The Whistle-Stop's Here

We had beautiful clear dry weather for Ken's 5th Annual Hot Dog Ride from Wings Mills on Saturday.  The post-ride hot dogs were great - as were the surprise commemorative t-shirts!  Our thanks to the Louis's for another fine event and for graciously welcoming us to their home.

 

This Saturday's ride will explore the Whistle-Stop Rail Trail from Jay to Wilton to Farmington.  The trail is unpaved, so mountain bikes or hybrid bikes are recommended.  The trail has some great scenery and is well worth exploring!

 

Still looking for a ride leader for August 24-25.  We also have some open dates in September and October.  If you missed your chance to lead a ride earlier in the year, step right up - you can still lead a ride with Fall on the way!  Just contact Jim Merrick at hjmerrick@gmail.com.  Thanks!

 

Saturday, August 17th - JAY

"The Whistle-Stop's Here" - a tour of the Rail Trail from Jay through Wilton to Farmington.

START: 9:00 am at the French Falls Park Trailhead in Jay:

Directions to French Falls Park Trailhead:

From South: From the intersection of ME Routes 4 and 17 in Livermore Falls follow ME Routes 4/17 north 1.6 miles, turning left onto French Falls Drive just after the Jay Elementary School. Follow this road past the Whistle Stop Trail entrance and park in the lot at the end of the road next to the baseball field.

From North:  From the intersection of ME Routes 4 and 17 with ME Route 140 in Jay, follow ME Routes 4/17 south about a mile. Turn right onto French Falls Drive just before you reach the Jay Elementary School. Follow this road past the Whistle Stop Trail entrance and park in the lot at the end of the road next to the baseball field.

DISTANCE: 28 miles or less

TERRAIN: most flat and unpaved; some southern sections of the trail have been quite sandy in the past, but have been improved recently.  Mountain bikes or hybrid bikes with good tires are recommended.

HIGHLIGHTS: scenic, quiet touring along the old Railway right of way; wooden trestle bridge over Wilton Stream; possible ice cream stop in Wilton.

LEADER:  Bud Newell.

Whistle-Stop Rail Trail Trestle over Wilton Stream

Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Dog!

We had a great ride in Livermore and Leeds on Saturday, despite getting off to a rainy start.  By the time we got to the general store in Chesterville, the sun had broke out and the roads were drying up, and we had a fine stretch along the Chesterville Esker.  It was great to see some familiar faces appear for the ride (and breakfast!).  Next week's ride will also feature some culinary delights as we explore the roads around West Mount Vernon and Wings Mills on Ken's Fifth Annual Hot Dog Ride.  If you've missed it the last four times you won't want to miss it now.  Hope to see you Saturday!

 

Saturday, August 10th - WING'S MILLS (Mount Vernon)

"Hot Dog! - The Hot Dog Ride" (not because we'll ride like one but because we will want one) - a tour through Mount Vernon, Belgrade, North Augusta, and Manchester

START: 9:00 AM at 49 Marble Point Rd., Mount Vernon

      Directions to Start:

           From Augusta, take #27 North to Belgrade and turn left onto #135 (Christy's store and blinking light)
           Go 3 miles and right onto Wings Mill Rd; go 2.5 miles and right onto Marble Point Rd. which is just
           after crossing Belgrade Stream; it is a hard pack dirt road and we are the log home on the right)

           From Mount Vernon, Readfield: Take North Rd to Wings Mills Rd and go about 3 miles to Marble Point Rd;
           just after passing Bartlett Rd on the right, turn left onto Marble Point

           Delorme Maine Atlas Map 12; A-4. Just west and across the stream from the intersection of Dunn Rd and
           Wings Mill Rd. (Marble Point is not listed by name on the map).
DISTANCE: 29 miles
TERRAIN: Moderate with some hills
HIGHLIGHTS: Views of Belgrade Stream, Hamilton Pond, Stuart Pond, Messalonskee Lake, Doctor Pond, Silver Lake, Gould Pond, with a Hot Dog cookout lunch following the ride - swimming available also.  
LEADER: Ken Louis.

 

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

 

Livermore & the Single Chainring Tour

Heading Toward Chesterville on Valley Road

After our fine ride last Saturday from Gardiner to Bowdoinham (thanks, Joe!) this Saturday we will fill in an open date in the calendar with another great ride in Livermore through Leeds and Fayette - 25 miles, with an optional longer loop of about 41 miles, traversing the entire Chesterville Esker, out and back, as well as a extension into North Chesterville.  All of it on rather flat terrain, and the route has some great local eateries along the way, scoped out by the ride's originator, Frank Rosen.  Breakfast at the Lunch Pad restaurant is also optional: it's a nice little seasonal diner and ice cream shop - yep, you're covered pre- and post-ride - Frank thinks of everything.  We'd like to encourage those of our members who haven't ridden with us yet this year to come on out and join us.  Frank has moved to more temperate climes in Pennsylvania (everybody says "Hi" Frank!) so he's excused, but we'd like to see everyone else on Saturday!

Saturday, August 3rd - LIVERMORE

"Single Chainring Tour" - an exploration of the flatlands from Livermore to Leeds, through Fayette to the Chesterville Esker.

START: 8:30 AM at the Lunch Pad Restaurant (7:30 am if you want to join us for breakfast) at the junction of Rt.17 and Rt. 133 (Park Street) in Livermore, where Rt. 17 N comes into a "T" intersection just before downtown Livermore Falls.  Park in the Footware parking lot next to the diner.  We may have to shift parking into the nearby town park if the store is open, but we will figure that all out before the ride starts.

DISTANCE: 25 or 41 miles.

TERRAIN: mostly moderate with no big hills.

HIGHLIGHTS: Breakfast, beautiful roads and a nice flat run along the scenic Chesterville Esker.

LEADER: Jim Merrick, hjmerrick@gmail.com.
 

For More information on the Kennebec Valley Bicycle Club, check out our Facebook page!

Gardiner to Bowdoinham

At the general store in Bowdoinham

 

We had a great ride Saturday in Rome - once we stopped counting the hills.  There were five of us who did the seven hills, and then some.  Fortunately most of the climbing was in shade, and the heat began to moderate a bit with a nice breeze - the harbinger of beautiful weather to start the week.  We have another fine stretch of weather ahead, by all accounts, and another classic ride to Bowdoinham coming up this Saturday.  Summer is definitely here, so get out and get on your bike and join us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday, July 27th - GARDINER

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

START:  9:00 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.

 

 

For more information on the KVBC, contact Jim Merrick at  hjmerrick@gmail.com, and check out our Facebook page.

The Vineyard Tour

The Overlook at the Cellardoor Winery Vineyard in Lincolnville

Come join us this Saturday for a special Kennebec Valley Bicycle Club ride in Camden and Lincolnville.  The ride will feature a stop at the Cellardoor Winery, and some back roads in a area that we don't get a chance to ride in (as a group) that often.  Part of the route will trace part of the East Coast Greenway, and the ride will have other treats in store.  Hope to see you on Saturday!

July 13th, Saturday:  Camden

“Camden Vineyard Tour” – a circuit of Megunticook Lake, including Camden and the Cellardoor Winery and vineyard in Youngtown (Lincolnville).  

START:  9:30 A.M., at the Cellardoor Winery, 367 Youngtown Rd, one mile east of Route 52.  Park in the rear, behind the winery store, keeping in mind that they will have regular customer parking on a Saturday. 

DIRECTIONS:  From Camden, take Rt. 52 north for 5 miles and turn right onto the Youngtown Rd for one mile.  See the Cellardoor Winery website for map and detailed directions:  http://mainewine.com.

DISTANCE:  20-30 miles, depending if a loop from Camden to Rockport is taken and if we return to the winery via Rt. 52 or via Rts. 1 and  173.  The route is moderately hilly, and the road surfaces are showing wear.  

HIGHLIGHTS:  Visit the winery store and take a walk through the vineyards.  Numerous lake views during the ride.  Camden (& Rockport).  Part of the route is the official East Coast Greenway interim on-road coastal route. 

LUNCH:  The picnic tables outside the winery store are available for us to use after our ride.  We can bring a bag lunch, or they sell beverages, local cheeses, breads, and other goodies.  And of course, they sell wine and have wine tasting.

LEADER:  Jim Merrick.

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

Go Jump In a Lake

Heading into Monmouth Center

Dig out that sunscreen!  (If you can remember where you put it.)  The sun finally showed up for our Fourth-of-July ride, and we had a great turnout and a great ride.  Many thanks to Jim Putnam for offering to lead the ride twice in five days, and kudos to everyone who did it twice!  This Saturday will feature a classic ride from Winthrop to Monmouth from the shores of Lake Maranacook.  If the temperatures soar, we can beat the heat with a dip in the lake or a double dip cone - or maybe both!  We'll see you then!

Saturday, July 6th - WINTHROP

"Lakes and Orchards" - a tour through Winthrop and Monmouth.

START:  9:00 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 - post-ride swimming and ice cream options, too!

LEADER:  Jim Merrick, hjmerrick@gmail.com.

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

Go Forth on the Fourth!

The damp conditions at the start didn't dampen this turnout.

Well, our glorious Fourth-of-July ride last Saturday wasn't quite glorious enough, apparently, even though we had a respectable turnout of nine people in damp conditions.  For all those who missed it (and those who want to do it again!) we've decided to run it again this Thursday - a special holiday ride!  Hey, doing the Fourth-of-July ride on the Fourth-of-July - what a concept!  You can join us for the ride in the morning and still take part in whatever activities you may have lined up in the afternoon!  And we have an open weekend coming up with perhaps another ride in store - stay tuned!

 

 

Thursday, July 4th, SIDNEY:
"Go Forth on the Fourth" - a tour through the middle of Sidney & the middle of a prime farming district & the middle of Fourth of July preparations.
START:  9:00 AM at the James H. Bean Elementary School on Middle Road in Sidney.
Directions to the Bean School:
From south: I-95 North exit #120. Turn right at end of exit ramp onto Lyons Rd. Follow Lyons Rd. to stop sign. Turn left onto Middle Rd. Bean School is approximately one mile on the right.
From the north: I-95 South exit #120. Turn left at end of exit ramp onto Lyons Rd. Follow Lyons Rd. to stop sign. Turn left onto Middle Rd. Bean
School is approximately one mile on the right.

DISTANCE:  16 or 30 Miles.
TERRAIN:  moderate with a few hills.
HIGHLIGHTS:  some fine back roads and Kennebec River views, and some Fourth of July paraphernalia, most likely.
LEADER:  Jim Putnam.

 

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

 

It was foggy and damp on Saturday's ride, enhanced in this image by road spray on the camera lens.