Montreal’s Salon du Vélo is back for 2025, bringing together cycling enthusiasts, industry leaders, and the latest gear under one roof. As one of Canada’s top bike shows, it’s a great place to explore the latest cycling technology, discover new trends, and connect with fellow riders. Whether you’re into road, gravel, or commuting, there’s something for everyone. Pez paid a visit and here’s what we found…
Winters can be long and cold and hard in Canada so it was with considerable pleasure that we looked forward to a momentary escape, heading down the highway to Montreal for the largest bicycle show in Canada. Of course, the trip was not made easy as the region had had two major snowfalls only a few days apart and the city streets were piled high with the white stuff.
Held in the central Palais des Congrès, the show ran from February 21st to 23rd. The year’s event featured more than 200 exhibitors covering pretty much everything related to cycling, which is considered Québec’s second most popular outdoor activity after walking.
Categories represented at the show included not only bicycles, of all types including a big selection of e-bikes, but also clothing, accessories, nutritional products and services. There were two different stands promoting training for bike mechanics and several for tour organizers with trips in Europe and elsewhere.
Numerous big bicycles brands, such as Trek, Cannondale and Giant, were present through retailers and distributors but there were also some new brands unknown to us. Asia is the centre of production for bicycles and while many popular and highly-marketed brands are sourced from there, we have seen the emergence of some well-engineered and nicely manufactured Chinese brands.
Present at the show were bicycles bearing the Sava name. The first bicycle that caught our eyes on the stand was an aluminum road bike with an excellent paint finish and a partial Shimano 105 mechanical groupset. The price tag of C$2000 would seem to make this a reasonable choice for someone getting into cycling but the company, with its products sold in North America from a firm in Ottawa. Sava also has a line of more expensive carbon frames and the range includes road, gravel, mountain and children’s bikes.
Along with the Sava bikes and some electric motorcycles, the importer also handles the new Chinese electronic groupsets from Wheeltop. The innovative part is that it is possible to upgrade older bicycles to wireless electronic shifting as the units are compatible with a wide range of gearing, from three to 14 speeds. Although not inexpensive, the components are certainly competitive with more established brands and do offer innovative flexibility.
The show also boasted many activities with a full slate of lectures on subjects ranging from choosing the right battery for your e-bike to bike touring from Niagara Falls all the way to the mouth of the St. Lawrence River to how to look after your knees. There were talks for triathletes and ultra bikepacking events, along with the most beautiful destinations for cycling in Québec.
It must be said that Québec, in spite of the limitations of Canadian weather, has a long history in support of cycling. The only UCI World Tour races held in North America are both in the province and national-level events (often in the Beauce area southeast of Québec City) and many regions have made a serious effort to promote recreational riding. Much of this is due to the initiative of Vélo Québec, an organization formed in 1967 to promote cycle touring and which offers a wide array of services, from organized rides to seminars and special events.
These regions were present in some force to assist visitors in planning cycling trips for the coming year. There were cycling-specific maps available, along with general tourism information on lodging, food, etc. Most have taken advantage of an online presence to offer GPS routes for downloading.
Particularly strong presentations were made by the Eastern Townships/Cantons de l’Est, the Laurentians, Montérégie, Mont-Tremblant, along with highlighted bike routes. There was information on the Route of the Whales, the Route of the Blueberries and Le P’tit Train du Nord, a 230 km bike path following a railway right-of-way.
Given that it is Canada’s largest bicycle show, it’s no surprising that there was also participation by Ontario By Bike, which promotes cycling destinations throughout that province, along with Cornwall, Ontario, an exceptionally bicycle-friendly place on the St. Lawrence, just west of the Ontario-Québec boundary. For those not living in North America, the scale of these two provinces is daunting: Ontario is larger than France and Spain combined, while Québec is 30% larger than Ontario! So the possibility of undertaking interesting rides, from the day trip to the epic, is a given.
There was a test track where people could try out new bicycles (e-bikes being much in demand), along with a BMX demonstration area. Antique bicycle enthusiasts were not forgotten as there was a display featuring old pictures and even a high-wheeler on a stand.
The Salon du Vélo takes place every year in Montréal, followed by a smaller version in Gatineau, Québec (across the river from Ottawa) and is nicely timed to build up our enthusiasm for the coming season in spite of the ongoing snow and cold temperature. It is a reminder of just how much is included under the rubric of “cycling” and that there is something for everyone if you just get out and do it!
Some suggested websites include:
Like PEZ? Why not subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive updates and reminders on what’s cool in road cycling?
