One Summer Solstice, Eleven Ponds

We had a record turnout and a superb ride last Sunday from Jefferson around Damariscotta Lake, with great weather and spectacular views, and fields full of lupines. Our thanks to Bryan and Holly for another great ride. The weather is heating up as summer officially approaches (5:44pm Saturday) and our first ride of the summer will be on Sunday, starting at a new location in West Mount Vernon. In case you have forgotten, we are still contending with a pandemic, so please remember to maintain distancing, bring a mask and use it in close quarters especially if you have to stop at a store, and stay home if you are feeling sick. Hope to see you Sunday!

Sunday, June 21st - WEST MOUNT VERNON

"Eleven Ponds" - a tour past many of the hidden ponds and lakes in Mount Vernon, Fayette, Chesterville, and Vienna.

START:  9:00 AM, at the boat landings on Echo Lake and Taylor Pond on Rt. 41 at the junction of Sandy River Road; the nearest street address is 1156 ME-41. There is a bridge and a dam and a free-standing brick chimney as landmarks. Park in either boat landing lot on opposite sides of the road.

DISTANCE:  14 and 29 miles.

TERRAIN:  Rolling with a few good hills (and one memorable one).

HIGHLIGHTS:  rural back roads winding through many small ponds and lakes, and across the top of the Chesterville Esker.

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

LINK to RIDE MAP: https://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=7490421

 

Kennebec Valley Bicycle Club rides are open to members and to the cycling public.  Helmets are required of all riders at KVBC events.  In case of severe weather, scheduled rides may be postponed or designated as "show & go" rides at the discretion of the ride leader.  For ride updates and reports, check out the KVBC blog at http://postedroads.blogspot.com or follow us on Facebook.

Sand Pond on Sanded Roads

"Everyone talks about the weather - we don't" As we seem to have passed another brief wintry blast, we will meet in Chesterville on Saturday to make up (in part) a ride that was washed out last month, and take advantage of sunny weather when it is offered to us. John Lanoue has mapped out rides of varying distances depending on conditions at start time. This may be one of our last group rides before winter really sets in, so I hope you can join us!

Saturday, November 15th - CHESTERVILLE

"Sand Pond, Sanded Roads" - a post-tourist season tour of the ponds and ridges around Livermore, Fayette, and Chesterville.

START: 10:00 am at the Sand Pond Parking Lot:

From the intersection of 156 and 133:

Head east on 156, when 156 veers to the left (Chesterville Rd) take a right onto Soules Hill Rd.  Go 2.7 miles and take a left onto Sand Pond road (no street sign, look for a pine tree with camp signs on it, Tracey, Austin, etc…)

After you pass sand pond on your left, go up the short hill and park on your left.

From the Chesterville Mall (corner of Dutch Gap and Ridge Roads):

Go a few hundred yards heading north on Zion Hill Rd and take a left at the old white church onto Borough road

Go about a mile and take a right onto Sand pond road (look for the big pine tree on your right with camp signs on it, Tracey, Austin, etc…)

After passing sand pond your left, go up the short hill and park on your left.

 

DISTANCE: 18, 22, 26 or 29 miles.

TERRAIN: moderately hilly with several good hills.

HIGHLIGHTS: some pre-winter viewpoints on scenic back roads including the famed Ridge Road along the Chesterville Esker, and a stop at the Chesterville Mall.

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

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

Eleven (not quite a dozen) Ponds

A quiet run along the Chesterville Esker

We had great weather and a great ride last Saturday in the Belgrade Lakes. We were able to visit with the Trek riders at the Smithfield rest stop on the Colby Loop - coming the day after the tragedy on the Trek, we felt like we should be with them, and as luck would have it we ran into Leanne, and the stop cheered us up. This Sunday we will meet at the Post Office in the village of Mount Vernon, as we head out to Fayette and Chesterville for a nice run along the Chesterville Esker (a really pretty route if you haven't ridden it yet). See you Sunday!

 

 

Sunday, June 23rd - MOUNT VERNON

"Eleven Ponds" - a tour past many of the hidden ponds and lakes in Mount Vernon, Fayette, Chesterville, and Vienna.

START:  9:00 AM, Mount Vernon Post Office, just off Rt. 41 on Main Street in Mount Vernon.

DISTANCE:  14 and 29 miles.

TERRAIN:  Rolling with a few good hills.

HIGHLIGHTS:  rural back roads winding through many small ponds and lakes, and across the top of the Chesterville Esker.  Possible post-ride get-together at the cafe in Mt. Vernon village.

LEADER:  Jim Merrick, hjmerrick@gmail.com.

 

 

Kennebec Valley Bicycle Club rides are open to members and to the cycling public.  Helmets are required of all riders at KVBC events.  In case of severe weather, scheduled rides may be postponed or designated as "show & go" rides at the discretion of the ride leader.  For ride updates and other club info follow us on Facebook.

 

Looping the Lakes in Smithfield

Cycling along Lakeshore Drive in Smithfield

 

 

Hey, it's September already!  Where did the summer go?  Fortunately we still have some great cycling ahead as we head into Fall.  We had a fine ride last Saturday from Richmond to Topsham - there were over 40 of us!  Well, actually, most of "us" were riding the Maine Hospice Century and Half-Century which overlapped a great part of our route.  It was a great ride and great to have so much company!  This Saturday we will be meeting in Smithfield for a great double loop around North and East Ponds with some great lakeside runs, followed by a nifty ice cream stop.  Hope you can join us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday, September 1st - 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:  Larry Childs.

 

Chilly and Hilly

The Many Layers of Spring Cycling in Maine

It was bright and sunny for our April 28 ride in Wayne. It was also 35 degrees at the start, and blustery (35 degrees + 20 mph winds = 24 degrees windchill factor). Definitely not a day for lots of exposed skin. I think I started the ride with four layers, and I may have finished the ride with more. But if conditions were crisp, they were also dry, and it was a great day for a ride.

The route, laid out by Ray Giglio, took us from the Wayne Elementary School along the shorelines of Pocasset Lake and Lovejoy Pond, and past the southern tip of Echo Lake (or the left leg of "Crotched Pond" - to use its former name). We rode up Rt.17 to Baldwin Hill Road and the Home Nest Farm overlook. The return route took us along some very scenic back roads through Richmond Mills and back to Wayne.

Heading up Walton Road to North Wayne

Cold? No, just warming up.

Weighing options at the crossroads.

Along Rt.17.

Scenic Overlook from Home Nest Farm.

Thanks to Ray and to all who braved the conditions and took part in the ride. We will revisit parts of Wayne later in the season when we can peel off a few more layers and explore more of the great back roads that traverse this hidden corner of Maine.

Wandering and Pondering

Summer has finally arrived! With it has come the heat, but not so bad as in other parts of the country, and as one rider last Saturday remarked, we'll be nostalgic for this heat soon enough. As for last Saturday, we had another great ride down to Bowdoinham along some really pretty back roads, skirting ponds and marshlands, dappled with welcome shade. Our "warm" thanks to Geology Joe for another great tour.

This Saturday is the Bicycle Coalition of Maine's 10th annual Lobster Ride in Rockland. They could still use some volunteers for flagging, rest stop support, and post-event clean-up. There's a lobster roll (and a t-shirt) in it with your name on it - just call Cecelia Garton at the Bicycle Coalition of Maine at cecelia@bikemaine.org or 623-4511. Volunteers may also sign-up online, at http://www.bikemaine.org/events/lobster-ride/lobster-ride-volunteer-form.

Please join us in Mount Vernon this Sunday to count ponds and have fun on multiple 50 mph descents (there are potentially three, road conditions permitting). Whether that has any benefit to cardio-vascular training I'll leave for experts to judge. I've been informed that this ride has 3,230 feet of climbing (by one rider's electronic calculations) and there are several 15% grades (short ones, though) on Sandy River Road. The ride also has some unique scenery, with a delightful (and flat) run along the Chesterville Esker - a good part of the route was laid out by glacier! We may also get together after the ride at the cafe in Mount Vernon.

Sunday, July 24th - MOUNT VERNON

"Eleven Ponds" - a tour past many of the hidden ponds and lakes in Mount Vernon, Fayette, Chesterville, and Vienna.

START: 9:00 AM, Mount Vernon Post Office, just off Rt. 41 on Main Street in Mount Vernon.

DISTANCE: 14 and 29 miles.

TERRAIN: Rolling with a few good hills.

HIGHLIGHTS: rural back roads winding through many small ponds and lakes, and across the top of the Chesterville Esker. Possible post-ride get-together at the cafe in Mt. Vernon village.

LEADER: Jim Merrick.