Up and Down the River

Fall is definitely in the air! We had a crisp, blustery day on the Tour de Litchfield last Saturday, but we took advantage of the conditions to break out jackets and tights and other cold weather gear, and we had a great ride. More fine riding in store for this weekend!  On Saturday the 2nd annual "Share the Road With Carol" ride is planned to set off from the Windsor Town Office at 9 am - for more info and preregistration follow this link: https://www.bikereg.com/39398. A number of us took part in this ride last year and we hope there is a nice turn-out again on Saturday.  On Sunday, the KVBC club ride will head north from Norridgewock to Bingham and into Arnold Expedition territory.  Hope to see you this weekend!

Sunday, September 30th - NORRIDGEWOCK

"By Bike or Bateau" - an early Fall tour to Bingham, up and down both sides of the Kennebec River.

START: 9:00 AM at 434 Fredericks Corner Road, about two miles from the junction of Rt.2 in Norridgewock.

DISTANCE: approx 50 or 65 miles

TERRAIN: moderate with some hills

HIGHLIGHTS: great river views biking along both sides of the Kennebec (unless you want to go the Arnold Expedition route, in which case bateaus are optional)

LEADERS: Brian Bowker, 485-6793, bbowk321@yahoo.com; and Denise Crowell, 213-8336, denisemcrowell@gmail.com.

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

Back to Purgatory

Last Saturday's ride in Livermore brought us some great roads, fresh apples, and fine company - hard to top! Many thanks to John for leading, and a special note of thanks to Missy for driving the "apple shuttle" to carry apples from the orchard back to the start. This Saturday we will return to Litchfield after a too-long hiatus, to rediscover another beautiful ride past the Litchfield Fairgrounds and through Purgatory itself (if that's what it takes to get to the Black Crow Bakery). Note the 9:30 am start. See you Saturday!

Saturday, September 22nd - LITCHFIELD

"Pedalling in Purgatory - the Tour de Litchfield" - an exploration of the back roads of Litchfield.

START: 9:30 AM at the Libby-Tosier Elementary School parking lot next to the historic Litchfield Academy, at the junction of Rt. 197 and Academy Road in Litchfield Corners.

DISTANCE: about 27 miles.

TERRAIN: moderate to rolling.

HIGHLIGHTS: quiet back roads and ponds in Litchfield, and possibly a stop at the Black Crow Bakery.

LEADER: Jim Merrick, 293-3784, hjmerrick@gmail.com.

LINK to ROUTE MAP (2010): https://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6799671

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

Apples Away!

We had a beautiful, smooth ride over the rolling hills around Smithfield, Mercer and Oakland last Sunday - it's not often we get to ride almost an entire route on fresh, new pavement. Many thanks to Larry for leading and to the fine group who turned out despite the rather chilly weather. This weekend looks like it will warm up again before it starts to turn cooler in earnest, and we have another great ride in Livermore Falls to take advantage of it. Plus we'll be stopping at Boothby's Apple Orchard to check out the early Fall harvest first-hand. See you Saturday!

Saturday, September 15th - LIVERMORE FALLS

"Boothby"s Apple Ride" - a tour of the ponds and ridges around Livermore and Chesterville, with an apple orchard stop.

START: 9:00 am at the store formerly known as Pike's Corner Oasis (now Mallard Mart) at the junction of Rt.s 106, 133, and Campground Road in Livermore.

DISTANCE: 40 miles.

TERRAIN: moderately hilly with several good hills.

HIGHLIGHTS: great back roads with numerous scenic views, and a stop at Boothby's Orchard, a family-owned farm for seven generations going back to 1865. We plan to have a vehicle at the orchard to transport any apples you buy back to the start! 

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

LINK to ROUTE MAP (2016): https://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6799282

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

Lakes Fit to Loop

Last week's ride from Richmond was a real treat, especially the ride stop at Treats in Wiscassett. We had lots of nice roads with little traffic and great scenery - our thanks to David for leading another great ride. This Sunday we will scope out some newly paved roads around Smithfield, starting at the Sweet Dreams store at the junction of Rt.s 8 and 137. Hope you can join us!

Sunday, September 9th - SMITHFIELD 

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

START: 9:00 AM, at Sweet Dreams Convenience Store on Rt. 8 in Smithfield, at the junction of Rt. 8 and Rt. 137. Please park in the back of the lot away from the store entrance..

DISTANCES: approx. 10, 17 or 30 miles. 

TERRAIN: moderate to moderately hilly.

HIGHLIGHTS: many scenic lake views and back roads with new pavement!

LEADER: Larry Childs, lrchilds@roadrunner.com.  

LINK to ROUTE MAP: https://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=7295953

For more information on the Kennebec Valley Bicycle Club, contact Jim Merrick at 293-3784, hjmerrick@gmail.com, or check out our club blog, "Posted Roads" at http://postedroads.blogspot.com, or keep up to date via our Facebook page.