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  • Mountain Biking

Gravel Bandits/Gang de la Garnotte: Bromont Cyclists Shun Pavement

  • October 26, 2020
  • Ned Morgan
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A group of amateur cyclists from Bromont, Quebec decided to trade in paved roads for gravel trails. And they’ve never looked back.
words :: Maxime Bilodeau // photos :: Bernard Brault.

David Bérubé was tired of ducking, dodging and diving around speeding cars. Whenever he would hop on his bike to go for a ride, he would be honked at, swerved into and nearly run off the road. And he wasn’t alone. Several of his friends in the Bromont area near the Eastern Townships were also often victim to the mood swings of distracted and downright dangerous drivers. That was almost a decade ago, but things really haven’t changed that much since then. “Most drivers think that cyclists don’t belong on the road. Quebec’s road cycling environment is honestly pretty toxic,” laments the cyclist.

Gravel-Bandits-Gang-de-la-Garnotte-Bromont-Cyclists-Shun-Pavement-Bernard-Brault-lineup
The Gravel Bandits.

 

He was honked at, swerved into and nearly run off the road. And he wasn’t alone.

The Gravel Quest

For every bad thing in life, there are more good things to tip the balance. Having been literally driven off the pavement, David and a group of his buddies switched gears and decided to explore the dirt roads in and around their stomping grounds. It couldn’t be more perfect. It turns out that the Bromont backcountry is full of unpaved roads, hidden forest paths and winding country lanes. “At first, we cautiously took to the trails on our cyclocross Stallions. Then, gravel bikes hit the scene. These all-road bikes are much better suited to the kind of off-roading we were getting into,” he recalls. And now, he’s totally hooked. The proof: David only (voluntarily) took to the pavement three times last season. He’s even debating whether or not he should completely ditch his road bike and let it sit and collect dust as a relic of the past. N+1. (Rule 12 of velominati.com: The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.)

 

Gravel-Bandits-Gang-de-la-Garnotte-Bromont-Cyclists-Shun-Pavement-Bernard-Brault-woman-trail
The Bromont backcountry is full of gravel roads, hidden forest paths and winding country lanes.

 

But the story doesn’t end there. Eager to spread the good news, David created Graveleur Bromont, a travelling troupe of “off-road cyclists”, as their Facebook page so lovingly describes them. Membership fees, matching jerseys and all of the usual cycling club paraphernalia have been done away with. Instead, what unites the Graveleurs is their shared passion for hitting the gravel. The group unofficially meets every week for some uncomplicated and unbridled off-road fun. “Everyone is welcome. All you have to do is show up, look out for yourself and be in decent shape,” explains the founder of this informal band.

Bumping over Townships “Cobblestones”

Verified: Anyone can ride with the Graveleur Bromont crew. Last summer, the members dragged along yours truly for hundreds of kilometres of cycling fun. As we met up at the starting point, typically the Pittstop Vélo-Café in Bromont, the tone was set: We were going to take things easy—just a few gentle inclines and a sprinkling of, what my gracious guides called, “class 4” cross-country. In the neighbouring state of Vermont, this classification refers to any unmaintained roads that are often old, sometimes forgotten, but never decommissioned. The locals often call them “Vermont cobblestones,” which is a good way to put it.

 

Whatever you do, don’t gear-smash like I did. Pedal at a consistent, steady pace.

 

Riding with the Gravel Bandits: Don’t Think, Just Act

We came across one of these fabled sections on Chemin Boivin, near Mont Écho. Without warning, the dusty, rolling back roads turned into tree-lined forest paths that looked like they had been abandoned since… who knows when? You don’t have time to think, just act. You either take the right line or risk falling into one of the deep ravines that have been carved out on either side of the so-called “trail.” To make matters worse, the ground is soft, uneven and scattered with rocks and pebbles. Whatever you do, don’t gear-smash like I did. Pedal at a consistent, steady pace and you’ll do just fine. As fate would have it, I was no match for the rugged route like my experienced mountain biker friends and now brothers and sisters in arms. The “cobbled” Townships are no joke—they really do live up to their reputation.

 


 

Une petite communauté de cyclistes amateurs de la région de Bromont a délaissé la route pour le gravier. Verdict? Elle ne reviendrait plus en arrière.

David Bérubé en avait assez d’être la cible de voitures lancées à folle allure. Lors de ses sorties sur deux roues, il se faisait régulièrement klaxonner, frôler, puis menacer, dans l’ordre ou dans le désordre. Remarquez, il n’était pas le seul ; ses vieux chums de Bromont et des environs, aux portes des Cantons-de-l’Est, étaient eux aussi victimes des sautes d’humeur des chauffards. C’était il y a près d’une décennie, mais les choses ont pourtant peu changé depuis. « Plusieurs automobilistes sont toujours d’avis que les vélos n’ont pas leur place sur la voie publique. L’ambiance sur les routes du Québec continue d’être franchement désagréable », déplore le cycliste.

 

Gravel-Bandits-Gang-de-la-Garnotte-Bromont-Cyclists-Shun-Pavement-Bernard-Brault-red-barn

Les chemins de traverse

À quelque chose malheur est bon. Chassés de l’asphalte, David et ses potes ont poussé plus loin leur exploration des chemins de terre battue de la région entamée quelques années plus tôt. Ça tombe bien : l’arrière-pays de Bromont regorge de rangs non pavés, de sentiers forestiers dissimulés et d’autres routes où la caillasse a droit de cité. « Nous y roulions d’abord timidement au guidon de montures de cyclocross. Puis, la mode du gravel bike est arrivée, avec à sa suite des vélos mieux adaptés à cette pratique », raconte-t-il. Aujourd’hui, sa conversion à la garnotte est complète, totale. La preuve : David n’est sorti qu’à trois reprises sur la route la saison dernière. Il jongle même avec l’idée de se départir de son vélo de route, relégué au rôle de décoration. N+1 (règle no 12 de velominati.com : le nombre correct de vélos à posséder est n + 1).

L’histoire ne s’arrête pas là. Soucieux de propager la bonne nouvelle, David a créé Graveleur Bromont, une communauté de tripeux de « vélo hors bitume », comme le claironne leur page Facebook. Ne cherchez pas de frais d’adhésion, de maillots cyclistes à acheter et de toutes ces autres contraintes de clubs cyclistes ; il n’y en a pas. La seule chose qui regroupe les Graveleurs est leur passion commune, qu’ils partagent à l’occasion de sorties hebdomadaires non encadrées placées sous le sceau de la franche camaraderie. « Tout le monde est le bienvenu. Il suffit de s’annoncer un peu avant, d’être autonome et d’être minimalement en bonne forme », explique le fondateur de ce regroupement informel.

 

Gravel-Bandits-Gang-de-la-Garnotte-Bromont-Cyclists-Shun-Pavement-Bernard-Brault-bike-in-water

Cahoter sur les « pavés » des Cantons

Vérification faite : Graveleur Bromont est effectivement ouvert à tous. L’été dernier, ses membres ont traîné votre humble serviteur sur leur porte-bagages l’espace d’une centaine de bornes. Dès le départ du point du ralliement, normalement fixé au Pittstop Vélo-Café de Bromont, le ton était donné : nous allions rouler piano, avec quelques passages allegro en montée et d’autres capriccioso dans ce que mes hôtes qualifient de « classe 4 ». Dans l’État voisin du Vermont, cela réfère à des routes non entretenues, souvent anciennes, parfois même oubliées, mais jamais déclassées aux yeux de la loi. Les locaux de cet État parlent d’ailleurs de « pavés du Vermont », c’est tout dire.

Nous frappons une telle section sur le chemin Boivin, dans les environs du mont Écho. Rapidement, la route poussiéreuse, mais roulante, laisse place à un authentique chemin forestier délaissé depuis… depuis quand au juste? Pas le temps de statuer : il faut prendre la bonne ligne, c’est-à-dire éviter de basculer dans les profondes rigoles qui se sont creusées dans la pente prononcée. Le sol mou et irrégulier, parsemé de cailloux innombrables, complique la tâche. Pas question d’écraser les pédales comme je le fais ; la technique du moulin à café est de mise. Contrairement à mes compagnons d’armes, aussi des adeptes de vélo de montagne, je dois m’avouer vaincu. Les « pavés » des Cantons sont fidèles à leur réputation.

Quebec’s Women Climbers Soaring to New Heights

 

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No one called me Feet Banks back in 1987. In those days, most people called me by my given name—except for my ski buddies, to whom I was known by the most badass moniker to ever schuss the slopes: Twinkle Toes.
We’re celebrating 20 Years of Mountain Life!
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Exploring the sights around beautiful Sutton, Quebec with ML creator @adv_bird ❄️🫶
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