- Details of rides around Scotstown (click here for list of rides and details)
- A few basic notes about equipment, road surfaces, remoteness etc… (click here for a short list of things to think about before heading off, and for comments on road surfaces…)
- Why use Scotstown as a base? (click here for a description of some specific items, such as shops, restaurants, cafés and accommodation)
Scotstown: why cycle here?
Scotstown is a small village deep in the Eastern Townships, close to the US border and lying in the shadow of Mont Mégantic.
As such, it is situated in hilly terrain, is surrounded by many gravel roads, and its main roads have fairly light traffic – though they tend to be long and straight, so traffic can be fast.
On the whole cycling in this area is for people who are willing to take the time to cycle up hills, and are able to perform basic repairs (mainly punctures, but also adjustment to brakes, etc…) on the roadside.
I enjoy the cycling here because it is physically challenging, because one can go on long rides with hardly any traffic around, and because the scenery can be stunning.
Of particular interest is proximity to Mont Mégantic an iconic climb in Québec, relatively short (5km, 10km if you count the shallow climb towards the park) but brutal in parts. Mont St.Joseph, which has a 1.5km section averaging about 13%, is even more brutal. Fortunately, many other hills in the area are not as steep!
Scotstown is a great base from which to fan out on a variety of cycle rides, some of which I describe here.
I will add new rides as I explore: now that route 257 towards Gould is tarmaced (July 2024), I have a new way to get out of Scotstown on a road bike!
Richard Shearmur 