8/16 Saturday Ride

It's going to be beautiful tomorrow (finally) so a little distance seems in order, "but let's not do hills," came the request. Well, that does make it a bit tougher, but how about this? It was Theresa's Birthday Ride last year and it seemed to work well, so let's try it again.

The base map you know, but the addition down to Fortune's Rocks is the added bonus. I still have a garage to demolish, so I may take the shorter route, but let's roll at 8:00 and be ready to dodge tourists and phone zombies in OOB.

Garmin: Old Orchard Beach 51 | Fortune's Rocks 63

Strava: Old Orchard Beach 51 | Fortune's Rocks - 63

8/9 Saturday Ride

Saturday looks pretty good, if a little humid, so let's try something different--we haven't done this one for almost a year. This is 52 miles, but I have to demo my garage so, as we go by my house in Westbrook, I'm going to drop off to try to beat the heat. Sorry, no Strava map for this one, but wheels roll at 8:00.

Garmin | Strava

8/2 Saturday Ride

Sorry for the late post--busy week, and I will be tied up with the Bike MS ride tomorrow, but it should be a glorious day for a ride!

I think it's a good day to head to Salmon Falls; that's 46 miles of pretty roads, or 54 or so if you tack on Cape. No specific ride leader, but wheels still roll at 8:00.

Strava | Garmin

7/26 Saturday Ride

I am out of town tomorrow but Theresa isn't and, luckily, she's susceptible to peer pressure! She has agreed to be chief bunny herder for the day. As such, she gets to make the call, and that call is for baked goods. Diane, I hope you're available this time!

Fair warning, I'm tied up with the MS ride next weekend, too, so I am actively taking bunny herder applications for that--pick your favorite course and let me know!

Wheels roll at 8:00.

	Wild Oats 66 Strava | Garmin Little Dog 64 Strava | Garmin Maquoit Rd 57 Strava | Garmin Highland Rd 51 Strava | Garmin Freeport 34 Strava | Garmin

7/19 Saturday Ride

I will be tied up with the Tri for a Cure on Saturday and still need a ride leader, but I am posting some options for the day. It looks like full sun and nice temps, so it'll be a great day to ride bikes!

On offer are the 46-mile Windham/Middlejam loop and the 45-mile Mitchell Hill/Ash Swamp/Cape loop (you can tack on a few more miles by adding in Black Point). 

Be sure to click the  I'm In button on Strava; wheels roll at 8:00.

Strava | Garmin

Strava | Garmin

7/12 Saturday Ride

Bruce really wants to do the Raymond Hills, but I talked him down for this weekend. We WILL do them in September but, if you're up for it sooner, just let me know.

For now, we'll try Hilly Pineland/Hodgdon--just right to dissatisfy everybody (not enough hills for Bruce, too many for others)--sounds just about right. 😉

It should be a beautiful day; wheels roll at 8:00.

Strava | Garmin

7/5 Saturday Ride

Well, I was going to be out on an island visiting my brother, but now I'm stuck fixing a refrigerator. 😟 

Either way, Bruce has agreed to take the reigns and he'd like to head out to Salmon Falls. This is a 53-mile loop--wheels roll at 8:00, and I will miss it. 😭

Garmin | Strava

6/29 Four Notches

Since we have the Four Notches ride this weekend, there is no planned SMR. If you're not headed to the mountains, feel free to pick a ride from the Route Library above. If someone wants to take the lead, I can advertise a route for you for Sunday.

6/21 Saturday Ride

I was beginning to think I would never be able to say this, but Saturday looks outstanding!

I, unfortunately, will be away, but Bruce will be here, and he missed the Wild Oats ride last month, so let's go get some baked goods.

As always, lots of opportunities for smaller loops so, whatever your available time, there's a ride for you.

Wheels roll at 8:00, you lucky devils!

	Wild Oats 66 Strava | Garmin Little Dog 64 Strava | Garmin Maquoit Rd 57 Strava | Garmin Highland Rd 51 Strava | Garmin Freeport 34 Strava | Garmin

6/15 Sunday Morning Bowling League

This week we'll take our bowling balls up north to Roads Less Traveled. A full frame is 58 miles up to pretty North Pownal Rd. We could shave a few miles coming straight down Middle Rd (or a half a dozen other ways), or we can shoot back south from Pineland on North Road for 45 (no Strava route for this one).

Wheels roll at 8:00.

FCC Sunday Morning Bowling League

Hear me out: Bruce suggested that if we called it something inside-oriented, maybe the rain gods would make it sunny just to spite us. I figured, since nothing else has worked (rain dances, sage-burning...), what the hell.

Take tomorrow to clean the house and we'll go bowling on Sunday. 

We'll go bowling in OOB. 

Here are the directions. 

Garmin | Strava

I know we don't normally head down this way after Memorial Day, but it's early still, and if we promise to be really careful on Grand Ave, we should be all right. Clearly, we need to do a lot more seizing of the day this year. It's 51 miles as recorded, 53+ if we loop around the east end when we finish up.

Wheels roll at 8:00.

6/1 SUNDAY Ride

I feel like a broken record, a soggy broken record: Rain. Again. So, it looks like I'm going to have time to adjust that janky front derailleur on Saturday and maybe douse myself in some wood glitter. But on Sunday, let's go find the lake. Wheels roll at 8:00.

Garmin | Strava

5/25 SUNDAY Ride

Well, for pete's sake--if this isn't the soggiest, coldest spring I've seen in years! While I might risk dodging raindrops when temps are in the 70s, I am decidedly disinclined when it's 50°. That means we need to bump to Sunday, which looks to be fairly nice. 

Unfortunately, those of us doing the Memorial Day ride will likely be equally disinclined to do any substantial mileage just a day before. So I propose a course with options. 

Everything is based on the OOB ride, which is about 51 miles--more than I have to give, I'm afraid, but don't let me stop you. We can meet at 8:00 and pick the route that suits.

Option 1: Mitchell Hill-Ash Swamp-Highland (33) 

Option 2: Mitchell Hill-Ash Swamp-Cape (41)

Option 3: OOB-Boom Rd Backwards (51)

**FAIR WARNING** 

The tourists are out and OOB will be crawling with self-involved vacationers and phone zombies; choose this route at your own risk.

5/18 SUNDAY Ride

New plan, sports fans: we were supposed to do Raymond Hills this weekend but, absent divine intervention, I don't see any time window dry enough for that to happen safely. Saturday is another complete washout and Sunday's rain is due to start around 2:00, so we need to pivot.

In order to get us more climbing and some distance options, I think we go back to Pineland via the hilly route and hope to do the long route home that takes us to West Durham and Freeport after, but I think we may well need to take the Rte 231/Cumberland/Longwoods shortcut home to stay dry. We'll check the weather once we hit Pinelands.

Wheels roll at 8:00

May 17 Garmin | Strava	May 24
Memorial Day

5/11 SUNDAY Ride

We can't seem to catch a break, can we? Saturday looks like another complete washout. I don't see any choice but to bump to Sunday. That said, being Mothers' Day, I'd like to schedule for later in the morning, so as not to ruin any breakfast plans.

The goal is Wild Oats but, as you know, there are many shorter options, so pick your poison. If someone has Strava maps for the courses below that are missing them, share a link with me and I'll add it.

Wheels roll at 10:30

May 10
	Wild Oats 66 Strava | Garmin Little Dog 64 Strava | Garmin Maquoit Rd 57 Strava | Garmin Highland Rd 51 Strava | Garmin Freeport 34 Strava | Garmin
May 17	May 24
Memorial Day