On a beautiful August summer day, G. T. Bishop embarked on the Candiac EXO train at Lucien L'allier, soon to be joined by Louis Rubenstein at Montreal West who quickly got the day's theme of transport rants going about the pointless new Montreal West station; who was then followed by Arthur Harris at the Du Canal station where both Arthur and Louis traded barbs about the terrible design of said station.
Things quieted down as the trio enjoyed the view of the St. Lawrence river as the train crossed over to the South Shore. The bliss was shortlived, however, when the train stopped at its final destination of the miniscule platform at Candiac where the ever attentive EXO staff chose to put the exit door at the far end of the train from where the cyclists were seated requiring lugging the bikes through the inside of the car in order to exit.
Remembering his duties, G. T. finally snapped a picture of the members, leaving himself out as he was still fuming about the EXO incompetence and formulating a nasty letter to the powers that be in his head.
Heading out to the road, the members were amazed at the amount of condo construction happening around the station. Perhaps some of these people might even take the train and the EXO powers will finally put a frequent train service here with a full length platform!
The condo buildings are actually quite nice and human-sized, and with a spanking new bike path running right through though, once again, suburban design put zero commercial spaces in the area so people will be running to the shops in their cars like all good suburbanites. (The rants continue!)
Finally, the members got going and passed over the 30 and into open country with lovely green fields on either side and a tailwind to boot that took them all the way to St-Jean-sur-Richilieu with only a brief stop at L'Acadie for a nature break and water.
Shortly thereafter, the members arrived in St-Jean and planned to lunch at the favoured Manniquin Pis cafe but, unfortunately, it seems to have shut down. However, there was another cafe just down the street and it had a nice terrace though a somewhat stressout owner. Still, it provided a nice break before the members headed north along the Chambly Canal.
There were quite a few cyclists on the path for a Wednesday afternoon. At one point, the members came across an e-biker on the ground but he had managed to pick himself up and was attempting, with his friends, to fix a damaged seat connection. The members wished them well and carried on to Chambly where G. T. suggested a refreshment stop that Louis quickly accepted and Arthur was finally won over.
Carbed up, the members carried on the bike path towards Brossard and the Du Quartier REM station for Arthur's first ride on the REM though G. T. and Louis were old hands at the game by now.
Total distance from Candiac to Brossard was 64K.
The members departed ways at the Central Station as they worked to get off the train through the push of people getting on. Nice to see that the uncourteous ways of the Metro system are already being transferred to the REM!
So ends the rants of the day on what was, otherwise, a lovely day on the roads and paths of the Monteregie.
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