La Route Verte

[dlambert]

My wife and I will be doing a 10-12 day tour next summer, and would like to cover part of la Route Verte in Quebec.  We'll do 60-80 km per day, with the occasional rest.  I would prefer camping, but she has more votes than I do so we'll probably mostly do hostels and low-cost BnBs.  We'll probably start in Quebec (City).  I like the looks of the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean portion, but does anyone have suggestions for better parts of the route?   It may be too much to ask, but is there anything equivalent to the Adventure Cycling maps for la Route?

[raybo]

Have you checked out the official Route Verte site: http://www.routeverte.com/rv/index_e.php ?

Ray

Visit the on-line bike touring archive at www.biketouringtips.com

[bikerbob]

Velo Quebec has an official guide to cycling in Quebec which includes the entire 4076 kms of the Route Verte.  Fifteen pages of the guide detail the Saguenay-Lac Saint-Jean route. The maps are excellent.  Also includes a list of bicycle friendly camping sitesa B&B's,inns and hotels that are along the route.
Enjoy your ride. I have done two rides there and thoroughly enjoyed both of them.  Too bad they are so far away from the West Coast      

[geegee]

While going around Lac-St-Jean (Veloroute des Bleuets) is easy,
getting there from Quebec City is quite hilly, especially if you decide to
stick to the north shore. Be prepared for some steep climbs in the
Charlevoix and Manicouagan sections. I did this ride several years ago
and I made a somewhat foolish decision to go though the north shore,
which is not part of the Route verte. While the scenery is stunning, the
climbs were the steepest i've ridden. I rarely walk my bike but I had no
choice on a 3 km 22% grade getting out of Sainte-Irenee!

The Veloroute des Bleuets (blueberry bike route) is probably the most
organized part of the Route verte. Along its 250km loop, there are
regular rest stops, bike specific signage and services. The provincial
park at Pointe-Taillon even has bike in campsites. Excellent homey
B&Bs and hearty food (the special Lac-St-Jean Tourtiere is a must-try)

As for other routes, the Gaspesie is quite nice, going around the south
of the peninsula then taking the train back to Quebec City is doable on
your schedule. If you like having urban experiences mixed in with your
tour, the Ottawa/Gatineau-Montreal-Quebec City route is not bad.

The publication look for is
Cycling in
Quebec

[WeTommyD]

Geeg offers very good advice.

My tour started & ended in Quebec City.  I started on the north shore of the river and was exhausted after two days of cycling.  The best chocolate in the world is located in Les Eboulements! I did not make it to Saguenay and took the ferry over to Rivere-du-Loop from St Simeon.

The Gaspe Peninsula is very beautiful and the people are extremely friendly.  You can design a route because the train runs through the peninsula.  I was riding at sea level with the wind at my back from Parc-du-Bic to Riviere-la-Madeleine.  

There is a nice campground overlooking Perce Rock named Camping Cote Surprise.  

The southern portion of the Gaspe (Matepedia Valley) reminds me of the movie "A River Runs Through It"

[dlambert]

So far, so good.  Thanks for the info!  The Veloroute des Bleuets sounds great, as does the Gaspe peninsula, though harder logistically to get there.

The north shore route to start the Veloroute des Bleuets sounds like a great beginning if I want to keep future conversations with my wife to a minimum for the rest of the tour!  Any suggestions on alternatives to get to Chicoutimi?  Trains?  Buses? Rental cars?  Bike routes other than the north shore?

Thanks.

[windrath]

Geeg -

Like Dlambert, I am planning a summer 2009 ride along the St. Lawrence Seaway from lake Ontario to Gaspe' and then around to Nova Scotia.

You have confirmed what I read about the climbs.  I have done 22% (without a load) and 13-15% fully loaded, so think I can handle riding or walking as need be.

The burning question though - in retrospect, would you go the northern route because the beauty of the ride outweighs the agony of the climbs?

Thanks for your thoughts....

windrath  

[geegee]

Windrath-

I took the north shore route that time because I had gone down the
south shore three times before and I was looking explore something
different. In retrospect, no, I have no regrets, but I would never do that
route again! I have done the south shore route again since, and I now
enjoy looking at the other side of the river even more

The south shore is quite pretty and the sunsets are incredible. The
towns and villages in Bas-St-Laurent have more amenities and it is
cheaper. In contrast, the Charlevoix has sparsely spaced conveniences
and places to eat and stay tend to book up or close early.

To get out to Nova Scotia, I've done both the St John River valley route
through the interior of New Brunswick, and along the Acadian shore.
The shore route is beautiful, but getting over the Appalachian ridge is
easier via Edmundston along the rail trail. The shoulders on the
highway through the Matapédia valley to Gaspésie are intermittent,
even though it is part of the Route verte. New Brunswick has excellent
roads with extra wide shoulders.

This message was edited by geeg on 12-12-08 @ 8:01 PM

[JeeP]

I agree with you Geeg. I live in the Gaspé peninsula and the infrastructures are unremarquable for cycling. I would never make a tour here. Shoulders are rare on the north side and drivers are not as cooperative as what I experienced in the States. I presume that the adding of Gaspésie in the Route Verte network was just a political and marketing trick to be able to announce a network covering the province. The eastern part cannot be compare to Lac-St-Jean or Estrie.