The Véloroute Gourmande route offers food and friendship

by Claudia Laroye

“Did you cycle in the rain yesterday?” asks the silver-haired woman in the middle of a hotel lobby in Magog. I certainly did, I reply, while fiddling to reinstall the fully charged battery on my rented e-bike. Fortunately, today’s weather has dawned sunnier and drier than the monsoon-level rainfall that accompanied our soggy cycling journey from Bromont to this charming lakeside city in Quebec’s Eastern Townships.

My good-natured partner in cycling fun, Pat Lee, 65, and I, 57, are on the last leg of our biking buddy journey, cycling the scenic Véloroute Gourmande route from Montreal to Sherbrooke, covering 235 kilometres of some of la belle province’s most scenic landscapes.

Our decision to meet in Quebec from our respective homes on either side of the country was borne from a desire to embark on a CFF (Cycling Friends Forever) journey. At 50+ and 60+ years of age, we are keen to keep fit and active, and to show others that ageless cycling joy is in the journey, rather than in the speed and velocity it takes to get from point A to B. Or in this case, from vineyard to fromagerie and beyond along this gourmet trail.

The Eastern Townships in Quebec

The Véloroute Gourmande, named in homage to the delicious tastes, temptations and treats along the way, is in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, in the southern part of the province bordering the United States. This traditional territory of the Abenaki First Nations includes settlements in 1792 by Loyalists who moved north after the American Revolution, as well as many other ethnic groups drawn to the productive farmland and riparian transportation routes.

The region is in easy driving distance of Ontario and New Brunswick, and the American border states of Vermont, Maine and New York. The closest main airport is Montreal Trudeau International Airport (YUL). Check for flights here.

Cycling the Véloroute Gourmande

The Véloroute Gourmande begins on the urban cycle paths of Montreal, passes to the south shore through the Montéregie region, home to most of the provincial vineyards, then meanders through the countryside and rolling hills of the Eastern Townships.

The route includes 126 foodie and agritourism destinations, several Parks Canada National Historic Sites like Fort Chambly and the Chambly Canal and the protected forests and green spaces in Mount Orford National Park.

Many portions of the route are also part of the Trans Canada Trail, which stretches 29,000 km from coast to coast to coast. The TCT is the longest recreational, multi-use trail network in the world, and includes paved routes, gravel pathways and rocky mountain trails.

Don’t miss the vineyards

The Véloroute Gourmande travels through a collection of places and spaces that encompass a delicious variety of culinary experiences, from farm and vineyard to glass and plate. This trail includes Quebec’s first designated wine route, the Brome-Mississquoi, linking more than 20 vineyards, which between them, produce 60% of the wines made in the province.

We pause our journey to enjoy a wine tasting session at Domaine du Fleuve Winery, where young winemaker Hugo Brais tours us through the fields of ripening bunches of Pinot Gris and rustic Frontenac grapes, days away from the autumnal vigneron harvest. But wine isn’t the only drink in town. There are 30 microbreweries along the Véloroute, dozens of farmers’ markets and the Cheesemaker’s Circuit of at least 15 cheese factories, or fromageries.

Not ones to pass up an opportunity to indulge in Quebec’s incredible cheeses, we pay a visit to the Fromagerie des Cantons in the small town of Farnham, selecting a variety of fragrant cheeses – gooey brie, marinated feta and a wedge of hard cheddar – for a delicious al fresco picnic lunch on the sunny shore of Lake Boivin in Granby.

Of course, dining options in restaurants and bistros abound along the route as well. From delicate crepes at Les Bonnes Soeurs in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu to Mediterranean-inspired shared tapas of grilled halloumi and zesty Fattoush salad at Babar in Bromont to cuisine tonique at Spa Eastman and savoury handmade organic pizzas at tiny Deux Tomates in Orford, it’s deliciously clear that the Véloroute Gourmande comes by its name naturally.

Tips for cycling the Véloroute Gourmande

Tackling a multi-day cycling route of hundreds of kilometres might sound daunting. But the ability to ride at one’s own pace with regular pedal power or on an e-bike is a healthy and joyful exercise in freedom. And this cycling route is a mix of well-maintained paved pathways, well-signed markers and mostly separated bike lanes that prioritize safety and make the cycling journey comfortable for older riders.

We cycled on rented e-bikes, which have been a game-changer for many cyclists, and particularly older women. On our trip, we bumped into Eva Beaulieu, a resident of Mississauga, Ontario, who grew up in the charming village of North Hatley, on the northern tip of Lake Masawippi just a few kilometres south of Sherbrooke. She’s enjoyed several adventures on her e-bike, including a couple of trips in Quebec over the past few years.

“I don’t bike a lot,” says the sprightly 75-year-old Beaulieu. But in fact, her e-bike has opened a world of cycling opportunities. She completed a cycling trip in the Laurentians last summer and cycled the Véloroute Gourmande this June with family and friends.

It was a true relief to finish our soggy ride in Magog and find our clean, dry bags waiting for us in the hotel, thanks to this helpful transfer service. It’s a great way to enjoy a stress-free cycling holiday.

Pedal practicalities

The 235-kilometre route of the Véloroute Gourmande is mostly flat and follows separated cycling paths highlighted in the Ride with GPS smartphone app. While at times we had our challenges navigating our way out of cities (it became a running joke), it’s almost impossible to get truly lost – you’re surrounded by civilization, never far from a town or village and never out of cell phone range.

Our e-bikes were equipped with lights, locks, paniers, helmets, charging equipment and a repair kit. We didn’t encounter any flat tires or mishaps, but Voyager à Vélo was a phone call away, just in case.

Along the route, 35 businesses offer free e-bike charging, with no purchase required. During our trip, we only had to recharge once, midway through the hilly ride up and around the golden roads of Mount Orford. Otherwise, the previous night’s charge got us through each day’s ride of about 60 kilometres per day.

We charged our bike batteries every night in our hotel rooms. The batteries took about 4-5 hours to return to a full 100% charge and were simple to reinstall each morning before departing back on the road. Keep in mind that e-bike batteries will go through power at varying rates depending on the e-boost level selected by the rider.

The joys of cycling through the Eastern Townships during the fall colour show are particularly wonderful. The changing palette of yellow, orange and vivid reds of the maple and birch trees are a spectacular natural phenomenon. Seeing them up close on two wheels is a trip to savour and remember.

If you go to Quebec’s Eastern Townships

Where: Southern Quebec. The largest nearby international airport is in Montreal, about a 30-minute drive from downtown Montreal. Coming from Toronto, the drive is about six hours. Consider taking the train to Montreal!

Where to stay: Plan ahead, as the Eastern Townships can be busy during the fall months. There are many accommodations to choose from, including cottages, country inns, independent hotels like Quebec’s own stylish Le Germain Hotels and bed and breakfasts. Along the route, these accommodations can be found in Montreal, Brossard, Chambly, Granby, Bromont, Orford, Magog and Sherbrooke. For more information, click here.

Cycling routes: Suggested routes and maps can be found on the website here. You can also download the route on your smartphone with the Ride with GPS app.

Disclaimer: Our talented writers are often invited by tourism boards and travel companies to experience places like this firsthand so that they can share them with you. As a guest of Tourism Montreal, Montéregie Tourism and Tourism Eastern Townships, Claudia Laroye and Pat Lee were not compensated for their time spent researching, planning and writing this feature, nor was JourneyWoman for publishing it. In addition, the host organizations did not review this article before it was published, a practice that allows the writer to express her perspective with integrity and candor.

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