I Love Riding in the City
NAME: Francois Fortier AKA @JohnnyCanuck
LOCATION: Montreal, QC
OCCUPATION: IT Mobility Specialist
Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
I live and work in Montreal, on the island proper and love my daily ride in the city. It’s a 25 km commute along the Lakeshore and the Lachine Canal. When the weather is nice it’s amazingly beautiful and full of life, but when the weather turns or it’s windy it can be one of the best workouts you’ll have on flat land. Riding in the city is great, there are loads of bike paths and thanks to the popularity of the Bixi bikes, the cars are finally starting to take notice. It has become a lot safer and more pleasant to ride in the city.
What was your favorite city to ride in, and why?
I loved riding in Europe, France and the UK have some of the most amazing rolling country sides. But when I think about the types of rides I can do just by wheeling either the fixie or the road bike out of the garage, it still has to be Montreal. You don’t even have to leave the city for a hill climb, but riding out over any the bridges will take you through bendy country roads to various mountain trails and road climbs. Whether you are looking for 40, 80 or 120 km road rides this city has you covered. Circling the island itself will give you a 125 km ride without ever crossing a bridge or doubling back.
Why do you love riding in the city?
I ride into the city to avoid public transport, even if the trains and metro are pretty good in Montreal, I’d rather just get on the bike and get a bit of a workout on my way to work. You can pretty much get anywhere you want in under an hour.
