Hot Dogs and Toasted Buns

Last Saturday we traveled down a sandy dirt road on no map to Ken's house, taking our cue from a beautiful summer day - and the promise of hot dogs later - to ride over some of the hill country in Wings Mills, Belgrade, Manchester, and Augusta.


The day was clear, but would turn hot, and some of the hills were long. But we had little traffic and good company.





















We could hardly grouse about the sun and the heat, for the ride had nearly been rained out in previous years. Ken's hot dogs remained one of the club's best secrets. But no longer - not after last Saturday.




















Our thanks to the Louises for the great ride and their hospitality - and for the perfect setting to chill out after a sweet ride. See you next year? Hot Dog!

A reminder - the KVBC ride scheduled for Sunday, August 21st, in ALNA has been POSTPONED and we will be meeting in SMITHFIELD at the fire station at 9:00 am instead. See you then!

Alna is OFF - Smithfield is ON

Due to unforeseen family commitments, our scheduled ride this Sunday in Alna will be POSTPONED and rescheduled for another date.

Instead, 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!

Sunday, August 21st - 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: Jim Merrick.

You Are What You Eat

I'm told that there was a great ride last week in Wayne, with such classic cycling views as rolling past fields of sunflowers just 20 miles outside of Paris (well, Paris, Maine, anyway), and some culinary quandaries involving lobster rolls vs. Tubby's ice cream. Decisions, decisions.

No need for decisions this Saturday, because Ken is leading us on a ride exploring the "other side" of the Belgrade Stream in Mount Vernon, followed by a hot dog roast at his house overlooking the water.

We have openings in the KVBC ride calendar for leaders in September and October. If you can lead a ride, contact Jim at hjmerrick@gmail.com. Fall is coming - more great riding ahead!

Saturday, August 13th - 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.

Somewhere Outside of Paris

Last Saturday, Ray & Jane Giglio led the KVBC ride from Wayne through Leeds and North Monmouth on the "Tour de Lacs." The group rolled past some classic cycling vistas, including fields of sunflowers some 20 miles outside of Paris (Me.).

Ray reports:

"Beside Jane and I, we had three other riders for the Tour de Lacs ride on 8/6: George Luckhurst, plus Claudette Purington and her husband Tom Keyes. Perfect day - the ride was 29 miles. It was our anniversary (23rd) so I took Jane out to eat at a benefit lobster roll dinner at the Cary Memorial Library in Wayne, after a swim and change of clothes at the Androscoggin Yacht Club. Hey, she had her choice of there or at Tubby's. Unfortunately, Claudette and Tom, and George, had other places to go to."

Unfortunately, some of us (including this would-be blogger) had to miss it. Many thanks to Ray & Jane for stepping up and leading such a memorable ride.

Whatever you do, don't miss next week's ride in Wings Mills, where Ken will reprise his Hot Dog Ride! See you then!

Along the Esker

We had a fine ride in Mount Vernon, cycling past many ponds and lakes and over some challenging hills in Chesterville. At one point, we overtook a family of four out cycling - always a cause for rejoicing, to see families out cycling together. Beats the heck out of spending "quality time" at the Mall.

Leaving the hills behind for a time, we had a great run along the Chesterville Esker - a nice flat ridge of glacial deposits running between many pristine little ponds - one of the more striking cycling venues in Central Maine. Too soon, we had to leave it, too, behind, as we traversed the rolling terrain back to the start at Mount Vernon. Perhaps we can schedule a return in the Fall.

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.

Bowdoinham by Bike

Splendid weekend weather and a great breakfast ride in Augusta made for some really fine cycling for everyone who made it to Sunday's KVBC ride. The early morning ride start was not too hot, and some of the bikes that showed up were really cool - Peggy practically stole the show with her funky Rans semi-recumbent with electric motor assist. Only recently configured, she had already put 600 miles on it, and she was talking about tackling Cadillac Mountain!

Many thanks to Connie for leading the ride and once again opening her house to us for a post-ride breakfast which was much appreciated! Her porch is a great place to chill out after a nice ride, and the kitchen fare is great, too.

We have a great ride coming up this Saturday in Gardiner, heading down the coast to Bowdoinham - a great tune-up ride for the BCM Lobster Ride the following weekend. Rumor has it that we are finally in for a string of really fine weekend biking weather. Hope you can all join us!

Saturday, July 16th - GARDINER

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

START: 10:00 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.