesday-ish. I’ll make you a coffee. Latte, not filter. Just off the 117 after the grocery stores.
Max is going to be mad if I don’t incorporate some outdoor epiphany I have recently had, so I will get to the point: I love water. Not playing with it, sillybilly, but drinking it! Read more Back to Basics
