You're on bike-path all the way, save for a 2-km stretch near the end on Wellington.
Maps: Sections 4 & 5 (542 KB) ~
PDF version (983 KB);
Detail A (366 KB) showing the last 10 km ~
PDF version (655 KB);
Detail B (215 KB) showing the
descent from René-Lévèsque to the Old Port ~
PDF version (592 KB);
Detail C (170 KB)
showing the way from the Old Port to Wellington St. ~
PDF version (503 KB).
| km |
Landmarks |
Comments |
|---|
| 00.0 | Sherbrooke at 81st Ave | Cross to follow 81st to Notre-Dame |
| Normally we turn onto the bike-path right after
crossing the tracks, however construction under way obliges us to continue on 81st to Notre-Dame. |
| 00.6 | Turn right onto the bike-path at Notre-Dame |
| 02.4 | Follow Notre-Dame almost to 56th ave | Convenience store |
| Turn right with the path to follow the railway tracks for about 5 km. |
| From here to the Old Port the route is quite
straightforward, despite many twists and turns. We go intermittently along
the railway tracks and Notre Dame St, through quiet residential streets and a few
parks. Just watch for the green bicycle signs, and follow the bike-path all the way.
You are now once again beside the St Lawrence River. |
| After 4 or 5 km beside the railway tracks, we
turn right at 42nd Ave to go up to Gauchetiere St, where we turn left.
At the end of the street the bike-path continues through a park, under electricity
pylons, and down to Victoria St. |
| We follow Victoria St. alongside the railway as far as 36th Ave,
where we cross the railway and follow the path to Marien St. |
| At Marien St we go left to cross Notre Dame
and get back on bike-path along the water (right). In the refinery sector
the path takes us back to Notre Dame, where we continue left on the bike-path
alongside the road. |
| 10.9 | Georges V Ave (after the refineries) | Left with the bike-path |
| The bike-path takes us back along the water in a
fine park, Promenade Bellerive. The pavement is a little rough in spots. Near the
end of this park there is a fork in the path: go right, towards Notre Dame.
(If you forget and go left, there's a dead-end at a park building.) |
| 14.0 | Back along Notre Dame. A McDonald's... | And a donut shop! |
| 16.5 | Dickson St: cross to the other side | |
| Following the bike-path now along the right side
of Notre Dame, by km 17.5 we are in a linear park traversed by frequent intersections.
You must stay on this path, do not skate on Notre Dame! The path is
fun and very good quality, but slow down and stop at the intersections. |
| 21.5 | De Lorimier St: cross to the other side | (Blue pavement) |
| You are now on the bike-path along the left side
of Rene Lévesque Blvd. Follow this as far as you can: at Berri St you'll
see a green bike sign indicating that the path is at a T. |
| 22.9 | Berri St, cross and turn left. | |
| Warning! On the downhill down Berri, you
must brake all the way even if the light is green at the bottom. There is
heavy traffic here, and cars turning right on the green may not see you. This holds
true for all of the intersections here: stop on the red, watch for cars
turning into you on the green. |
| 23.4 | Commune St, cross and turn right. | Montreal's Old Port |
| At the first entry crossing the bike-path alongside Commune, you have a
choice: either keep going straight, or turn left. In the past we've always turned left, as given
in the instructions below, crossing the railway tracks and then re-crossing them a little later.
However, it's possible to avoid that mess, keeping the tracks on your left and the street on your right.
If you see how to do it, go ahead - it's allowed - and skip the following down to "25.5 Locks".
|
| The Old Port section is slow skating and
sometimes tricky. Just a few yards after turning onto the bike-path on the far side
of Commune St, you must turn
left across the railway tracks, then right onto the broad walkway.
The tiled surface here can be slippery, so take it easy and watch out for
pedestrians, cyclists and pleasure-skaters. |
| While still on the tiles, you'll come to a 20-foot section
of coarse brick. Give yourself enough speed to roll across without stroking,
keeping one skate in front of the other for stability. |
| The tiles lead straight onto a wide road (with
no cars on it); at the end of the road, turn right to
cross the railway tracks again, then immediately left to follow the
bike-path parallel to Commune St. |
| 25.5 | Locks | |
|
Where Commune St turns left to go over a blue-green humpback bridge,
just follow the bike-path all the way: over the bridge, then a hair-pin turn left to curl
back around and under it -- slow down as you come down the bridge! Continue along
the trail beside the canal, until you come to a T. Turn right onto
the bike-path following the narrow Lachine Canal. |
| 26.0 | We've gone under the Bonaventure Autoroute |
| Keep the narrow Lachine Canal on your right.
Ignoring the little wooden bridge that crosses it, continue alongside the Canal for
another 100 yards or so, turning left at the first
opportunity¾just before the fork in the bike-path,
which is less convenient. This brings you to the side of
Wellington St. Watching for traffic, cross Wellington and turn left to skate
on the right side of the street. This is the only part of Section 5 where you are
skating in a traffic lane, so stay alert and always yield to traffic.D |
| 26.5 | Wellington St. | |
| You have about 2 km to skate along Wellington,
heading towards Verdun. Watch for the Canadian Tire which will eventually appear on
your left. |
| 27.2 | We go under a bridge (CN rail) | |
| 28.3 | Under another bridge (Hwy 15) | |
| 28.4 | Canadian Tire store | Cross and turn left. |
| Having crossed Wellington at the Canadian Tire
store - right after the Maxi store - follow the bike-path left
for the 50 yards or so of Henri Duhamel Blvd. |
| You come to the entry ramp to Hwy 15/Champlain Bridge. Cross it
to the bike-path on the other side and turn right, away from the bridge. |
| After a mere 20 yards, the bike-path cuts
left across an unused road (careful of the dip), then comes
to another T, or at least a fork, right behind a baseball diamond. Here you
go left (the right side ends in a parking lot). The bike-path heads toward the
river, curving to the right around the playing fields, for the final 200 yards to
the Auditorium. |
| 29.5 | End of Section 5! | End of the Défi! |
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU DID IT! (You
must reach the finish by 6 p.m.)
Medals are awarded at a party that is held
about a month or so later¾you'll receive an
invitation in the mail. Thanks for participating! |