Sunday in Bowdoinham

We had a nice, smooth ride last Saturday, most of which on fresh new pavement, from Farmington north to Strong and New Vineyard. Little traffic and great mountain and river views - a real Maine tour!  Many thanks to John MacDonald and his "crew" for a great ride.  This Sunday we will revisit a club favorite as we ride from Gardiner to Bowdoinham.  As always, we hope you can join us!

Sunday, July 31st - GARDINER

"Back Roads 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 miles.

TERRAIN:  Moderately hilly.

HIGHLIGHTS:  quiet back roads along streams and farmland south & west of Gardiner.

LEADER:  Joe Renda.

LINK to ROUTE MAP (2015): http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6654861

 

Kennebec Valley Bicycle Club rides are open to members and to the cycling public.  Helmets are required of all riders at KVBC events.  It is also recommended that you bring with you on KVBC rides:  a map of the area in case you stray off route; tools for simple roadside repairs, especially a tire pump, spare tube and/or patch kit; water bottles or hydration systems; personal ID and a small first aid kit; and money for purchasing snacks & drinks en-route.  In case of severe weather, scheduled rides may be postponed or designated as "show & go" rides at the discretion of the ride leader.

 

We welcome suggestions for improving our rides and encourage active participation of all members.  For more information, contact Jim Merrick at 293-3784 or hjmerrick@gmail.com, or follow us on Facebook.

New Vineyards and White Elephants

We had a great ride last Saturday from Norridgewock, thanks to Brian and Denise. A most enjoyable route over roads many of us had not traveled, passing through towns we hardly knew existed.  It was hot in the sun, but we had some occasional cloud cover and some shady roads.  The ride was not without some unintended drama, as we had some odd electro-mechanical problems, posing a high-tech challenge solved by some low-tech ingenuity (read: sticks and stones) and some gritty single-speed riding by one of the ride leaders.  We all made it back OK, in time for a splendid ice cream social which really topped off a fine day.  We have another northern excursion this Saturday, heading up the Sandy River from Farmington to Strong and New Vineyard.  And Sunday is the BCM Lobster Ride in Camden. Some fine riding ahead!

Saturday, July 23 - FARMINGTON

"Sandy River Ramble" - an all-new tour from Farmington to Strong and New Vineyard.

START: 9 am at the municipal parking lot adjacent to the Gazebo on Rt.s 4 and 27 just north of Farmington Center.  The parking lot is on the left, north-bound.

DISTANCE: 22 or 27 miles.

TERRAIN: flat to moderate with one long hill.

HIGHLIGHTS: views along the Sandy River, a stop at the White Elephant in Strong, and a possible post-ride stop at Gifford's in Farmington.

LEADER: John MacDonald, stmac237@gmail.com.

LINK to RIDE MAP: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6902582

Remember that the BCM Lobster Ride is Sunday, and if we have a large enough KVBC contingent we will qualify for a small rebate or discount off the registration fee.  So far I have heard from Ken Louis, Tammy Jones, Joe Lacroix, Bryan Griffin, Jim Floyd, Lynn Mitchell, Scott Bennington, and Fritz Onion.  If I don't have your name on the list and you want to join us, please do!  And let me know once you are registered - thanks!

You Say Tomato, I Say Tommaso (or maybe Tiramisu)

We had a fine ride down the Pemaquid Peninsula on Saturday, despite some wet weather to start the ride off. Many thanks to David Lipman for leading, and for the undeterred folks who braved the weather and turned out. The rains returned in force on Sunday, washing out the 2nd ride planned for the weekend, but we were grateful to David for getting one of the rides in. This Saturday we will venture north to Norridgewock for a tour through Somerset County followed by an ice cream social at the ride leaders' house! Please join us!

 

Saturday, July 16 - NORRIDGEWOCK

"Cycle Somerset" - a tour through Norridgewock, Madison, Solon, Cornville, and Skowhegan.

START: 9 am at Brian Bowker & Denise Crowell's house, 434 Frederick Corner Road, Norridgewock.

DISTANCE: 50-55 miles

TERRAIN: moderately hilly

SYNOPSIS: Norridgewock to Madison via Father Rasle Rd. past sprawling tomato greenhouses, then along the Kennebec River to Solon (where we will stop at a store in case provisions are needed). We will proceed to Cornville, down the West Ridge Road to Skowhegan and back to Norridgewock.

HIGHLIGHTS: Ice Cream Social to follow the ride at Brian and Denise's house. Spouses, significant others, or families are welcome to join us for the post ride Ice Cream Social. Approximately 3pm?

LEADERS: Brian Bowker, bbowk321@yahoo.com, and Denise Crowell, denisemcrowell@gmail.com.

One if by Land, and Two by the Sea

We had a great ride Saturday in Sidney to kick off the holiday weekend.  Many thanks to Jim Putnam for leading his "Independence" ride up and down the Kennebec and Middle Road, and to the great group of riders who turned out!

We have a "double-header" planned for this weekend.  This Saturday's KVBC ride will return to the scenic Pemaquid Peninsula with a great ride along the shore.  There will be a follow-up ride on Sunday around Boothbay.  These routes are not only scenic, but also a great trip to the coast, and there are many great places to stop and see the sights.  Contact the ride leader for suggestions for overnight accommodations.  Hope you can join us for one or both of these rides!  To those of you with KVBC jerseys, we'd like to get a group picture on one of the rides this weekend, so if you can wear your jersey that would be great! Have a Happy Fourth!

 

Saturday, July 9th; DAMARISCOTTA

"Drafting Through Damariscotta" - a tour through Bristol, Bremen, Pemaquid and Damariscotta.

START:  10:00 AM at Hannaford's supermarket, 469 Main Street (Business Rt. 1) in Damariscotta.

DISTANCE:  approx. 40 miles.

TERRAIN:  Moderate to rolling with no major hills.

HIGHLIGHTS: scenic roads within the Pemaquid Peninsula, fresh and salt water views abound.

LEADER:  David Lipman,  dlipman@lipmankatz.com.
LINK TO RIDE MAP (2015): http://gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6791021

Sunday, July 10th: BOOTHBAY

"Bicycling Through Boothbay" - a seaside tour around Boothbay, Barter, Sawyer, and Southport.

START: 9:00 AM at the Knickerbocker Boat Landing, off of Knickerbocker Road just north of the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.

DISTANCE: 20+ miles.

TERRAIN: easy to moderate.

HIGHLIGHTS: more ocean views and seaside villas, plus a stop for lobster rolls at the Trevitt General Store.
LEADER:  David Lipman,  dlipman@lipmankatz.com.

LINK TO RIDE MAP (2015): http://gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6802082

 

Kennebec Valley Bicycle Club rides are open to members and to the cycling public.  Helmets are required of all riders at KVBC events.  It is also recommended that you bring with you on KVBC rides:  a map of the area in case you stray off route; tools for simple roadside repairs, especially a tire pump, spare tube and/or patch kit; water bottles or hydration systems; personal ID and a small first aid kit; and money for purchasing snacks & drinks en-route.  In case of severe weather, scheduled rides may be postponed or designated as "show & go" rides at the discretion of the ride leader.

 

We welcome suggestions for improving our rides and encourage active participation of all members.  For more information, contact Jim Merrick at 293-3784 or hjmerrick@gmail.com or check out the KVBC Facebook page.

Independence Ride

We had another superb weather weekend for cycling - those of you lucky enough to take part in Jeanine's Bike & Boat weekend in Greenville no doubt had a great time (Thanks Jeanine!).  This week we ride into July, starting off on Saturday with a traditional 4th of July weekend ride led by Jim Putnam in Sidney!  It's a great ride, with or without pyrotechnics, and we hope to see you there!


Saturday, July 2nd, SIDNEY:
"Independence along Middle Road" - a mainstream  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, put@roadrunner.com.
LINK TO RIDE MAP: http://gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6799304

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

We had a great ride and a great turnout in fine summer weather last Sunday in Mount Vernon. The new KVBC jerseys were definitely attention-getting, and the group looked pretty sharp, both on the road and in the cafe afterwards! We'll have to schedule a group photo on an upcoming ride. In keeping with our string of rides featuring good food, this week's ride is the 8th Annual Bike & Boat in Greenville, which includes a steamboat excursion on the lake with food and live music. Plus there is an option of spending the weekend with like-minded people (and more food!). Check it out!

Sunday, June 26 - GREENVILLE
"Greenville Boat & Bike" - a tour from Greenville to Rockwood with a return trip across the lake on the historic steamboat Katahdin!
START: 10:30 am at the Greenville boat landing (earlier if registering on the day of the event)
DISTANCE: 19.5 miles
TERRAIN: moderate

REGISTRATION: $25 fee to benefit the Charles A. Dean Memorial Hospital; sign up as a member of the AMC/KVBC Team; online registration link: http://cadean.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1155345

HIGHLIGHTS: scenic 20-mile ride, followed by a lake cruise back to the start on the historic steamboat "Katahdin" including food and live music, and t-shirts for pre-registrants. There is also a weekend trip option at the AMC Gorman Chairback Lodge - details below.

LEADER: Jeanine Libby, jjlibby13@roadrunner.com

WEEKEND TRIP DETAILS:
June 24-26: Come join in on a fun filled weekend of hiking, biking and boating. We will be staying in the bunk house at Gorman Chairback Lodge for the weekend's events. Friday night arrive in time to meet everyone prior to sitting down for dinner - served at 6:00 p.m. Saturday we will plan to hike Third Mountain and if time allows, do a paddle on the pond later in the day. More fun to come as we rise the next morning to prepare for the 19.5 mile Bike and Boat ride to benefit Charles A. Dean Memorial Hospital patient care. The bike ride will begin in Greenville and go to Rockwood and then we will return aboard the historic Katahdin vessel for a breathtaking boat ride back to Greenville. While on the boat live music will be playing and lunch will be served. Come join us for the weekend or for the day. The costs for the weekend totals $184 plus 9% tax for the bunkhouse - if you want to do a cabin, you may with additional costs. Built into this fee includes all your meals: Two Dinners, Two Breakfasts and Two Lunches. As we will be participating in the fund raiser for CA Dean Hospital, you will need to register separately for the bike and boat ride. The registration fee totals $25 and remember to sign up for the AMC/KVBC Bike Team.

http://www.cadean.org/About-Us/News/2016/Join-us-for-the-eighth-annual-Bike-and-Boat-to-ben.aspx

The Esker on Father's Day

This Sunday's Kennebec Valley Bicycle Club ride will start in Mount Vernon and venture out to the Chesterville Esker, a wonderful and scenic flat stretch along a unique geological formation - just a bit of serious hill climbing to get there. The forecast is for sunny skies and 80 degrees! Do we believe that? Well, it has to warm up sometime, doesn't it?. There is a lunch option at the cafe in Mount Vernon after the ride, and the new KVBC club jerseys are supposed to arrive - I will follow up with confirmation so folks can plan on picking their jersey(s) up. See you Sunday, and for those of you doing the Trek, Bonne Route!

Sunday, June 19th - 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 (and one memorable one).

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, 293-3784.

LINK to RIDE MAP: http://gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6799293

 

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.