The Little Train of the North
The mountains are also a quick escape from Montreal, with Mont Tremblant only two hours away and many other small towns in between.
Quebec in the fall is spectacular - and I could learn a lesson or two from the forementioned enthusiasts, because I mistakenly took black and white pictures. So you're really going to have your imagination on this one.
Cycling enthusiasts will appreciate the challenge of distance while weekend bikers like me will like the utter flatness of old railway. On a sunny and warm October Saturday, the trail was not crowded at all, so it's a good refuge from the packs of leaf-lookers you will find driving around the roads of the Laurentiens. You can park in the towns or at an old train station in St. Agathe-des-Monts (what I did), and rent bikes at various locations along the trail.