The National Capital Region chapter invites you to come to Quebec’s Cantons-de-l’Est (Eastern Townships) region for a week of cycling in the spring of 2025. The Cantons-de-l’Est form the southern part of the Province of Quebec, bordering the American states of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.  As part of the foothills of the Appalachian Mountain range the region  offers a scenic mixture of hills, lakes, forests, farmland and small towns. All rides will be within Canada.

The city of Sherbrooke is the centre of this region and the base for our Hub and Spoke. It is located at the confluence of the Saint François and Magog rivers. Sherbrooke is the primary economic, political, cultural and institutional centre of the Eastern Townships. Its metropolitan area has a population of 230,000.

The Townships were originally home to the indigenous Abenaki. European colonization occurred in three phases, English speaking loyalists fleeing the American Revolution in 1776, settlers from the British Isles and then French Canadians from adjacent surroundings. The population of theTownships is now more than 90 percent French speaking. Our cycling routes will be largely in the rural area surrounding Sherbrooke and reflective of the region’s historical and natural characteristics.

The following links provide a bit of general information about Sherbrooke and cycling in the area.

https://www.sherbrooke.ca/en/visiting-sherbrooke

https://www.sherbrooke.ca/en/culture-sports-and-recreation/sports-and-sports-facilities/cycling

https://www.visitezsherbrooke.ca/fr/decouvrez/quoi-faire/veloroute-des-grandes-fourches-circuit-des-grandes-fourches

Travel:

By Car from Ottawa to Sherbrooke – 361 km (3 hr 33 min).

Nearest Airport to Sherbrooke – Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport Montreal Airport to Sherbrooke:

• By car – 161 km (2 hr)
• By bicycle (route Verte) – 213km (15hr)

Each participant is responsible for making their own hotel reservations.

The Hub and Spoke will be based at the Comfort Inn Sherbrooke, 4295 Boul. Bourque, Sherbrooke, QC. Phone: (819)564-4400. Cost is $149 per room per night, breakfast included, plus tax. A block of rooms is being held for the CCCTS. Once you are selected you will need to call the hotel to make your reservation.  To get the group rate, mention that you are part of the  CCCTS bicycle club.

Although we recommend staying at the above-mentioned accommodation, where we will begin our rides and join together for happy hour and ride briefings, there are other options nearby; Quality Hotel & Suites, 4206 King St. West; Hotel Le Président, 3535 King St. West, and  Hotellerie Jardins de Ville, 4235 Boul. Bourque.

There will be 2 different rides to choose from each day. The shorter ride will range from 55 to 65 km and the longer ride will range from 75 to 95 km. There will be time to stop for coffee/beverages and/or picnic lunches and scenic views. The rides will be primarily on paved peaceful rural roads or designated bike paths, with some hills along the way. Elevation gains will typically be maximum 500m (short rides) and 650m (long rides). Most rides will begin and end at our hotel in Sherbrooke, with a limited number of remote starts. We will divide into groups each day to accommodate different riding speeds and distances, each with a volunteer ride leader from the Ottawa chapter.

Because most of the bike paths and a few of the roads are unpaved, tires narrower than 28mm are not recommended.

There are several bike rental shops in Sherbrooke that rent hybrid (ie. Trek FX style bikes) and gravel bikes.

RWGPS routes will be provided although routes may change due to road conditions in May. While we hope for sunny spring cycling weather, participants should come prepared for cooler temperatures and possible rain.

The Cdn. $50 fee will cover the organizational costs and supplies, and some shared costs.

Accommodation, meals, bike rental, or individual expenses of participants. Hub and Spoke Coordinator Fee (waived).

Day 1 (Sunday, May 18):

Participants will travel to Sherbrooke, Quebec. A short warm-up ride around the city will be offered for those arriving before 2:30 pm.

A happy hour at the motel is scheduled for 5:30 pm, where you will get to meet your cycling buddies and learn details for the coming week. Similar happy hours will be held each day following the rides.

Day 2:

A choice between longer and shorter routes to the west of Sherbrooke, following the Rte. Verte cycling path up the Magog River to the scenic town of Magog on Lake Memphremagog, and returning by a more northerly route on rural roads.

Day 3:

Today’s routes go south; the shorter following the Circuit Des Grandes Fourches bicycle route and the longer going to Ayers Cliff at the southern end of Lake Massawippi.

Day 4:

Long and short routes are proposed to the north along both banks of Rivière Saint François, to the communities of Richmond and Windsor.

Day 5:

Routes today go east from Lennoxville to the communities of Ascot Corner, Cookshire and Eaton.

Day 6:

The final day’s route choices follow local roads south-east of Sherbrooke to the village of Compton. These rides will be the last events in the H&S. Participants may decide to leave for home that afternoon or book an additional night in Sherbrooke and leave on Sat., May 24th.

Registration will be on the CCCTS website starting Monday February 17, 2025.  A computerized lottery system and waitlist will be utilized in the event that the ride is over-subscribed. A $50 CAD payment is required at the time of registration. The lottery signup will run for 5 days, after which time the leaders will review the results.

The selection process will consider the following criteria in evaluating candidates:

• fitness and riding ability and experience required for the tour,
• a history of demonstrating safe riding practices,
• acceptable social behaviour.

The leader may interview riders or others who know them to verify their suitability for the tour.  The Hub and Spoke Coordinators will have the discretion to make the final decision on whether someone is accepted for a tour and may reject applicants after discussion with the Hub and Spoke Director.

The leader will notify registrants of their selection status. If the ride is not filled to capacity, registration will continue until the closing dates shown. Registration Fee payments are considered non-refundable in the event of cancellation. Wait listed cyclists who don't make it to the Ride's "Go List" are encouraged to remain on the waitlist; alternatively they may request a refund of their registration fee (minus the stripe fee).

Communicable Illnesses:

The CCCTS Communicable Illness Policy takes into consideration regulations and recommendations from Public Health Authority of Canada, BC Centre of Disease Control, and Public Health Ontario. In the case of illness while on tour, it is expected that all participants will follow the procedures outlined in this policy. Please refer to the Communicable Illnesses Policy and Procedures document on the club website for more details.

CCCTS strongly encourages all participants to be up to date on their vaccinations for COVID and all other communicable diseases. Everyone should bring three COVID test kits with them on the tour and take responsibility for self-testing if they feel ill.

Air Travel Emissions:

A return flight from Vancouver to Montreal is 7,400 km or more and will produce about 1.425 Tonnes of total emissions per person. For comparison, one year of driving a gasoline-powered car produces 2.0 tonnes of total emissions. For more information on the impact of those emissions on climate change and extreme weather events refer to Air Travel Emissions from CCCTS Tours on the club website.