PASSION FOR CYCLING, THE PLEASURE OF THE PELOTON
I have rarely been so well received by a cycling club. Marcel Gratton, President of Club Vélo Passion, of Saint-EustacheHe greets me like a friend. "Jonathan!" he calls out cheerfully in the parking lot of Optimist Park in Oka, where he'd arranged to meet me. "Come on, I'll introduce you to our platoon!"
This article first appeared in the excellent magazine Vélo Mag, April 2024 edition.
The seven members who will accompany me on this warm mid-September day were hand-picked. "I was probably chosen because I respect the rules," Donald tells me with a touch of pride. The Laval psychologist is in his first season with the club, which attracts some 600 members from the Laurentians, Montreal, and even the South Shore. "Empathy and listening are essential," he tells me as he pedals. "Especially when you're climbing hills or when it's windy; a peloton is a team effort."
Ready to leave for Oka
Mutual support, safety, enjoyment
Under the guidance of Pierre Durand, the outings coordinator, the route database has expanded to no fewer than 1500 options. From a mobile meeting point, the dozens of cyclists who gather three times a week divide into groups of varying speeds and routes. "It's invigorating to be in the same place with so many of us," the effusive Jean-Yves tells me. "On Tuesdays, for our training rides, we sometimes have more than 130 of us!"
Our route for the day was specifically chosen to encourage interaction. Less than a kilometer after departure, about a hundred clip-on shoes echo on the metal floor of the ferry that is taking us to Hudson, on the other side of the Ottawa River.
“Our three core values are mutual support, safety, and enjoyment,” the President explained to me. “We never abandon anyone.” I quickly saw proof of this. In our somewhat eclectic group, Stéphane readily answered a few calls for a push. “It’s my recovery day,” he joked, without breaking a sweat, this man who had climbed 1400 meters of elevation the day before, maintaining an average speed of 29,5 km/h.
To achieve this cohesion and trust, theoretical and practical training is mandatory for new members. The club has even produced several video clips on the art of riding in a peloton, covering topics such as taking turns at the front and communication. Other courses are offered on nutrition, first aid, mechanics, and positioning.
The entire peloton boards the ferry to Hudson, on the other side of the Ottawa River.
Explanation of the beginning of the journey
SHARED HAPPINESS
After the ferry, the groups tackle a series of climbs and quiet country roads: Saint-Lazare, Sainte-Marthe, Saint-Clet. We pass Patrick, Marie-France, and their elite group, who whiz by. They're doing the route in reverse to maximize right turns and minimize slowing down. "Do you think I'll be able to maintain 25 km/h?" Marie-France had asked her partner before joining the club a few years earlier. This summer, she notably rode a 60 km ride with an average speed exceeding 40 km/h… "It's more motivating when you ride in a group!" she sums up as we meet at the finish line.
This feeling is shared at all levels. Hélène, for her part, had started her training in the winter for the 150 km Metropolitan Challenge. “After the Challenge, in May, I wanted to keep riding and I joined Vélo Passion because of their great variety of routes.” Since the season was already underway, Hélène worried that the group might be closed off. “It’s very, very, very inclusive,” she rejoices a few months later. “I was welcomed into groups and I even sang with other ‘newbies’ on one of the buses heading to Ontario!”
In addition to the many regular outings, the president and his board organize longer trips, including a Montreal-Quebec City trip, a trip to New York State, a corn roast, and even a popular Beach party in Saint-Donat.
Donald, Marie-Claude, Stéphane, Hélène, Raphaël, Martine, Marcel and me
More than a group
Marcel Gratton, president of the club
Between Les Cèdres and Saint-Lazare, President Marcel, mischievously, launches into a sprint: "First one to the sign!" My new friends and I immediately take off, laughing. "I didn't even have time to accelerate!" the man himself protests as he catches up with us. A cliché, certainly, but Bike Passion It appeared to me to be more than just a name. A true camaraderie reigns among them.
Raphaël cycled 50 km every day for 20 years to get to work. Marie-Claude was already doing rides of 75 km… “but at a leisurely pace!” she said. Everyone here brings their own experience, their own story, and their own motivation.
"The best compliment we can receive is, damn it, you're so well organized," the president shared with me. Marcel, not only are you well organized, you're a sight to behold.
Even the club's annual general meeting is an event. I was invited by my new friends to give a presentation at the Saint-Eustache cinema.
Cycling Passion in a few figures
Founded in 1982
65% men and 35% women
An average speed of 25 km/h in a group on the road is required.
Average age 50 years. The oldest is 75 years old and the youngest, 17.
The $80 membership card provides several savings for the club's sponsors.
Half of the members live in the Laurentians, a quarter in Laval, 20% in Montreal and the rest on the South Shore.
Vélo Passion, the pleasure of the peloton