An easy 86 km three-wheeler loop through La Petite-Nation

On a Spyder or a trike, you're not out there to fight the road. You're out for the ride, the coffee, the stop whenever you feel like it. And nobody wants to manoeuvre something that wide around a sloping gravel lot at the end of a lake road.

So we built a short loop, about 86 km, that stays on four numbered routes: the 323, the 315, the 321 and the 148. No lake roads, no back concessions. An hour and a half to an hour and three-quarters of riding, spread over a relaxed day. And we picked stops that sit right on the route or in the middle of a village, not down some side road.

Montebello is the starting point: a few minutes off Highway 50, about 1 hr 10 min from Ottawa and 1 hr 50 min from Montréal.

Times and distances are calculated, then rounded. They're approximate.

10 a.m. · Montebello, coffee and gas

Time here: 30 min

Start with coffee at La Belle Pâtissière, a Parisian-style pastry shop and café on rue Notre-Dame. Then fill up at Station Crevier at the west entrance to the village.

Ride: ~20 min (20 km), north on Route 323.

10:50 a.m. · Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix

Time here: 30 min

Crèmerie Café Notre-Dame on rue Notre-Dame makes Italian gelato on site, with seasonal sorbets and homemade brownies. Eleven in the morning is a perfectly reasonable time for gelato. Nobody's judging.

Ride: ~15 min (13 km), still on the 323.

11:35 a.m. · Namur

Time here: 20 min

Kokocafé is right on Route 315 if you're still thirsty. In the village park, the Jardin de la relève has cabin sculptures made by artists in 2013. A short walk to stretch your legs.

Ride: ~15 min (12 km), west on Route 315.

12:10 p.m. · Chénéville, lunch

Time here: 1 hr 30 min

Lunch on a terrace on rue Principale in Chénéville. Restaurant-bar La Villa du Bifteck has a 40-seat terrace, seafood, steaks and BBQ chicken (closed Monday and Tuesday). For something more ambitious, Chez Seb changes its menu with the seasons and cooks with local products.

Then walk the street. Boulangerie Nouvelle-France and Boucherie Les Produits David are both here, and we're regulars at both. If there's room in the trunk, a sugar pie travels well.

Gas, if you need it, at the Ultramar on rue Principale.

Ride: ~20 min (19 km), south on Route 321.

2 p.m. · Saint-André-Avellin

Time here: 1 hr

La Crèmerie 321 is at 612 route 321 Sud, right on your way: soft serve, hard ice cream and slushes in a fully renovated house. Seasonal, from late March into the fall. Yes, second ice cream. It's a trike day, not a training ride.

If you're in the mood for history, the Musée des pionniers tells the story of Saint-André-Avellin through more than 1,000 objects and 600 photos, with farm machinery in the shed. Check opening hours before you count on it.

Ride: ~15 min (15 km), Route 321 down to Papineauville.

3:15 p.m. · Papineauville, the 75th meridian

Time here: 20 min

Sundial Park is at 1874 Route 148: a big armillary sphere sitting right on the 75th meridian, the one that sets Eastern Time. Always open, and right on the 148.

Ride: ~10 min (7 km), east on Route 148.

3:45 p.m. · Back in Montebello

Between mid-May and Thanksgiving, the Manoir-Papineau is steps away. In 2026 it was open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., in summer, then weekends in the fall. Otherwise, stop at Fromagerie Montebello for a Tête à Papineau to take home.

A three-wheeler takes more room than a motorcycle. In the villages, aim for a business parking lot rather than the shoulder, and plan your way out before you pull in.

What to know

• The loop: about 86 km, 1 hr 30 min to 1 hr 45 min of riding. Routes 323, 315, 321 and 148.
• Gas: Montebello (Station Crevier) at the start, Chénéville (Ultramar) halfway. One tank covers 86 km, but it's nice to know where.
• Parking: we can't vouch for the size of every lot. We chose stops in village centres or right on the numbered route to avoid surprises.
• Road conditions: check Québec 511 before you leave for roadwork and closures.
• Hours: ice cream shops and restaurants change hours with the seasons. La Villa du Bifteck is closed Monday and Tuesday. Call ahead.
• Want more? Our 155 km motorcycle loop goes all the way up to Duhamel.

MontebelloNotre-Dame-de-la-PaixNamurChénévilleSaint-André-AvellinPapineauville

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