New Year's Ride

UPDATE

Just when everything was going great, I had to pick up bronchitis as an extra Christmas present. I'm afraid my throat and chest won't do well tomorrow. Bruce wants to ride at 11:00 and, with the likely freezing tonight, I can't disagree. So meet at the shop by 11:00, and ride safe.
Happy New Year!

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I was going to see if anyone was interested in a Day Before New Year's ride (one last chance to get your miles in before the end of the year), but the weather is looking icky for Saturday. So how about Sunday, and what time? The football game is at 1:00, so I'm leaning towards a 10:00 start. Any takers? Comment or send email to bron@cyclemaine.com.

The temperatures are cooling off and the holidays are heating up: I'm thinking the season may finally need to come to a close, but let's make one last start time at 9:00.

I think a New Year's Ride is a moral imperative, but since the football game is on at 1:00 on Sunday, how about a New Year's Eve ride? A noon start time from the shop on Saturday should be post-cold and pre-hangover, right? Provided we aren't fighting rain, snow, or freezing temps, do folks want to ride?

If we get lucky enough to have more freakishly warm weather after the New Year, be sure to check in to see if we call an impromptu ride. If you plan to ride, we're happy to advertise it here; just email sean@cyclemaine.com or bron@cyclemaine.com.

4th Annual Reindeer Ride

December 2nd for the First Friday Art Walk
Meet at Back Bay Bike at 5:00
(for costuming)
Ride starts at 5:30

11/26 Saturday Ride

Well, it could be an interesting weekend, beyond the weather. Could I get a show of hands from those who think they'd like to ride this weekend? If everyone's going to be out of town, I might as well be, too. Please leave a comment.

Also, let me know if you think we should keep going or wind down for the season. If we do wind down, but you want to ride some weekend, you can simply email me at bron@cyclemaine.com and I'll put up an entry to help find ride buddies.

Let me know what you think, on both counts, and have a great holiday.

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UPDATE: It looks to be a lovely day on Saturday, and Bruce's suggestion of a later start seems a fine idea. Let's plan to leave the shop at 9:00. See you there!

11/19 Saturday Ride

Saturday looks to be sunny and clear, so the riding should be fine. Unfortunately, I will be in NJ enjoying the riding there. We will maintain our default routes for the day, regardless (Falmouth, Mountain Rd., Blanchard, Rte 88 [MapMyRide route]; or Mountain, branch off to Dutton Hill, Hunts & Long Hill, Sligo, Rte 88 [MapMyRide route]). I'm counting on someone to step up to lead. We should also discuss starting the ride a little later (9:00?) to let the chill burn off. Please post a comment or email bron@cyclemaine.com

American League of Cyclists Petition

This blog is usually devoted entirely to ride details, but every now and then we have other issues that crop up.

For those of you who are politically minded and interested in maintaining cyclists' right to use the roads, the American League of Bicyclists has created a petition directed to a draft of the Senate's transportation authorization bill. In short the draft bill would introduce a mandatory sidepath law in National Parks and other Federal lands.

Currently, cyclists are not required to use bike paths and may elect to ride on the road. This bill, if passed in its current form, would end that policy on Federal land (including areas such as Acadia National Park). If you have a minute, check out the Bike League's petition and decide for yourself whether you want to sign.

11/12 Saturday Ride

If you post on Friday at 10:00 will anyone read it? Who knows...

There will be a ride tomorrow for those looking to get out and enjoy the crisp fall morning.

10/22 Saturday Ride

Now that we are through the fall century rides and looking at winding things up as fall turns to winter, we are going to switch things up from our traditional Saturday rides. Rather than varying the route, for the rest of the season, we are going to have a regular ride and a long ride that will start together and then break off.

The routes are well-known to ride regulars. The regular route will head out to Falmouth, up Mountain Rd., over to Cumberland and then back into town via Rte 88 (MapMyRide route). The longer route will also head up Middle Rd, but will branch off to do Dutton Hill, Hunts and Long hills and then Sligo before also returning to town via Rte 88 (MapMyRide route).

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to drop me an email.

10/15 Saturday Ride

The ride will leave the ship at 8:00 am tomorrow. Bring suggestions for a route.

10/8 Saturday Ride

Sorry for the delayed post. I got sidetracked traveling to meet my new niece.

Since I'm out of town and Bron is riding the Dempsey Challenge, I will leave it up to the group to pick a route. If you want a suggestion, the Freeport ride (MapMyRide route) would be one option.

10/1 Saturday Ride

This Sunday is the Cadillac Challenge, so we are going to have a relatively short ride up toward Freeport (MapMyRide route).

For those not riding on Sunday and wanting a few extra miles before the Dempsey Challenge, fee free to break off when we hit S. Freeport Rd. and travel on up to Brunswick.

9/24 Saturday Ride

We need some help this weekend. Bron is tied up with work and I remain in the throws of a series of weddings, so we need a leader for this week's ride. Please drop me an email if you are willing to take the reins.

The weather looks like it may be a bit on the wet side, but I know there are people targeting the Cadillac Challenge and the Dempsey Challenge, so I am happy to throw out a 60+ mile route if folks are interested. Once I get some feedback from a leader and get a sense of where he/she is interested in heading this weekend, I will post a route.

9/17 Saturday Ride

First, a final pitch for riders to head up to the Loon Echo Trek. The weather looks to be absolutely perfect for the ride this year and includes some classic stretches of New England roads. For those of you still building toward other rides, like the Cadillac Challenge or the Dempsey Challenge, the 50-mile ride is a nice route and the turnaround point is pretty much at the base of Evan's Notch. If you wanted to add a few more miles and a lot more climbing, the 50 mile loop with a trip up and over Evans Notch might be a good choice. You would head up the steep side and then have the option to cruise down and come back over again on the more gradual approach.

As for our Saturday ride, we are going to take another shot at last week's route, which didn't pan out too well since I didn't realize that the Lobsterman Tri would have the roads closed. The route will head up Mountain Rd., over to Cumberland, down the new pavement on Tuttle and then split. Those looking for a short ride can simply head back to town via 88, and those looking to get extra miles for the Cadallac and the Dempsey can head out toward Brunswick for a loop that will end up being about 65 miles (MapMyRide route).

9/10 Saturday Ride

The fall century rides are basically upon us. The Loon Echo Trek is next weekend, Sept 17, the Cadillac Challenge is October 2 and the Dempsey Challenge is October 9. To help folks get some additional miles with the group, we are going to head out on a longer ride this week. The route will head up through Falmouth and then loop over to Freeport and toward Brunswick (MapMyRide route).

For those riders not inclined to do the full 65 mile ride, there is a fairly natural split point when the group hits the end of Tuttle Rd. and turns left to head out toward Freeport. Anyone interested in keeping the ride closer to 30 miles can simply head straight to 88 at this turn and follow 88 back into town.

9/3 Saturday Ride

This week the ride will head out over Mountain Rd. and Dutton Hill (MapMyRide route).

8/27 Saturday Ride

It looks like Saturday morning might be the only reasonable window to get out for a ride this weekend. We'll take a familiar route up Mountain Rd, and then wind around a bit in Westbrook and Falmouth (MapMyRide route).

On a separate note, we are quickly getting toward fall and there are a host of local rides coming up, including the Loon Echo, the Cadillac and the Dempsey. I'd like to hear from people that may want longer routes as a way to get some extra miles in before these rides. Unfortunately, while I'm more than willing to help suggest routes, I am unlikely to be able to actually lead the longer rides. If you're interested in taking the reins for one of these longer rides, please drop me an email.

8/13 Saturday Ride

This week we will head out toward Freeport (MapMyRide route).

8/6 Saturday Ride

UPDATE

Well, nobody contacted me about leading, so I'm just going to let the group that shows up tomorrow morning figure out where it wants to go. Have a good ride.

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I'm posting a bit early this week because it turns out that Bron and I both have other commitments this weekend and can't lead the Saturday ride. If someone wants to step up to lead, please drop me an email and let me know.

I'll leave the route open for now, so if you are interested/willing to take the lead please let me know where you would like to take the group and I will update the blog.

Also, I keep mentioning it, but one of the few products I actually suggest people consider is a RoadID. Check out the site and the various product options. I have both a Wrist ID Sport and a Fixx ID and personally I prefer the original version to the interactive. If you are looking to pick up one of the IDs, drop me an email and I can forward you a coupon code that should be good for $1 off.

7/30 Saturday Ride

This week we will head out on a new pavement tour (MapMyRide route). Leaving Back Bay Bicycle at 8:00.

7/22 Saturday Ride

We'll have a ride this weekend. Most likely some variation of the Prout's Neck loop (MapMyRide loop).

7/16 Saturday Ride

Tomorrow looks to be a gorgeous day and it has been some time since we did any hills, so this week we will head back out over to Falmouth up over Mountain Rd. and Dutton Hill (MapMyRide route).

We keep mentioning the group riding guidelines. please review them. They are online at the bottom of the CCCP Rides page.

7/9 Saturday Ride

It looks like things might be a little wet on Saturday morning and there is even the threat of some thunder storms. I'm not inclined to cancel the ride for rain showers, but please be aware that if thunder storms are in the area we will not ride.

Since the weather is up in the air, we'll pick a ride on Saturday morning before we head out, so bring your suggestions.

7/2 Saturday Ride

Sorry for the late post. There will be a ride tomorrow, but we haven't set on a route yet. Feel free to show up with your suggestions.

6/25 Saturday Ride

This week we are going to head out on a "butterfly route" through Falmouth and Westbrook (MapMyRide route).

We have been mentioning the group riding guidelines at the start of each ride recently and, generally speaking, people seem to be following them, so we'd like to thank you for your cooperation. If you need a replacement card, we usually have some to hand out on the ride, but they are also available at the shop, on the CCCP website (at the bottom of the page) and as a PDF from the BCM.

6/18 Saturday Ride

This week we will head out toward Freeport (MapMyRide route).

6/4 Saturday Ride

Congrats to all who completed the CCCP Memorial Day ride.

This week we'll do a bit of a traditional route meandering out to Pinelands and then heading back via Yarmouth (MapMyRide route). There will be a shorter route as well, but we'll pick a route on the fly.

For our loyal female riders, don't forget that this Sunday is the Bicycle Coalition of Maine's Women's Ride. If you aren't already signed up to participate, you can get all the ride info from the event website.

Baby News

Congratulation to Jim Lawlor and his wife on the birth of their son, Owen!

Owen was born last night, weighing in at a healthy 8 lbs 11 oz.

Mom and baby are doing well and Jim has asked me to pass along his thanks to everyone for all the support they've offered over the past few months.

5/28 Saturday Ride

Well it's finally Memorial Day weekend, which means that the CCCP Memorial Day ride is finally here. The forecast is for a mostly sunny day and temps touching 80—a perfect day for a ride.

With the Memorial Day ride in mind, we don't want to do anything too long or hilly, but we still want to do a few hills a some mileage to keep people loose. Heading out to Mountain Rd. and coming back over the backside of Dutton HIll seems like a nice compromise (MapMyRide route).

There have been some rumblings about the possibility of a ride around here on Monday for those who aren't planning to do the Memorial Day ride. There isn't a local ride planned for Monday morning, but I will likely be heading out to do some variation on a route out past Pinelands (MapMyRide route). If there's enough interest, I wouldn't mind coordinating a departure time that would turn this into a group ride.

5/21 Saturday Ride

We've been hemming and hawing about this week's ride. While we had hoped to have a long, hilly ride for those prepping for the CCCP Memorial Day Ride, the weather on Saturday just doesn't look like it will cooperate. So, we had to make a decision and here's what we've come up with:

Since Sunday looks to be a nice day, we are going to do a fairly easy ride on Saturday through Falmouth and Cumberland (MapMyRide route). The thinking is that doing a relatively short and easy ride on Saturday will save some energy so folks can do a longer ride on Sunday. We won't be doing an official ride on Sunday, but I would suggest the following route as a good way to get in a bunch of miles with a fair number of decent hills (MapMyRide route).

5/14 Saturday Ride

Well, blogger deleted the post about this week's ride, so here's a quick redo.

This week the long route is going to head up to Brunswick (MapMyRide route).

The short route will head out to S. Freeport road along the same route and then head back to the shop (MapMyRide route).

5/7 Saturday Ride

There's a chance of rain this week, but since the CCCP Memorial Day ride is only a few weeks away, the plan will be to head out for a longer route through Cumberland, Falmouth and Yarmouth (MapMyRide route).

Please, please, please review the map to get a sense of where the ride will be going. The route is a collection of sections that we travel frequently, just arranged in a somewhat different order. Recently, the group has been stretching out a bit and separating into smaller sub-groups. We're fine with this development, but would like to try to limit the possibility of people getting lost.

For those not interested in doing the full 53 miles, there will almost certainly be a shorter loop. Please speak up at the start if you are interested in a shorter ride. My suggestion would be that the group head out together and then split at the end of Greely with the shorter loop heading over to Sligo (MapMyRide route).

I've mentioned it in the past few posts and Kris mentioned it in his most recent email, but if you drive to the ride, please try not to park in the "shop" spaces in the lot.

Finally, don't forget that in addition to this blog, you can also get updates via twitter (@cyclemaine) or the new Cyclemaine Facebook page.

4/30 Saturday Ride

Somehow, there's only a few weeks until the Memorial Day ride. Seems hard to believe given that spring has yet to really make an appearance.

Anyway, this week is supposed to be beautiful, so we'll add a few more hills into the mix, heading out over Dutton Hill (MapMyRide route).

I expect that there will be a shorter route as well. The most likely candidate is our standard route back through Cumberland via Blanchard (MapMyRide route). If you are not sure you want to do the longer route, PLEASE make sure you know the shorter route. It is very likely that we will not have someone willing to lead a shorter ride given how nice the weather is supposed to be tomorrow.

4/23 Saturday Ride

Saturday isn't looking like the best weather day, but since Sunday is Easter, moving the ride isn't really an option.

We'll head out from the shop at 8:00 and hope to beat the rain (although I don't have much faith that we will). This week's map is a general guide only. We're picking this route out through Falmouth and Cumberland specifically because there are so many options to shorten or lengthen the ride based on weather changes (MapMyRide route).

Another brief reminder that the shop has asked that we not park in the first few spots.

Don't forget that in addition to this blog, you can also get updates via twitter (@cyclemaine) or the new Cyclemaine Facebook page.

If you have any questions please feel free to drop me an email.

4/16 Saturday Ride

It looks like the morning is going to be the better part of the day this Saturday, so we'll move things back to the normal start time and plan on heading out at 8:00. We'll also continue adding some hills by heading up Mountain Rd. and then over to Cumberland (MapMyRide route).

A quick housekeeping note. The folks at the shop have asked me to pass along a request that riders not park in the first few spaces next to the shop.

Don't forget that in addition to this blog, you can also get updates via twitter (@cyclemaine) or the new Cyclemaine Facebook page.

4/9 Saturday Ride

It finally looks like Saturday will be the better weekend day. But, since the weather is going to warm up into the 50s, we'll give the sun some time to warm things up before we head out.

We'll head out at 9:00am from Back Bay Bikes and take our first turn at some hills this week, meandering up Mountain Rd. and then over toward Yarmouth (MapMyRide route). Since this route is a bit longer and some riders have already been out for a few weeks, we will gauge how things are going and may split the group when we hit Mountain Rd.

A couple of notes:

The first is to make sure you are giving your bike the TLC it deserves. After a long winter, a drivetrain cleaning and adjustment is almost certainly in order, if not a full tune-up.

Second, I mentioned the possibility of a clinic on bike repair and I guess i need to be more specific. What I'm thinking is that everyone needs to know how to check you bike for safety issues (tires, brakes, headset, cranks, etc.); how to clean your drivetrain; how to adjust shifting performance; and how to check and adjust brakes (including replacing brake pads). I'm not sure where you all place those task in the beginner/intermediate/expert spectrum, but I get the sense that many people would benefit from gaining some familiarity with these skills. As for timing, weekday evenings are pretty much out for me given the family situation, so either after a ride or possibly on a Sunday are the only times that would work for me. Alternatively, I will talk to Kris and see if this is something the shop could put together.

Finally, I don't pitch products much, but I think it's worth giving a plug for RoadID. For those of you unfamiliar with the product it is basically a necklace, bracelet, anklet or shoe tag with emergency contact information listed. The truth of the matter is that accidents can happen when we're out on the road and products like RoadID can be invaluable in the event of something serious. Many people rely on their cell phones to provide valuable contact information in an emergency, but most smart phones are password protected and would be useless in an emergency situation. An ID is always accessible. If anyone is interested in ordering a RoadID, drop me a line and I will pass along a $1 off coupon code. Also, if you do order, remember that even though RoadID offers ankle and shoe products, emergency responders are trained to look for necklaces and bracelets so those products are likely to be discovered more readily in the event of an emergency.

See you Saturday.

4/2 Saturday Ride (Sunday again...)

I'm reluctant to continue to switch the ride to Sunday morning, but the weather seems to be pushing us that way each week. There is a chance that the rain and snow will be out of here early Saturday morning, but to be honest, I'd prefer to ride on Sunday when it's a dry and sunny.

So...once again we will do a Sunday ride, leaving the shop at 9:00am to give the sun a little time to warm things up. This week we are going to wander up to Freeport (MapMyRide route).

Don't forget that in addition to this blog, you can also get updates via twitter (@cyclemaine) or the new Cyclemaine Facebook page.

Another reminder that now is a great time to get your bike(s) tuned. To that end, I'm curious whether there is any interest in a brief cleaning/adjusting "clinic." I was thinking of an informal gathering after a ride where we could go through the basics of what to clean, how to clean it, and how to make adjustments to braking and shifting to keep everything safe and efficient.

Finally, here's a comic from yehudamoon.com that should resonate with anyone who cycles in Maine this time of year.

3/26 Saturday Ride

Apologies for the sparse post. Apparently my phone doesn't play with blogger all that well. We will head out tomorrow at 9:00 and head out through Falmouth and a bit of Westbrook (MapMyRide route).

Rescheduled Ride - 12:00 Sunday

Well, when I looked last night the weather was calling for a dry day. Then I woke up this morning and there's snow everywhere. Oh well, I guess that's spring in Maine.

If the weather is to be believed, tomorrow looks to be a nice day. However, it's gonna be below freezing for much of the morning. I'm happy to ride at 9:00 (it should be about 28°) or we can start at 12:00 when the temps should be in the upper 30s. Personally, I'd rather ride at noon.

If folks would like to ride and 9:00 would work better than noon, please leave a comment here, hit me via twitter (@cyclemaine) or comment on the new Cyclemaine Facebook page.

The route will be a bit different than the one I posted for today, taking us over to Falmouth, through Cumberland and back (MapMyRide route).

3/19 Saturday Ride (9:00am)

RIDE POSTPONED UNTIL TOMORROW DUE TO SNOW. DETAILS ON TOMORROW'S RIDE WILL BE POSTED LATER THIS MORNING.

It looks to be clear this Saturday, so we will be heading out to do the same route as last week—out to Cumberland over to Sligo and back (MapMyRide route).

It promises to be a bit chilly in the early morning, so we will head out a tad later - 9:00 am - to give the sun a little time to warm things up a few degrees.

A few notes we want to bring to people's attention:

We have some social media contacts for you this year. We will be posting ride routes on the CCCP facebook page and you can get cycling-related tweets from me by following @cyclemaine on twitter.

Diane and Christine have coordinated a bike maintenance class for women. For those of you that want to gain some familiarity with general bike maintenance tasks, the class will take place at Back Bay Bicycle at 6:00pm, Wednesday, March 23. Best of all, the class is free!

For those of you (like me) who aren't the right sex to attend the women's maintenance class, now's the time to get your bike in for its pre-season service. After last week's creaky drivetrains and squeaky brakes, it's obvious that there are plenty of bikes that need some TLC.

Finally, here's an appropriate early season cartoon compliments of Yehuda Moon.

3/12 Saturday Ride

The title may be a little deceiving since I'm inclined to push the ride to Sunday this week. I'm just not sure the rain will be out of here early Saturday morning and the standing water is likely to be a bit of a safety concern. Sunday, however, looks to be a pretty good day.

So, let's plan to ride on Sunday, leaving the shop at 9:00. We'll start the season with a nice leisurely ride out to Cumberland, over to Sligo and back (MapMyRide route).

There are some changes to the route maps this year based on feedback to my earlier post. Not that we tear out of the gate by any stretch, but we will plan to ride out as a group until the spot marked with the green marker on the map (where Middle Rd. bears right this week). I don't think it will matter much this week, but in future weeks, this phase of the ride will be to ensure that the A and B portions of the ride stick together and to give people a chance to warm up before they commit to one route or another.

There are also some red check checkered markers on the route. These mark the planned regroup points.

Hope to see you Sunday morning. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to email me.

2/19 Saturday Ride

Not surprisingly, there wasn't much response to my suggestion for a ride tomorrow. But, there was one lone person interested, so I figured I would post my route. I'm planning on doing the Middle Rd. Greely-Tuttle loop (MapMyRide route).

The temperature looks to be steady all day and the winds will only increase, so I will be leaving from the intersection of Ledgewood Dr. and Ocean Ave. (Rte. 9) at 8:30am. If you're interested in a nice relaxed ride, come on out and join me.

2011 Season

Perhaps I'm just rushing things, but it's starting to feel like winter is on the way out and spring is headed our way.

As we look forward to the 2011 cycling season, we would like some help crafting the atmosphere of the year's Saturday rides. This will be the third season where Bron and I have led the ride and we are trying to make sure that the ride is developing in a manner that is consistent with our regular riders without completely losing the good-natured atmosphere that we believe has been a huge reason that people join the ride. Last year we toyed with a slightly more structured approach, piecing together series of rides to prepare for the CCCP Memorial Day ride in the spring and then for the Loon Echo Bike Trek, Dempsey Challenge and Cadillac Challenge Century in the fall.

We thought this approach was well-received and we are considering a similar structure to this season's rides. However, as we prepare, we would like to hear from you about how you would like to group to develop. For example:

• How did you enjoy the longer rides last year? Would you like to see them continue this year?
• What did you think of the split routes, where there was both a long and a short option?
• The group's pace was quite variable, everything from 16 up to the low 20's depending on the group and the route. How slow do you think is too slow and how fast is too fast?
• We feel strongly about maintaining a cohesive group atmosphere, but we also want rides to focus on riding, not regrouping. Do you have any thoughts on regrouping strategies?
• What targets do you think the group should shoot for this year? We will once again do some training geared at the CCCP Memorial Day Ride and we will attempt to prepare people for the fall century rides, but the summer is generally open. How would people like us to use the summer rides?
• How do we deal with remaining as inclusive as possible? What approach should the group take when mechanical issues arise? When new riders who are slightly outmatched join the group?
• When should we officially start rides this year?

These are just a few of the things that we are trying to wrap our head around. If you have other thoughts or concerns please let us know.

Given that there is a decent core of riders that join the ride each week, we are considering the possibility of setting up a gathering of some sort—perhaps drinks after work or maybe lunch on a weekend. If you think it would useful for us to arrange a gathering to discuss what the group should look like this year drop me an email or post a comment.

One thing that everyone should be aware of is that over the winter a group of cyclist from local groups and representatives from the Bicycle Coalition of Maine have been working to develop a set of group riding guidelines that should be in place for this upcoming season. The guidelines are intended to promote cyclist safety, encourage behavior that respects motorists, and adhere to Maine's cycling laws. We plan to follow these guidelines on our rides this year and will post a copy of them here as soon as they are finalized.

Finally, I'm considering riding this Saturday and would enjoy some company. It isn't forecast to be quite as nice as tomorrow's 45°, but it's time for me to get back on the road. Drop me an email if you are interested and I will update this post by Friday at 7:00 pm if we'll be leaving from the shop.