Emile: Bike mechanic extraordinaire!

Emile - our first highlight of people who make a difference

We spent a couple of days in Montreal to prepare for our ride to Halifax, Nova Scotia, via the Cabot Trail around Cape Breton. Montreal feels like a major European city and also reminded us a bit of Hong Kong with its international flavor and diverse population.

The highlight of our stay was our experience at Emile’s Bike Shop. We planned to do a basic tune-up on our bikes when we arrived, but Emile, the owner and bike mechanic, noticed that my rear rim was cracked and that both of us had issues with our brakes. Within one day, he built a new wheel for my bike and fixed our braking issues. Witnessing the professionalism, precision, and care he took with our bikes gave us a great deal of confidence and excitement as we set off on today’s ride. This is why Emile is our first highlight of someone who makes a difference in their community. Thank you Emile!

Today, we rode just over 50 miles to Sorel-Tracy along the St. Lawrence River. It’s the first ride of the tour, which is always exciting but also a bit tiring, as it takes a few days to reach the desired level of fitness for touring. We’re looking forward to tomorrow’s ride!