All Along the Esker

We had a wonderful ride to Bowdoinham, courtesy of Geology Joe. Beautiful roads with little traffic, and lots of shade to beat the heat. Many thanks to Joe (and Melinda, too!).

We will have some changes to the ride calendar for August. The Alna ride scheduled for Sunday, August 8, will have to be postponed while the ride leader recovers from surgery. Sandi vows that she will be ready for her Pemaquid ride in September. Good luck, Sandi!

This Saturday we will return to a club favorite: the Ridge Road along the Chesterville Esker in Fayette and Chesterville. And stay tuned for the return of Two Wheels Over Easy, the KVBC's popular breakfast ride series, as we roll into August.

Saturday, July 31st - FAYETTE

"All Along the Esker" - a bike ride back to 'the land before time' in Fayette and Chesterville.

START: 8:30 AM at the Fayette Community School on Rt.17, about two miles west of the junction of Rt.17 and Rt.41N in Kents Hill.

DISTANCE: about 24 miles.

TERRAIN: mostly moderate with no big hills.

HIGHLIGHTS: A nice flat run along the scenic Chesterville Esker - good roads and good people.

LEADER: Frank Rosen.

Gardiner to Bowdoinham by Bike

We had a very pleasant ride in Smithfield yesterday. The weather held up nicely - not quite as hot as the past week, with lots of shade and a nice breeze. Beautiful roads, especially the great run along the shore of North Pond, with virtually no traffic. We met some other cyclists mid-ride, visiting for the summer, and stopped to chat and talk-up rides - they may join us on a few coming up. Speaking of which, we have a great one coming up this Saturday in Gardiner, heading down the coast to Bowdoinham - a great tune-up ride for the BCM Lobster Ride the following weekend. Hope you can all join us!

Saturday, July 17th - GARDINER

"Biking to Bowdoinham" - a tour of the southern Kennebec Valley through Gardiner, Richmond and Bowdoinham.

START: 10:00 AM, at the Laura Richards School, Rt. 201 in Gardiner, 1.5 miles south of the junction of Rt. 201 and Rt.s 126/9 (the junction near the A-1 Diner). The school is a new brick building with a "spiked ball" sculpture, on the west side of Rt. 201, on the left past the Gardiner Armory (just as you enter the "thickly settled" area). Park in the lot on the north side of the school.

DISTANCE: 40-45 miles.

TERRAIN: Moderately hilly.

HIGHLIGHTS: quiet back roads along streams and farmland south & west of Gardiner.

LEADER: Joe Renda.

Sunday in Smithfield

We had a great Third-of-July ride last Saturday in Sidney. Many thanks to Jim Putnam for leading the ride, and all those who kept up the pace in the heat. This weekend is the Maine Bike Rally in Brunswick. For those of you still hanging out around here, Sunday looks like a nice day weatherwise, and a great opportunity to return to Smithfield for a popular ride on some great roads. Join us if you can - we may have an ice cream stop in Smithfield after the ride.

Sunday, July 11th - SMITHFIELD

"Route 8 Figure 8" - a scenic tour through Smithfield, Belgrade, Rome, and Mercer.

START: 9:00 AM, at the new Smithfield Fire Station on Rt. 8 in Smithfield, about a quarter-mile north of the junction of Rt. 8 and Rt. 137.

DISTANCE: 15 and 28 miles.

TERRAIN: moderate to moderately hilly.

HIGHLIGHTS: many scenic lake views and back roads, and an ice cream stop.

LEADER: Jim Merrick.