Lot's of great stuff happening in the next week so listen up!
BRAVISIMO! Italia has delivered!
Our wicked cool new 2008 CCCP kits are arriving later this week which means another excuse for us to get together. So stop by FRIDAY, MAY 23rd for 4th Annual CCCP Kits Party 6:30 - 7:30 pm Back Bay Bike. Pizza provided please bring beer, wine, soda and either your checkbook or cash (club cannot process credit cards) to pay balance owed on jerseys, etc. All CCCP members welcome as well as anyone interested in joining Portland's social (or is it socialist?) bike club.
Week day rides Mon, Tue, Wed, Thursday are all 6 pm now, in case you had not heard.
Route 88 is sooo bad and rough to the point of dangerous that the group consensus is to change Monday ride route for awhile. We are going to head out Middle Rd as usual, but take left at Greeley up to Cumberland center then back to Middle Rd on Tuttle. Just past Middle we will hop down onto Rte 1 south then right onto Johnson Rd and left onto Middle again back to Portland. This should be a nice change of routine, adds about 5 miles (now 27 instead of 22) and will have much safer shoulders than the 5-mile long seam/crack on Rte 88.
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YAY! MEMORIAL DAY IS HERE!
The 5th Annual White Mountain Memorial Day Classic
Monday, May 26th 9:00 am
Fryeburg, Maine.
This is a fun, beautiful, somewhat challenging, but phenomenal ride to kick off the summer. I guarantee you will ride stronger and better after this one plus you can brag that you rode the infamous Hurricane Mountain.
We will meet in downtown Fryeburg right on Rte 302 in front of the Fryeburg library at 8:30. Fryeburg is about 50 miles from Portland but figure an hour 15 to an hour 30 to get there. Forest Ave in Portland is Rte 302 so that is certainly the least complicated route, but I prefer Gorham, west on 25 then right onto Rte 113 a few miles past Standish. 113 takes you right into Fryeburg. Turn left from 302 onto Main Street when you get into town. Library is 2 blocks down on the left.
Thanks ever so much to James Tierney (the Tierney family deserves a CCCP Lifetime Achievement Award for this) this ride will be supported with a sag wagon carrying tubes, tires, pump, tools, water, GU, bananas, Cytomax, etc. His cell phone is 207-415-6627 and my (Kris) is 207-409-4628 in case of emergencies. Be aware, however, that cell phone reception in the White Mountains is sketchy to say the least so best to be self sufficient and come prepared for all contingencies since you may not be able to reach us. If you do decide to drop out of ride midway, however, do try to call one of us so that we don't start worrying about you. There will be three regrouping stops:
- The Red Jersey Bike shop on other side of Hurricane (Rte 302 and Hurricane in Intervale north of N. Conway)
- Top of Pinkham Notch at National Parks Info Center
- Top of Evans Notch
There is a convenience store right next to where we are parking so you can get last minute candy bars, water etc before we take off but definitely bring bike specific food products such as GU, Cytomax, Cliff Bars etc. Though there is no rain in the forecast, come prepared with layers, including a rain/wind jacket since it can get cool in the mountains. sunscreen, sunglasses, 2 waterbottles/cages, spare tube and tools, helmet (Required!) We will be stopping for lunch at the Information Center on top of Mount Washington, just kidding!, on top of Pinkham Notch (at the base of Mt Washington) so you don't have to carry too much food. Note service can be quite slow at cafeteria. You will be able to put your sandwich in sagwagon cooler which will meet us at Pinkham. I do recommend some electrolyte replacement fluids to avoid dehydration and cramping.
If you have a bike with a triple crank or a compact double (34/50 tooth) crank, I recommend bringing it or else at least throwing a 27 tooth or lower cassette on the back. Most of the day, a regular double would be fine, but you will appreciate the granny gear if you decide to do Hurricane Mtn. It is about 2 miles long, recently repaved, averages 14% gradient and can hit 20% at some points. Don't worry if you need to stop a couple of times or even walk a section or two since we will all be stopping, recovering and regrouping with at the Red Jersey Bike shop at on other side of Hurricane right near intersection of Hurricane and Rte 302 in Intervale, NH.
The ride is 84 miles long, goes over 3 mountain passes and 6400 vertical fleet of climbing. We will ascend Hurricane Mountain early in the day (within the first 7 miles actually, so be prepared) while our legs are still fresh. For those who would like to do the ride but wish to avoid the infamous Hurricane, there will be a group taking an alternate route around North Conway. It adds a few miles but is much easier than Hurricane. Both groups will rendezvous at The Red Jersey.(Coffee and muffins available at the shop.) We will take right onto Rte 16 up to top of Pinkham Notch, stop there for food. Continue down 16 to Gorham, NH, right onto Rte 2 East. Left across river to North Road, cross back over river at Gilead. Turn right on Route 2 for a couple hundred yards then left onto 113 South, over Evans Notch which is much easier to do heading South than North.
Traditionally many of us go to Ebenezers Pub in Lovell for lunch and some fine Belgian beers, but I'm not sure if they are open Memorial Day this year so will update you at ride meeting Monday morning before ride.
I'd like to get a sense of who is planning to ride so please confirm by e-mailing me if you plan to ride or even if you might. I will try and firm that list up by Sunday. You can also call me at the Back Bay (773-6906), Tue-Sat 10-6 or at home 775-0356 to confirm or if you have any questions. In these days of dwindling hydrocarbons, I encourage people to car pool. Let me know if you need a ride to Fryeburg.
See you all soon.
Kris
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