Gravel Biking in Brome Lake: A Feast for the Eyes and Senses!

There are some places that I love deeply for the feelings they evoke. Like Brome Lake, for example. Many movies are shot in Knowlton, its cœur villageois, while famous author Louise Penney draws some of her inspiration for her detective novels from the region. Its lively and spectacular lake never fails to cast a spell over visitors. Brome Lake is a wonder to behold, a feast for the eyes and other senses, with its gourmet delights, and a treat for gravel biking fans too.

 

Cycling dirt and gravel roads is surprisingly comfortable ride and a true delight, especially when enormous old trees line your route, forming a beautiful green canopy of leaves and branches and providing welcome shade. The scents vary, depending on whether you’re in the woods, near a pond or close to one of the numerous farms that afford picturesque glimpses of the surrounding pastures and summits.

Pedalling along St-Paul, Spicer, Bailey or de Brill streets is a dream, just like roaming the countryside: the region is like Provence in Québec! I love Tibbits Hill for its magnificent views of the lake below and Mount Orford, off in the distance. And for the pretty fieldstone country schoolhouse built in 1845, with its solid wood door. My friends from Zen Garnotte (an informal riding club) and I relish the feeling of having a window into a bygone era as we make our way along Stagecoach Road, named after the carriages that used to supply the region’s goods. Now, back onto rue Saint-Paul. In the two nearly adjacent cemeteries, take a moment to notice the very old headstones and the very young ages of the deceased, maintaining due respect for the site’s purpose. On Bailey, arriving at the Badger farm, I hope you’ll be lucky enough to see some of the Highland cattle, so brawny and hairy, with their long, curving horns, close up, near the fence. Very impressive! Originating in Scotland, they produce a very lean meat that Montreal’s hip restaurants love to serve. And speaking of animals, you have a good chance of running into a few local residents on horseback, with so many equestrian farms in the area.

 

 

We like to make a stop at Call’s Mills and maybe even enjoy a picnic next to a stream that you can find at the end of a 1-km forested trail. For my wife and me, one of our favourite addresses—especially when we have friends visiting—is the Le Mistral bistro at Domaine Jolivent. Its patio on two levels with open-air dining, the swimming pool and the beautifully landscaped ornamentals make its grounds an oasis of peace, and their culinary creations are delicious. Although admittedly, after 50 or 75 km on your bike, almost anything counts as gourmet cuisine!

Sometimes we indulge in another pleasure: a bit of wine tasting at Léon Courville vineyard. There, too, the sweeping views encompass an idyllic setting with meadows, Brome Lake, and Mount Orford once again in the distance.

Finally, another must: Cyclerie de Knowlton! Mélanie Trottechaud loves to “create moments,” and she truly excels at it. Here you’ll find homemade sorbets and gelatos made with products imported from Italy alongside vegan Bilboquet products. She even has a workshop in case you have to make any emergency repairs before hopping back on your bike! Mélanie, a police officer by trade and a force to be reckoned with, came to Brome Lake, bought a beautiful old Victorian house and opened Cyclerie in the same year—all while two of her three children were taking part in cycling competitions in various locations around Québec and she was doing five Half-Ironman triathlons across North America. Phew! In addition to her teenagers, the employees serving you will likely include young members of the national development team in rowing, which is based in Brome Lake.

“The list could go on for quite a while: there are no limits to the anatomy of a giant,” wrote Antonine Maillet in Pélagie-la-Charrette. The description applies perfectly to Brome Lake.

Like everyone else, I am drawn to the grand old homes, their history and their architecture. Like everyone else, I find the energy and ambience at Douglass Beach and on the patios intoxicating. But what gravel bikes are best for is allowing you to explore the backstreets and unpaved roads that drivers avoid so they don’t get their cars all dusty. This fast-growing sport is all about fun, exploring and enjoying the views; it’s an active form of tourism that respects nature. We cyclists do our best to avoid crowds rather than seek them out. And that has lots of advantages, for us and local residents alike.

 

 

Finally, I really have to stress again the beauty and diversity of the landscapes you see from the region’s less-travelled roads. On a bike, you are part of the natural environment and you have time to soak it all in. If your mouth is watering at the prospect of this feast for the eyes and senses, you should know that another of the region’s many pleasures is tackling the natural undulations of the land. The Brome Lake area is one of rolling hills and valleys; there are no flat stretches. So get your calves warmed up and smile, life is good!

 

Yvan Martineau 

Yvan Martineau, outdoor sports journalist and columnist for the program “Les week-ends de Paul Houde” on Cogeco 98.5 FM