Mountain bikes
As if to mark the occasion of our arrival and the beginning of the shoot, mountain-biking professionals came out in their best clothes for this top-speed bike excursion in front of the camera. For those who, like us, had never seen moutain-bike pros, this adventure allowed them to discover how these cyclists manage to defy gravity while only inches away from rocks and trees.
Mountain biking remains one of the most popular off-road sports. In the La Tuque region, the presence of numerous paths, carved out long ago by the forestry workers, affords adventurers on two wheels the opportunity to get lost in the magic in the forest, without actually losing their way.
The city of La Tuque, which sits at the centre of all of Quebec's major forest routes, is perfect for mountain biking. It's therefore not a coincidence that one of Quebec's most dynamic mountain-bike associations has its roots here. Mauricycle was founded in 1995 by Johanne Dicaire. Since then, Mauricycle members have marked, graded and developed some of the most spectacular bike paths in the region to allow mountain-bike access in the heart of the forest. Along our two-wheeled expedition, we came across beaver dams and magnificent pine-boarded alleys, like those you thought only existed in movies. Mostly, we were taken by a great feeling of freedom, the type you only feel when going through the forest on your trusty bike.
"We've taken over the abandoned forest trails and the old train tracks that wind around the lake, through the pine trees", explains Dicaire. "We even rebuilt a bridge! In all, we probably developed about 75 kilometres worth of paths."
Building 75 kilometres of trails in the middle of the forest is no small feat, believe me. That's why Mauricycle, a non-profit organization staffed by volunteers, has received support from different levels of government, as well as private funds, to realize its project. Seeing more and more bike enthusiasts venture out into the forest, Mauricycle decided to develop and maintain the trails, so that everyone may safely enjoy them. In the process, the group has allowed a great number of people to take up the sport and discover the region's wild beauty.
Nowadays, you can not only go out on one-day bike trips, but you can also ride further and longer, discovering nature on a bike and camping trip, for example. "When you see moose tracks, partridges or beavers, working on their dams, you realize that this is what mountain biking is all about!" enthuses Dicaire. "Mountain biking through the region involves a complete change of scenery."
Despite what you might think, you only have to pedal for a few minutes out of downtown La Tuque, or from the train station, to find yourself deep in the forest. "If you ride the train with your mountain bikes, there's only one kilometre between the La Tuque train station and the beginning of the paths. And if you don't have your bike with you, you can easily rent one in town."
Dicaire's passion for the sport, which seems to have spread to most of La Tuque's citizens and even to many tourists, was born out of the town's own layout.
"At first, I would ride along the streets, like everybody else. But La Tuque is built along one long line! There's one straight boulevard, and nothing more. It wasn't very interesting!"
Mauricycle has even started supporting young athletes who take part in mountain-biking competitions.
"We've chosen to develop a competition chapter for young athletes. We now have a team of 15 young riders competing in regional and provincial mountain bike races, and about 10 others taking part in BMX competitions."
The professional mountain bikers who came along for the shoot really gave it everything they had. Result? Not a single scratch, and a lot of emotions for our team, who not only took advantage of this expedition to let off steam, but also to discover an unusually beautiful part of Quebec.
