Bike touring without a prepared cue sheet, sag wagon and bike mechanic can test your independence but we believe that attitude is the difference between an ordeal and an adventure. Every time we’ve had a challenge on a bike tour, it makes a good story; our first ride in Montreal was no different.
Here’s what I envisioned for our first team photo: Six riders in bright red QC16 shirts, at an iconic Montreal location such as the Biosphere (a geodesic dome designed by Buckminster Fuller for the Expo 67 USA pavilion, similar to the Climatron at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis). But the photo above became our reality.
Arriving at our hotel in Montreal on August 10, we unloaded our bikes and gear, then headed to StorageMart, a secure spot to park our cars for 20 days. The next day we were ready to head off on a warmup ride/group photo op when Mike discovered he’d left his bike helmet in his car — now 10 miles away at StorageMart. And Claudia wanted to retrieve a few items left in their car. No problem! We just made our inaugural ride a trip to StorageMart — an opportunity to navigate Montreal’s bike routes — and, an ice cream stop on our way back into the city center.