Hilltop Century: Maine Bike Club

The Maine Bike Rally was this weekend. Maine Bike Club event. Did the Hilltop Century. 101.8 miles. Most aptly named as I have never done that many hills in one day. Did Blackstrap Road, Pleasant Hill Road, Glouster Hill Road. You see the patern. Took exactly 7 hours. Rode fast to start with a hurd and then as the hills kicked in I dropped off the pace. Was a great weather day. Party cloudy. Light winds. Put a new seat and a new back tire on the bike. All worked perfectly.

Maine Century

Brother Roger and I rode our bikes 100 miles around Maine. Started at brother Stewart's new place near Gray. On to Yarmouth, Falmouth, Portland. Cross the bridge to South Portland. Took the trail out to Wainright Field then back on the road to Prout's Neck, Kettle Cove, Higgins Beach. Stopped for lunch at Two Lights. On to Fort Williams and back into Portland. Stopped home for a minute and then back up to Falmouth and Yarmouth. Stopped at Rosemont Market and talked with our friend and owner John Nayler. Ateeverything in the place. Back on the bikes to return to Stewart's. Had to add a few miles to turn the full 100 so wondered a bit to achieve that.

All in all the first 80 miles are easy. Those last few really start to stretch out your sense of time.


Click image below to see more photos.

Maine Century Bike Ride

Five Boro Bike Ride

May 6, 2007, New York City.

Why spend 12 hours driving 640 miles to ride a bike 40 miles? Well, guess it takes a certain type. Joe, Kyle and I being that types loaded the bikes on the Subaru (115,000 miles and counting) and left Portland at 6:45 am Sat. May 5. Arrived at Larry's place on Washington Park around noon. Weather was warm and perfect.

Here's the route

Got up early Sunday for the ride. Was in line at 7:30. This should not be a suprise. 32,000 bikers on the streets of NYC tends to jam things up. Not just for the cars (steets are closed for this), but for the bikers. We went nowhere for over an hour after the first bikes left. That was the first of many long waits.


You end up coming back to the start on the Staten Island Ferry. That too was a couple hours of wait time. Not counting. Really.



But, what the hell. Great day. Fun crossing town and over a number of excellent bridges with views of the city. Do we look happy?