Wake Up The Earth - Change of Date

Due to rain in the forecast on Saturday, we will change the start of the KVBC Wake Up the Earth Ride to Sunday, when it is forecast to be sunny and in the 50s! Please join us at the Augusta end of the Kennebec River Rail Trial on Sunday, April 21 at 10:00 AM!


April 21st, Sunday - AUGUSTA
"Wake Up the Earth" - an early Spring/Earth Day ride along the Kennebec River Rail Trail through Augusta, Hallowell, and Gardiner.
START: 10:00 AM at the Augusta trail head of the rail trail - the municipal parking lot off of Water Street adjacent to the Maine State Housing Authority (353 Water St.) in the shadow of Memorial Bridge.
DISTANCE: 20-25 miles
TERRAIN: flat (and we mean flat)
HIGHLIGHTS: the first ride of the season, a pleasant run along the Kennebec River, with some great natural scenery mixed with some urban vistas, kicking off another great year of cycling. Possible ride stop at Slate's Bakery in Hallowell.
LEADER: Jim Merrick (substituting for the injured Jim Floyd. Get Well, Jim!)

Wake Up The Earth - 2013

 

 

Hello everyone!  While we are waiting to see what this latest "storm" will bring, don't forget the Bicycle Coalition's Great Maine Bike Swaps and see what they will bring!  The Orono Swap is this Sunday, April 14, and the Portland Swap is Sunday, April 28.  Details on the BCM website.

 

 And we are only 8 days away from the first official KVBC ride of the season - the Wake Up The Earth ramble along the Kennebec River Rail Trail from Augusta to Gardiner and back - including a stop at Slate's Bakery in Hallowell - all happening Saturday, April 20!

 

For up-to-date information on KVBC rides be sure to check in on the KVBC page on Facebook!

 

 

 

April 20th, Saturday - AUGUSTA

"Wake Up the Earth" - an early Spring/Earth Day ride along the Kennebec River Rail Trail through Augusta, Hallowell, and Gardiner.

START:  10:00 AM at the Augusta trail head of the rail trail - the municipal parking lot off of Water Street adjacent to the Maine State Housing Authority (353 Water St.) in the shadow of Memorial Bridge.

DISTANCE: 20 miles

TERRAIN:  flat (and we mean flat)

HIGHLIGHTS:  the first ride of the season, a pleasant run along the Kennebec River, with some great natural scenery mixed with some urban vistas, kicking off another great year of cycling. Possible ride stop at Slate's Bakery in Hallowell.

LEADER:  Jim Floyd.

 

Military Working on Pedal-Powered Drone

Mojave Desert, Calif.: MILITARY REPORTEDLY WORKING ON PEDAL-POWERED DRONE.

Scientists working for the U.S. Army Special Ordnance Division are working on a prototype of a new pedal-powered drone. The drone, they say, will be human-powered, but the energy savings will more than make up for the extra cost of recruiting, training, and replacing human pilots.

The actual workings of the new drone are classified, but it is believed to employ a radical new design that amplifies the leg strength of the pilot through advanced biomechanics. The military is also experimenting with PEDs that have been extensively field-tested in professional cycling.

Military spokesmen were not willing to be interviewed on camera, but speaking off-the-record, they claimed they had no problem finding cyclists to volunteer for the dangerous assignment of testing the new machine. Ironically, it is the wide-spread viewing of grainy videos taken by actual drones in the act of vaporizing vehicles driven by suspected insurgents that have inspired many cyclists to volunteer.

"That's right," said one recruiter closely involved in the project. "You can always tell who the hard-core cyclists are. You ask them: 'Why do you want to join the military?' and they say: 'I want to blow up cars and trucks.'"

The military hopes to have these new drones in operation by the end of the year, or as soon as they figure out the placement of water bottle mounts. Meanwhile the intensive training of cyclist-pilots continues. "It's so friggin' awesome," said one trainee who agreed to talk off-camera. "I can't wait to use this on my daily commute!"