Pro Cyclists on their Favourite Places to Ride in Canada

I remember the first time I went to le parc national de la Mauricie outside of Shawinigan. I was visiting Quebec and rode in on a bus with Neil Young’s greatest hits playing in my headphones. I was watching out the window and thought, “Wow, would this ever be a cool place to ride a bike.” I was five weeks away from finally getting my very first road bike. I had been saving my money for a year to purchase it. Little did I know that one year later, I’d return to live in the area and ride my bike on those very roads on a regular basis. “Le parc,” as we fondly call it, has a twisting, rolling road with lush forests on either side and that passes many lakes. There’s about 60 km of road from end to end. You can make a big loop of it by passing through the surrounding villages, or do out-and-backs if you want to stay in the hills. Some people compare it to the Gatineau Park, but I know “my parc” is in a class of its own.— Lexal brecht

Hornby Island, B.C., will always be one of my favourite places to ride, not only because of the fun trails, but also for the memories and emotions I get upon returning there. It is a special island disconnected from commercialism and the buzz of everyday life with the local independent co-op grocery and farmers market as the hub of everyday life. It is a place I always go to recharge, relax and reconnect with why I fell in love with mountain biking. Away from distractions, I can go ride just for fun on the fast and flowing singletrack that I started mountain biking on during summer visits to our family cabin there. With the amazing mountain bike trails, sandy beaches, beautiful parks and special community, it really is paradise for me. —Geoff kabush