BIXI TOUR OF GAY VILLAGE, MONTREAL

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With spring finally ours (thanks mother nature!), it means that Bixi is also becoming a daily activity of Montreal locals. Bixi is the public bike system phenomenon that has swept Montreal off their feet and onto the many (500!) kilometers of paths. I’ll show you my favourite ride starting in the Old Port and going right through Montreal’s Gay Village…

Starting at the corner of Rue De La Commune and Place Jacques Cartier, I grab my Bixi bike from the nearby station. An easy seat adjustment later and I’m having a leisurely ride along les Quays of the Old Port. After a quick spin around, I’m pedaling up Rue Berri while still remaining on the bike path. No scary cars! I dock my bike at Berri-UQAM metro and continue through the Gay Village on foot. Stopping in at the best ice cream in the Village: Le Bouche en Folie. This place has 35 flavours of soft-serve ice cream, and that’s before you start mixing and matching. You can’t Bixi and eat ice cream at the same time, so I go sit in one of the many parks that dot the village and enjoy the locals and sunshine.

Many creamy calories later, I take out my smartphone and open the Bixi station finder app. There are a few of these, but Bixou is my favorite. Locating a nearby station, It’s time for the cycle up the hill to Parc Lafountaine, located at the northernmost point of the Village. Getting there is a nice ride through the picturesque streets. Once at Parc Lafountaine, biking-while-people-watching is the perfect way to end the day. Don’t forget to return your bike every 45 minutes! A two-minute wait is worth avoiding those extra charges for going over the time limit.

If you don’t feel like riding up to Parc Lafountaine, another great route through the Village is the dedicated bike path along Rene-Levesque that will take you all the way to the Jacques Cartier Bridge and beyond!

BIXI BASICS:

• 45 minutes of free time, 2 minute wait time at a station. Average distance between stations is 400 meters. You can rent 2 bikes with one credit card.
• If you loose your number, just stick your credit card in again and another one will be given. You won’t be charged twice!
• If you plan on Bixing over an entire weekend, the 72 hour pass is a great deal!
• Any problems, call the help number posted on station. They’re very helpful and always get any problems fixed quickly.
• It’s against the law to ride a bike with headphones in.
• Obey all traffic laws, and be safe!

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Guest Blogger: Alex Dunphy

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