BCM Bike Raffle

The good folks at the Bicycle Coalition of Maine have another fund-raising raffle underway, and they have asked us, as one of their affiliated clubs, to pass on the particulars of the raffle below to all our members (and anyone else perusing here). It's for a good cause, the odds of winning the bike are a heck of lot better than winning the lottery, and it would be pretty cool to own a bike that can stand up by itself on a thin dusting of snow - a lot cooler than mine, anyway.

Win A Custom, Maine-Made Bicycle!

The lucky ticket holder in the 2009 Bicycle Coalition of Maine Super Raffle will have the opportunity to own a truly custom bicycle and to choose the set up for road, touring or cyclocross riding. This Maine-made bicycle valued at more than $3,500 offers the ultimate in “green” transportation.

The frame, built and donated by Frank Bikes in Belfast, is a blend of premium, double-butted steel tubes from Dedacciai, Columbus, and True Temper. The beautiful, handmade frame will be custom-sized to the winner’s specifications, using silver-brazed lugged construction and precise custom machining. Frank Bikes will even allow the winner to view the bike during construction, including framed photos.

The component group, donated by Downeast Bicycles, is led by the ever-reliable Shimano 105 drivetrain. The winner will be able to choose from options for the bottom bracket, cassette, crankset and front derailleur.

Further customization is possible for the handlebar width (FSA*; 40, 42 or 44mm), stem length (FSA*; 90-120mm), bar tape color, and saddle (WTB*; men’s or women’s).

The rest of the build kit includes FSA* headset and seatpost, Mavic* Open Sport Rims with 105 hubs and Maxxis* Xenith tires.

The winner of this exciting, custom-made and custom-built bike will have the chance to order from a number of upgrades and options. Selected upgrades and extras will be billed at the shop’s retail cost, a great way of upgrading your new bicycle and bypassing some of the material and labor costs!

Who among us wouldn’t want to have a bike built just for him or her? Take a chance on that dream, and help support the Coalition’s efforts to make Maine a better place to bicycle at the same time!

How to Enter:
Tickets are $50 each, and no more than 250 tickets will be sold. All ticket sales will end on December 31, 2009 – or sooner if supplies run out.

Go to http://www.bikemaine.org/store/superraffle.htm to purchase a ticket now or call 207.623.4511 to order over the phone. Act today so you don’t miss out on this great opportunity!

Thanks To:
Frank Bikes (www.youarefrank.com), Downeast Bicycle Supply (www.debike.com), and Bar Harbor Bike Shop (www.barharborbike.com) for their sponsorship of this raffle.

* Brand specified or equivalent brand, based on availability at time of build.

The Ups & Downs of Industry

Alas, the remnants of Hurricane Bill put a damper on the ride in Alna last Sunday, although we plan to reschedule the ride the first Sunday in October. This week the Friday breakfast ride aims for the Olde Post Office Cafe in Mount Vernon. On Saturday the KVBC ride ventures northward to the pretty town of Industry with its funky architecture and the pristine Clearwater Pond (left) topped off with some spectacular ridgetop views (and perhaps an end of the ride stop at Gifford's Ice Cream). Hope to see you then!

Saturday, August 29th: 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, Clearwater Pond at Allens Mills.

LEADER: Jim Merrick.

Post to Post on Posted Roads

Join us on Friday as we ride from the Post Office in Readfield to the Olde Post Office in Mount Vernon as part of the KVBC Two Wheels Over Easy breakfast ride series. It will be first class all the way...

Friday, August 28th - READFIELD

"Two Wheels Over Easy" - the KVBC Breakfast Ride series.

START: 8:00 AM in Readfield Center at the junction of Rt.17 and Rt.41; park in the lot behind the Post Office.

DISTANCE: TBD.

TERRAIN: moderate to moderately hilly.

HIGHLIGHTS: breakfast at the Olde Post Office Cafe in Mount Vernon; some nice back roads in Readfield and Mount Vernon.

LEADER: Jim Merrick.

Breakfast Ride Report - Litchfield

We took advantage of the great weather last Thursday to schedule a breakfast ride in Litchfield, courtesy of George Luckhurst. Due to the late notice, only two of us showed up at the start, but 'two cyclists' qualifies as an official ride in my book, so off we went. George had in mind a very pretty 18 mile loop through Litchfield and part of Gardiner. Traffic was light and the weather was perfect. We took some great back roads, passing the historic Litchfield fairgrounds among other sights.









The route also took us past Litchfield's two notable bakeries. The first, the Black Crow Bakery, is a very enticing establishment. Attached to a historic site with its own roadside historic marker, the Purington-Shorey Homestead, the Black Crow looks like a country bakery. Despite the sign advertising "Fresh Bread - Cookies - Pasteries" we showed great restraint by continuing past without stopping.



Instead, our destination was Litchfield's other bakery, the Litchfield Country Cafe, near the junction of Rt.126 and Hallowell Road. The Country Cafe is a small, cozy restaurant-bakery with perhaps a half-dozen tables inside and an active waiting area outside. We were fortunate to get a table without waiting, although the waitress, who knew George, suggested otherwise. All of the store's baked goods are prepared in house, ensuring both quality control and a steady stream of customers to the front door. Indeed, the raisin toast that came with my breakfast of eggs, corned beef hash, and homefries could well have made a meal in itself. Just as well that it didn't, as the hash was the best I've had on any ride I can recall. The meal was so substantial the waitress actually talked me down into ordering a half-side of homefries. Since it was her recommendation, I could leave with my reputation intact and still ride afterwards.





As it was, we only had a couple of miles to go back to the start. A very nice Two Wheels Over Easy ride. Now, we just have to go back and try out that other bakery...

Sunday's Ride in Alna Postponed

Due to high winds and rain this morning's KVBC ride in Alna has been postponed. The ride has been tentatively rescheduled for Sunday, October 4th.

Meanwhile, stay dry and stay tuned for next week's ride.

A Torrid Traverse

On Saturday, August 15, a group of twelve riders gathered in Mount Vernon for the Kennebec Valley Bicycle Club ride. The ride, "the Mount Vernon Traverse," was longer and hillier than initially advertised. Hotter, too. Temperatures were already in the high 80s by the start, and would climb into the 90s by the end of the ride.








The route headed north to Rome via Watson Pond Road. I had a family reunion later that day, but since I live in Mount Vernon I was able to make it to the start. The route was a 34 mile loop with no cut-offs, so I debated whether to ride the entire route or turn back at some point. We began the first of a series of strenuous climbs by heading up Blueberry Hill. Fortunately a good part of the climb was in the shade which made the effort a lot cooler.







At the top of the hill the riders stopped to regroup before continuing on to Rt.27 North and the second long climb. Returning via Rt. 134 the group would encounter yet another challenging climb up Cape Cod Hill in New Sharon. Both of those long climbs would be open and sun-baked, so the group decided to take advantage of the shade while they had it.





It was at this point that John suddenly remembered that he had left something behind in his car that he needed (he said something about "A-C") so I took the opportunity to ride back with him, climbing all the hills we had just come down. We made it back OK and I went off to continue preparations for my family gathering. John drove his car back over the route as an impromptu sag wagon. He later hosted a cool, post-ride gathering at his cottage, lakeside. After all the heat and the hills it was no doubt a welcome respite at the end of the ride. Many thanks to John and the impressive number of riders who showed up in the heat.

The next KVBC ride is Sunday in Alna with more beautiful roads and another post-ride gathering. We have more great rides coming up - hopefully the weather will stay dry and turn a bit cooler.

The Alna Alternative

We had a great ride on Saturday with 12 riders climbing some hills in the heat, followed by a post-ride gathering at the ride leader's cabin on Watson Pond. Many thanks to John Schooley for the ride and the follow-up festivities. This week's ride will be Sunday in Alna in the scenic Sheepscott River valley, with another post-ride gathering. Hope to see you there!

[Photo by John Schooley.]

Sunday, August 23rd - ALNA

"The Alna Alternative": a tour of the Sheepscot Valley through Alna, Pittston, and Whitefield.

START: 9:30 A.M. at the Post Office in Alna at the corner of Rt. 194 and Dock Road. Alna is located at 44:06:22N, 69:36:15W (for you GPS folks); also at DeLorme Map 13, E-2.

DISTANCE: 20-25 miles.

TERRAIN: moderately hilly.

HIGHLIGHTS: a possible swimming option at the dam in Head Tide, weather permitting (bring a bathing suit); the scenic Sheepscot River; and a post-ride gathering at the ride leader's house (across from the Post Office).

LEADER: Sandi Hodge.