When it’s one of those sunny weekends where the city feels almost Mediterranean and you don’t want to waste the day, you need to get outside. Easy for some, but not always so easy for families. This is where renting a cargo bike in Montreal comes in.
As many as four kids, a dog, and bags can be seated in a low-slung electric bike with a front bucket the size of a recycling bin. Thanks to a growing network of pathways for cyclists, the city opens up from there: No dodging pothole-riddled streets, no scanning for street parking, just something that feels like an adventure for the passengers.
These streets were made for biking
Cargo bikes—more specifically, front-loading electric-assist bikes—are built to carry not just kids, but groceries, dogs, backpacks, or whatever else you need to haul through the city. Think minivan, but more agile, greener, and a way more fun to explore the city.
In much of Europe—especially Denmark, the Netherlands, and parts of Germany—this is just how people get around without SUVs, car seat battles, and gas bills. Here in Canada, cargo bikes are still catching on and by no means widespread.
But Montreal? We're ahead of the curve with REV lanes that stretch across the island, and a population already used to dodging obstacles on two wheels.
At the risk of hyperbole, the city might just be the perfect place for cargo bikes to thrive, and once you try one, the logic clicks fast: it’s less about replacing your car, and more about rediscovering the freedom of getting from A to B without the B.S.
The ride that’ll change how you see your city
Electric cargo bikes aren’t just for early adopters anymore. In cities like Montreal and Vancouver, electric cargo bikes are already part of the everyday, used by families, small business owners, and even city workers. Montreal’s own parks department has a fleet, for example.
Projects like MULO Cargo and Locomotion are making short-term rentals more accessible in neighbourhoods like the Plateau, Mile End, and Villeray, but it’s shops like Allo Vélo that have been nudging Montreal towards electric cargo bikes for the past decade. Their shop in Griffintown specializes in importing them and other minimalist urban rides from Europe, one of the few places offering family cargo bike rentals with hands-on support.
Not everyone is ready to drop five figures on a bike, which is why renting a cargo bike in Montreal is such a key part of the equation. Their team will help you get comfortable, give you a quick how-to, and send you off for the afternoon like it’s the most normal thing in the world. No pressure, no hard sell. All that’s involved is a test ride that might change how you see your city.
Pathways and pit-stops
So you’ve picked up your bike and loaded it up. Here’s how to spend the day biking around the Sud-Ouest.
Pathways
- Lachine Canal: Start west and roll along one of the flattest, safest, most scenic bike paths in the city. You’ll pass kayakers, community gardens, and just enough green space for a spontaneous picnic.
- Verdun: If it’s summertime, the pedestrianization of Wellington Street has more than a dozen entertainments at any given moment. Beyond here, travelling along its riverside bike path and going as far as LaSalle presents a chill escape accompanies by water, greenery, and just a little bit of wildlife.
- Pointe-Saint-Charles: Often overlooked, this legacy neighbourhood of the city boasts a lot of spacious parks and lazy residential streets full of architecture to explore alongside some classic places to visit (read on for more of those).
Pit-stops
- Atwater Market: Sure, it’s a classic—but it earns the detour. Stock up on berries, baguette, and anything that’ll survive a ride in the front bucket. Then head back toward the canal and claim a spot with some shade.
- Café Cosé: A low-key gem in Pointe-Saint-Charles. Grab a unique Vietnamese-style coffee drink for the adults and a snack for the kids while stretch their legs. There’s plenty of sidewalk space and bike-friendly vibes.
- Clarke Café: A quick stop here for a sangwich means fuelling up on porchetta, sausage, or grilled chicken stacked on some of the best bread in the city. This spot blends old-school Italian comfort with neighbourhood charm. There’s no kids’ menu, but no one complains when there’s mortadella involved.
- Observation Deck of St-Charles: Most city lookouts involve a hike. This one? Just ride right up. From the deck, you’ll get a clear view of the downtown skyline, framed by train tracks, cranes, and the slow hum of a neighbourhood in motion. It’s industrial, yes, but also kind of poetic.
- Paul Patates: Steamies, fries, and spruce beer—this snack bar has been keeping Pointe-Saint-Charles fed since 1958. It hasn’t changed much over the years, and that’s exactly the point. The place seats about 30 under vintage signage and still feels like a local clubhouse.
- Taglio: Part butcher shop, part deli using its own production, and part living tribute to Montreal’s food legacy, this is a tight operation with just a few seats, but the counter service is quick and there’s no wrong choice. Load up, roll out, and let your cargo bike do the heavy lifting.
Allo Vélo offers family cargo bike rentals out of their Griffintown shop—complete with a quick how-to and a solid route recommendation if you need one. Want to try it for yourself? They'll get you rolling.
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