Vélo Mag July 2023

At the end of the row

There was a time when the word bikepacking didn't exist. I remember a cycling adventure that sounded a lot like it. We were a small gang riding hardtail mountain bikes with 26" wheels. I was lucky enough to ride a beautifully crafted titanium Kona Hei Hei.

My influencers

Charles, Shan and the Parlee Collective
I'm writing these lines in Vienna airport, on a long stopover en route to the Balearic Islands. Across from me are two of my best cycling and life friends: Charles Ostiguy and Shan Hyland. Together, we've ridden large swathes of Quebec, several times in Virginia, New Hampshire, France (twice), Italy (time to ride the last third of the Milan-San Remo spring classic), and now we're heading for Mallorca, off the coast of Barcelona.

Report

Apprenticeship: today, we're going on the road!
We're in the courtyard of Montreal's Saint-Benoît school, and Vélo Québec development officer Alexane Ferland has just announced to the Toutes à vélo participants that they'll be pedaling on the street for the first time. They are on the last day of a four-week, twice-weekly course designed to teach them how to ride a bike. The course participants are adult women who have either never ridden a bike in their lives, or have not ridden a bike since childhood.

Chosen piece

El león
«I'm 46,» says Sylvia shamelessly. And my husband, a few years older," she adds, looking at him tenderly. The couple own a fruit shop a stone's throw from the barracks where we found́ refuge the day before.

On the move!

Carolanne Gariépy: a bicycle tattooed on her heart

We received hundreds of messages, and we'd like to thank you warmly for this wave of enthusiasm. At the beginning of May, we selected four candidates who stood out as much for their devouring passion for cycling as for their involvement in the greater Quebec cycling community. In the end, Carolanne Gariépy won the public vote, just a few votes ahead of Fred Neault. We present the winner in full.

Destination

Riding in the parks

Why not explore Quebec's national parks by bike this summer? Whether you're a touring cyclist, a mountain biker, a road cyclist, a gravel cyclist or a bikepacker, there are plenty of cycling routes, some of them little-known. It's a great opportunity to spend a night here, to immerse yourself even further in the great outdoors. Just follow the guide.

Destination

Virginia is for lovers... de la gravelle

Eight mountain ranges, sixty state and national parks, eight thousand square kilometers of national forests and a peaceful rurality already so popular with road cyclists: Virginia's state motto, Virginia is for lovers, applies perfectly to gravel biking enthusiasts, especially in the Harrisonburg and Roanoke areas.

Meeting the clubs

The pleasures of Outaouais

«Vélo Plaisirs, with an s, because we really have a lot of fun!» explain the members of the Gatineau club's Board of Directors, winking at me. If I doubt the grammatical explanation, I can only agree with them: you come to the club for the bike, you stay for the friends.

Between rocks and roots

Volunteer trail chores

I don't know if you're like me, but every time I discover a network of trails, I always think of those passionate volunteers who rolled up their sleeves and sweated so hard that I could express my happiness with great blows of yahoo!

Techno

Generation bikepacking bags

Bikepacking has become a buzzword in recent years. A new sport, new types of bags, a different way of travelling? It's a bit of all of the above.

Advice

Adopt platform pedals

Let's be clear from the outset: the purpose of this article is not to make a decisive statement about the use of platform or clip-on pedals. Rather, the aim is to give a few tips for the proper use of platform pedals, while suggesting a few models.

Geek Corner

Six (more) good reasons to switch to disc brakes

The question of which type of brake - disc or rim - is superior is a passionate one. The advantages and disadvantages of each are regularly debated: better, more consistent braking for one, simpler maintenance and greater affordability for the other. Over and above the frequently discussed themes, here are six points on what disc brakes can do for you.

Bike test

Liv Intrigue X Advanced E+ Elite 1

Liv's Intrigue X Advanced E+ Elite 1 is the first trail-class electrically assisted mountain bike with an all-carbon frame. It's light, agile and much slimmer than its predecessor. The «mullet» setup, with a 29" front wheel and a 27.5" rear wheel, and the short rear triangle give it good liveliness and precision on the trail.

Nutrition

Eating for healthy aging

Training for healthy aging is important, but so is what you put on your plate. Specific food compounds are thought to have beneficial anti-aging properties that also protect brain health.

Training

Resurrection on the massage table

A sore lower back, heavy quadriceps and gnarled calves will all be a distant memory after a sports massage. But what does science have to say?

Health

A body for rolling... or rolling for your body?

What are the real reasons for cycling? What if behind the intention to ride lie concerns about one's body image? Constant preoccupation with body image, weight gain and diet can lead to dysfunction.