10/31 Saturday Ride

There will be a Saturday ride again this week. We will plan to do the loop that got washed out with the bad weather last week (MapMyRide route).

Anyone riding Saturday morning?

10/24 Saturday Ride

This weekend we will plan on heading out through Falmouth and Westbrook (MapMyRide route).

Right now the weather is calling for rainy and cold on Saturday. If that isn't your thing and you want to make sure you get out for a good ride this weekend, you should consider showing up for the metric century starting at the Lion's Pride parking lot. Details are in the post below.

METRIC CENTURY SUNDAY-FR LION'S PRIDE

When: Sunday October 25
Start Time 10AM

Start Point: Lion’s Pride park lot
On North side of Route One, Brunswick
at Corner of River Rd and Pleasant St [Rte One]

Hosts/Tour Guides: Greg Fisher and Russ Boisvert

Metric Century ride starting and finishing at Lion Pride’s parking lot. Will head to Bath via Bike Path. Then over Kennebec River and up east side of Kennebec via Rte 128 to Dresden Mills and BLINN HILL [climb of the day and great views]. Then we head back via Kelley RD, Rte 27 and 128, over Kennebec River at Richmond. Back to Brunswick via Ridge and Cathance Roads. Then convene at Lion’s Pride for lunch and Belgium brews: yes, the NFL will be on the big screens. This ride will have the ambience of a Belgium spring classic--- Blinn Hill is a special place, and off the beaten path.

Questions/concerns/ weather updates call Russ at 807 6267 or Greg at 232 6871

Great Osprey Bike Challenge

In the event you are going to participate in the Great Osprey bike race on November 1st in Freeport and there is an after race party to warm up with hot drinks and lunch, hosted by Melissa. All welcome, kids too. (Bring a dish to share so there is enough food for everyone.) Address is 10 Cranberry Ridge (first house on right), just off Wolf Neck Road in Freeport. Phone (207) 749-3140.

Info on the race:
The 11th Annual Great Osprey Bike Challenge
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Our mixed course of tar and gravel will challenge riders of all levels. Enjoy the beautiful surroundings of the 4.4 mile race (1-lap) or the more challenging 22 mile course (5-laps). Pack your parka, this race goes rain or shine. Proceeds benefit the FRCE Scholarship Fund. This race is not USCS sanctioned and all bikes must be in sound mechanical condition.
Location: Wolfe’s Neck Farm, 184 Burnett Road, Freeport (visit http://www.wolfesneckfarm.org for directions)
Time: Race begins @ 10:00AM SHARP!!
Course: Mixed course consisting of tar and gravel roads.
Entry Fee: $15.00 – Payable to Freeport Recreation & Community Education
Mail registration w/payment to FRCE, 17 West Street, Freeport ME, 04032
For questions, please call us at 207-865-6171

10/17 Saturday Ride

This week we will be heading up to Gray via Mountain Rd. and Dutton Hill and then heading back via Yarmouth (MapMyRide route). The route is approximately 42 miles and the weather will be chilly, so be sure to prepare accordingly. We will head out from the shop at the usual time - just after 8:00 - so you will certainly need warm attire. n addition, make sure you have a source of calories (sports drink, gels, energy bars, etc.). With some luck, the rain will hold off until the afternoon.

Columbus Day Ride

Several people from this week's Saturday ride were thinking of heading out for a ride tomorrow morning. Let's plan to meet at the shop at 9:00. Hopefully the extra time will give the sun a chance to warm things up a bit. Rather than posting a route, we will pick something before we leave. Feel free to email me if you have any questions or comments.

10/10 Saturday Ride

This week we will be trying a new route through Yarmouth and Cumberland, with the added touch that we will be going down Mountain Rd. (MapMyRide route). This route is a touch longer than our usual route at just over 40 miles, so please come prepared. As always, we will leave from the shop at or just after 8:00.

10/3 Saturday Ride Cancelled

Due to conflicts that make the leaders unavailable and a sketchy weather forecast, this week's Saturday ride is cancelled.

2009 Saturday Ride Routes

Below is a recap of where we have gone on this season's Saturday rides. Whether your looking for a good ride to do on your own or trying to figure out exactly how many times we made you head up Mountain Road, hopefully you will find this list useful.

9/26 -- Brunswick

9/19 -- Prout's Neck

9/12 -- Mountain and Mast

9/5 -- Mitchell Hill

8/29 -- Washout

8/22 -- Cousin's Island

8/15 -- Mountain and Greely

8/8 -- Babbage and Highland

8/1 -- no map

7/25 -- Mountain and Mast (2)

7/18 -- Brunswick

7/11 -- Mountain and Blanchard

7/4 -- no map

6/27 -- Mountain and Dutton

6/20 -- Falmouth, Winn and Greely

6/13 -- Mountain and Blanchard

6/6 -- Woods, Winn and Greely

5/30 -- Mountain and Mast

5/23 -- Prout's Neck

CCCP End of Season Bash

The CCCP End of Season Bash will take place at 6:00 pm until whenever on Wednesday, October 7 in the upstairs lounge at Rivalries Sports Pub and Grill. This party is open to all of you who ride the weekly rides, not just to CCCP club members, so please stop by and say hello.

Rivalries is located on Cotton Street in the Old Port, next to UNA Wine Bar and near Brian Boru's. There will be plenty of food provided by the club, so please come and bring your significant other.

9/26 Saturday Ride

There will be two options to chose from on the Saturday ride this weekend. The first route will be a longer ride up through the Freeport/Brunswick area (MapMyRide route), while the second route will be a 25-35 mile loop that includes Cumberland and Falmouth. Both rides will roll out together at the usual usual time and head down Middle Rd. Once we get to Cumberland, we will regroup and give people the option to pick a route.

The weather is currently predicting a classic fall day - sunny in the low 60s - so make sure you plan appropriately as it is likely to be a little chilly as we head out. Also, for those of you planning to do the longer ride, don't forget to bring sufficient water and some form of food (gel, energy bars, etc.).

Newletter 9/21

RIDE DEPARTURE CHANGES

Starting Thursday, 9/24, all rides will depart Back Bay Bicycle at 5pm through the remainder of the season. However, tonight’s Monday night ride (9/21) will depart at 5:30.

Greg Fisher will host the last après ride of the season tonight at 10 Belmeade Road, just a couple blocks from the shop. All are welcome to attend.

MONDAY NIGHT RIDES FOR 2010

We would like to split next year’s Monday night rides into two groups for safety reasons and to offer a moderately paced ride to those that are interested. (A-group will remain the same pace and the B-group will be a bit slower and more modertately paced.) In doing so, we are looking for a couple ride leaders that would be willing to help out with this ride. It's fun and not difficult - just be willing to show up on a fairly regular basis and make sure that everyone regoups where needed. If you have any questions or are interested, please contact Kris Clark, Dana McEwan, or Richard Hutchins.

ROBERT ANDERSON

The club has collected $800 for Robert Anderson’s family. This money will be donated to Changing Tides, which will then flow to the family. There is still time to contribute if you are interested. You can send a tax deductible donation/check to CCCP, c/o Kris Clark, 129 Emery Street, Portland, ME 04102 or directly to Changing Tides, 772 Island Ave, Long Island, ME 04050. (If mailing it to the latter, you can specify that the donation is for the family of Robert Anderson.) Kris will be mailing all funds collected to Changing Tides on October 1^st, along with a donation from the club’s account.

CCCP END OF SEASON BASH

We are still searching for a location for the end of season party. If anyone is interested in hosting, please contact Kris (775-0356). Please know that all food and beverages will be provided by the club, you would just provide the location.

Other options include having the event at a local bar/restaurant or at Kris’s house. Any thoughts on these options can be sent to Kris as well.

CCCP GOOGLE GROUP

Don't forget to join the CCCP Google Group as a great way to stay in touch with your cycling friends on the fly. It's free and easy to join, allowing for improptu information and discussions to be generated among members. Check it out: http://groups.google.com/group/community-cycling-club-of-portland!

9/19 Saturday Ride

Now that we are heading out of summer and into fall, we are hoping to take advantage of the cooler weather to do some slightly longer rides. This weekend we will stick to the general tone of the Saturday rides and do the Prout's Neck loop (MapMyRide route). However, starting next week we are going to try to toss in some longer rides now that most people have a full summer of riding in their legs.

Next weekend - Sept. 26 - we will plan to head up toward Brunswick (MapMyRide route). We had a small group when we did this ride back in mid-summer on a cold rainy day. Hopefully the weather will be a little more cooperative this time and we will get a better turnout. The route is approximately 62 miles and we will plan to stop for water around mile 42 (the Bow St. store). For those of you that rarely stretch yourselves beyond the 30-40 mile rides, don't forget to bring enough fluid and a little something to eat (gel or a solid food).

If you have a favorite ride that you would like us to consider for the coming weeks, please drop us an email or leave a comment. Also, we would be curious to know whether people would consider driving to the start of a ride rather than leaving from the shop. Not that we don't have nice biking here in Portland, but, if you are like me, a change of scenery would be welcome.

9/12 Saturday Ride

This week the Saturday ride will head back over toward Falmouth (MapMyRide route). To be blunt, last week was a train wreck. We had flats, people took wrong turns and we even lost riders. I'm not ready to pin the problems on the fact that we tried a new route that was unfamiliar to most of the group, but that certainly didn't help matters. Hopefully this week's jaunt through more familiar territory will help get things back on track.

If this will be your first time joining the Saturday ride, please take a look at the ride description.