Lamberg Travel: BIke Maine Sept 2019

Bike Maine is put on by a coalition of bike and ecology groups. The bike ride part of the coalition started only in 2013. I saw a large volunteer staff, and lots of attention to recycling of food and paper at meal times. L.L. Bean is a major supporter and has labelled gear and bike support tents. Although many big rides, such as Bike Virginia and the Bon Ton do not reach capacity, Bike Maine announced that its 450 slots were filled by last Jan!

Bike Maine posts the cue sheets for all the rides they have done in an archive section of their website. I used some of their 2014 rides during a driving trip in Maine Lynne and I did two years ago. I biked from the night's motel to a college or museum destination about 30 mi away, and Lynne would leave the motel a couple of hours later and drive to meet me. Worked out well.

Bike Maine is point-to-point with a move most days, but there was a rest day in Rockland, a good place to spend the day as it is the home of the Farnsworth Museum, a Wyeth Museum, and lots of restaurants. There was another non-move day in Belfast, not typical for Bike Maine. I explored the town, rather than riding that day. The riding days were tough: 55-60+ hilly miles (averaged 3 hills a day I had to walk), and with packing up each morning, two rest stops and a sit-down lunch each day, the days were long. I was the oldest biker on the ride.

Food was first-rate with good veggie options, lobster one night, and short lines as there were usually 3 food setups. Lots of farm to table food, lots of blueberries, lots of gourmet items, and the menus were posted online. Reviewing the menu now reminds me how exceptional the food was for a bike ride. Better than any ride except maybe Cycle Adirondacks.

Rode with several old friends: Steve Breit (Boston), Alice Ryen and Marge Kelly (NY), Joyce and Erik Videlock (Philly), Janet Brown (Balt), and Lynn and Kirk (Falls Church).