The State of Cycling in Quebec

Originally Posted August 16, 2007 on Velo Quebec 2007

As soon as you do any research on le Route Verte you instantly become acquainted with Velo Quebec. And if you are like I was; well its a bit confusing. At first it seems like a large bike club based in Montreal, but the more you read about it you begin to think its more like LAB, the League of America Bicyclists. But it is different because Velo Quebec is more localized, more provincial and their main goal over the last ten years was the completion of le Route Verte.

If you read the LAB website it is clear that it is an advocacy organization first. The current page has a clear picture of the Capitol in the background. One thing that Velo Quebec does very well is to research and analyze the state of cycling in Quebec with regards to the penetration of active cyclists in the community. Every five years the association publishes a report which highlights the level of cycling activity in the province and its impact on the economy. (Bicycling in Quebec 2005 and Bicycling in Quebec 2000). Included with my membership was the choice of either a subscription to Velo Mag or Plein Aire. I choose Velo Mag and although it is written in French only it is in my opinion a better magazine than the national magazine in the states; "Bicycling" which sometimes sees to be written for the recreational high school students.

In addition to the magazine I received cycling specific maps for every area of Quebec along with cycle touring brochures for each region. Additional books and publications can be ordered. All in all these resources provide a good base to start from in your research on bicycle touring in the area.