Hyperlinks and references

This page is not updated. Please refer to this one.
 
hyperlinks references

1. Hyperlinks

There exists a wealth of interesting sites. I will limit my list to those whose weblife expectancy should exceed three weeks. 
 
GENERAL MONTÉRÉGIE VERMONT LAURENTIANS OTHERS

GENERAL
 
ONLINE ROAD NETWORK CONDITIONS (QUÉBEC)

CARTOGRAPHY
Things evolve rapidly. Here is an outlook of sites that I consult on a regular basis. With respect to traditional cartography, the reader is referred to the HINTS  page. 
 
Google Michelin Official Quebec
road map
MyTopo Topozone Toporama Pedometer

MAPMYRIDE: Google Maps based, this software allows to draw circuits and visualize them. I used it for my tours.
GOOGLE EARTH:  Indispensable. If not already done, install this software on your computer.
TRAILLINK.COM  "non-profit dedicated to assisting local communities in converting unused railroad corridors into trails. Discover more than 30,000 miles of bike trails, walking trails, equestrian trails, and hiking and running trails including interactive trail maps, trail descriptions, photos, reviews and more." Registration is free.

WEATHER
 
Meteomedia Environnement Canada National Weather Service







BORDER CROSSINGS  Delays at the main border crossings, i.e., those I never frequent. 
SHELDON BROWN
Bilingual site full of relevant informations, such as a French-English glossary of bicycle vocabulary, technical info, etc. Sheldon Brown's cycling April Fool's trick are hilarious. Tragically succumbed to a heart attack in February 2008.
KEN KIFER
First rate bicycle touring site. Ken Kifer died  in September 2003 while riding, hit by a drunk driver.
TOURING LIST
Initiated by Alex Wetmore and now transferred onto Google Groups, probably the definitive bicycle touring forum.
ESCAPADES
Belgian site for short hikes and rides mostly in the Ardennes area. Its creator is not only a great web designer, but also a gifted photographer. Not to be missed.

MONTÉRÉGIE
 
LES INCREVABLES
Cycling club on the south shore of Montreal.
VÉLOMANES
Sainte-Julie bike club.

VERMONT
 
VIRTUAL VERMONT
Especially valuable for its  town and villages  section.

LAURENTIANS
 
VÉLO HAUTES-LAURENTIDES
Very good site devoted to the Upper Laurentians, north of the Lower Laurentians area described in Véloberville.

OTHERS
 
NICOLET-YAMASKA
Same concept as above for the Nicolet-Yamaska area. 
SWITZERLAND
A comprehensive coverage of Swiss bike routes.
UPSTATE NEW YORK
Good site devoted to biking in the Adirondack North Country.

2. Réferences

I own an old edition of 20 BICYCLE TOURS IN VERMONT  (John S. Freidin, New Hampshire Publishing Company), which covers the entire state (sparsely) and is still available in bookstores and through the internet. Only three or four tours belong in the Northwestern area, which is clearly insufficient. Moreover, the circuits keep to paved road, at times forcing the cyclist to borrow heavily travelled ones (such as Route 15) rather than  some truly enjoyable alternatives (Poker Hill Road, which runs parallel to Route 15, in this instance).  My first Vermont trip (1994)  was inspired by the "Enosburg Falls - Richford" tour described in Freidin's book. The book by Charles Hansen, 25 BICYCLE TOURS IN THE LAKE CHAMPLAIN REGION, inspired some of my rides. Cue sheets are not very user friendly, and cartography is minimal, but the guy knows his region, at least on the US side of the border. An finally, by this author, 25 CIRCUITS AUTOUR DE MONTRÉAL.