Bikes and Pontoons, with an Esker Thrown In

We had balmy summer-like weather Saturday with temperatures pushing 80 on the KVBC ride from Winthrop to Monmouth.  Great weather for apple pie a la mode (actually any weather would be great for apple pie a la mode) and we made an obligatory stop at the "Pie Cafe" at the Monmouth AppleFest, where some of us had pie, some of us had apples, some of us had cider, and some of us had all three.  Somewhat satiated in the pomology department, we headed out for some more great riding and some early Fall foliage.  We have more foliage and great riding ahead this Saturday, as John Lanoue will take us on a tour around the unique features of Chesterville, including the scenic ridge top of the Chesterville Esker (in Fall colors, no less) followed by a post-ride get-together at his camp.  Please note the 10 am start, as it is not likely to be 80 degrees in the morning everyday in October in Maine.  Hope you can make it!

 

Saturday, October 4th - CHESTERVILLE

"Three Peaks and a Pontoon" - an early fall foliage tour of the ponds and ridges around Livermore, Fayette, and Chesterville.

START: 10:00 am at the Sand Pond Parking Lot; from Chesterville Center (by the "Chesterville Mall" at the junction of Ridge Rd, Dutch Gap Rd, and Zions Hill Rd) take Zions Hill Rd north for 1/4 mile, turn left on Borough Rd for approx. one mile, then turn right on Sand Pond Rd; the parking lot is about 1/2 mile in.

DISTANCE: 30 miles.

TERRAIN: moderately hilly with several good hills.

HIGHLIGHTS: some fall foliage viewpoints on scenic back roads including the famed Ridge Road along the Chesterville Esker, and a post-ride gathering at the ride leader's camp, followed by a potential pontoon boat ride on the lake.

LEADER: John Lanoue, john.lanoue@avid.com.

 

SPECIAL NOTE: the Cadillac Mountain Challenge is scheduled for Sunday, October 5th, and we'd like to know if anyone wants to get together and go up Saturday night and camp nearby.  If you are interested, let Jim know - contact info below.  Thanks! 

 

For more information on the Kennebec Valley Bicycle Club check out our blog at http://postedroads.blogspot.com, or find us on Facebook, or contact Jim Merrick at hjmerrick@gmail.com or 293-3784.

The Lengths We Go For Pie

We had five optimists show up for Sunday's scheduled ride in Belgrade under dark, misty skies, but conditions quickly deteriorated to the point where we decided to postpone the ride to another date.  Our thanks to Ken Louis for putting the ride together for us, and we'll try it again in better weather. This Saturday's ride will mark our return to the Monmouth Apple Festival, and the ride has been highlighted as part of the Maine Outdoor Coalition's Great Outdoor Weekend which may bring the KVBC a bit more recognition.  In any case, let's hope for good weather (and even better pie) and we'll see you Saturday!

 

 

Saturday, September 27th - WINTHROP

"Monmouth a la Mode" - a tour through Winthrop to the Monmouth Apple Festival.

START:  9:30 AM at the Winthrop Town Boat Landing on Maranacook Lake, near the gazebo on Coady Street, off of Memorial Drive.  If the boat landing parking lot is full, there are additional spaces around the corner on Summer Street, lakeside.

DISTANCE:  18 or 24 Miles.

TERRAIN:  Rolling, with a few stiff hills.

HIGHLIGHTS:  Back roads beside rolling orchards, lakeside summer camps, small hidden hamlets... and the Monmouth Apple Festival: a great little small town festival devoted to celebrating all things pomological in one of Maine’s classic apple towns. The festival features lots of hot, baked apple pies and other apple treats, yard sales and open houses, fun and games, and self-guided tours of the Monmouth Historical Society’s many unique museum buildings and shops.

LEADER:  Jim Merrick, hjmerrick@gmail.com.

 

For more information about the Kennebec Valley Bicycle Club, contact Jim Merrick at hjmerrick@gmail.com, and check our Facebook page.

 

Back to Belgrade

We definitely had some Fall weather on Sunday for the ride in Farmington, and there were tights, arm warmers, jackets, and full-finger gloves in evidence as the temperature never quite reached 60. Kudos to all who turned out on such a crisp morning, particularly Denise who rode to the start and finished with 50 miles on the day. Our thanks to Larry for leading another great ride. Here's hoping this great Fall weather will continue this Sunday we will venture out on a pre-foliage tour of the Belgrade Lakes region. Hope you can join us! 

Sunday, September 21: BELGRADE

"Take it or Leaf it" - Belgrade, Mount Vernon and Rome Pre-Foliage Tour.

Start: 9:30 am, Belgrade Community Center on Rt. 27, a half mile south of the Village of Belgrade Lakes, on the right (northbound) just past the Great Pond Marina.  Park in the community center parking lot nearest the street (just as you turn in).

Distance: 28 miles

Terrain: Generally hilly with some nice stretches to recover

Highlights: Views of Long Pond, Castle Island, Minnehonk Lake and some nice back roads to include Bean Rd, Watson Pond Rd and Belgrade Rd.

Leader: Ken Louis.

For more information on the Kennebec Valley Bicycle Club and its rides contact Jim Merrick at hjmerrick@gmail.com, or follow us on Facebook.

On to Industry

We had some great early Fall weather this past weekend, which saw several groups of our riders take part in the Maine Lighthouse Ride on the coast, and Pedal the Penobscot up in Bangor.  Looks like the BikeMaine riders will benefit from fine wether as they make their way though our part of Maine.  If you are volunteering or see them on the road, give them a warm welcome!  This week's ride will really kick off our Fall season, as Larry takes us over the back roads from Farmington to Industry.  Hope you can join us!

 

Sunday, September 14th:  FARMINGTON

"The Ups and Downs of Industry":  a ride through the picturesque hills and hollows of Farmington, New Sharon, and Industry.

START:  9:00 A.M., at the Hannaford Plaza on Rt. 4 in Farmington, about a mile south from the junction of Rt. 4 and Rt. 27, towards Wilton.  Park near the entrance to the shopping plaza.

DISTANCE:  25-30 miles.

TERRAIN:  rolling to hilly - includes an optional short (1/4 mi.) section of hard-packed dirt road, which can be circumvented by adding a mile to the overall route.

HIGHLIGHTS:  quiet back roads along the Sandy River, spectacular panoramic views from the ridgetops of New Sharon & Industry, and Clearwater Pond at Allens Mills.

LEADER:  Larry Childs, 557-3984, lrchilds@roadrunner.com.

 

For more information on the Kennebec Valley Bicycle Club and its rides contact Jim Merrick at hjmerrick@gmail.com, or check out the KVBC Facebook page.