The 400 bikers who have been pedaling throughout Franklin County this past week will be finishing up their “Pathway to the Peaks” ride today with a 52 mile journey from Farmington to Skowhegan. The final leg will bring them from Industry to Anson then Embden to Solon before ending at the Skowhegan Fairgrounds where a celebratory lunch will be held.
Clocking a little more than 50 miles each day, with the longest day being 65 miles from Rangeley to Phillips and then over to Weld and down to Hartford, fuel plays an important piece of the journey; and BikeMaine doesn’t cut corners.
The seven day ride included hot meals provided by each host town, cooked by community member volunteers and, this year, 75 percent of the ingredients were locally sourced. Under the care of Maine Farm & Sea Cooperative, meals included regional produce and meat, as well as locally brewed beer in the tent village “beer garden.” Farmington’s menu included turkey provided by Pine Tree Poultry, dinner rolls from Homestead Bakery and dessert from Gifford’s Ice Cream.
Volunteers from Rotary helped put on the dinner which was served in Prescott Field. The event brought together community members from across the board, with Foster Technology Center students roasting turkeys, Franklin Savings Bank employees making salads and numerous townsfolk helping to dish out the hot meal.
Hundreds of colorful tents sprawled out across Prescott Field, with tired bikers enjoying a beer, a hot meal and the nearby Sandy River.
“Maine has really put on a show for us,” One biker from the “On the Road Again” crew said.
The majority of the group came from Florida, barely getting out of state before Hurricane Irma moved in. Sitting in the quiet late Maine summer sunset, the group discussed the amount damage that awaited them at home- some whose power was just reported as coming back on. Living in Tampa, the group members commented on their stroke of luck that the storm took the path it did. The effects of the hurricane were minimal compared to other areas, but many still have a slew of repairs to take care of upon arrival home to the sunshine state.
Florida wasn’t the furthest state that bikers hailed from, however. President of the Farmington Rotary Club Glenn Kapiloff said he met people from all across the country, Oregon, Ohio, California and even New Zealand.
“I’ve only crossed paths with one person from Maine!” Kapiloff said as he dished out freshly carved turkey.
For many, their home base made it difficult to train for the 335 mile ride through the peaks of Maine.
“Everyone here knows how to do this, but we don’t have these kinds of rollers in California,” One biker said.
The Californian prides herself on accomplishing multiple triathlons a year, but still found the “Pathway to the Peaks” to be difficult.
For most, this isn’t their first rodeo; with some cyclists logging in upwards of 3,000 miles each year and anywhere from 15 to 20 other bike treks.
“This one is great though. It rivals a lot of the others I’ve been on,” One biker said.
It’s not just the scenery, or the great food, or even the near perfect weather the bikers lucked out with- for many, it’s the warmth of the communities that makes BikeMaine a gem in the world of treks.
“It’s been a magical tour this year. The scenery is flabbergasting every single time I come here. There’s been no rain, which was phenomenal. And the people are incredibly friendly,” Another cyclist said as he waited for his bike to be repaired at the BikeMaine maintenance tent.
Executive Director of the Rangeley Lakes Chamber of Commerce, Karen A. Ogulnick agreed. Rangeley hosted the bikers on their day of rest mid-week, providing the best in lake side dining and entertainment.
“”We were thrilled to have the opportunity to be the 2017 layover town and host the BikeMaine visitors. Our goal was to showcase not only the natural beauty of the region, but also all of the activities available, the shops, restaurants and accommodations and, most importantly, the warm hospitality of the people. By all accounts, working together with the Town of Rangeley and many dedicated volunteers, we succeeded in achieving that goal – and then some. A true testament to everyone and every business and non-profit organization here,” Ogulnick said.
During the layover, cyclists explored the region via kayaks, seaplane, pontoon boat, shuttle buses, on foot and even by bicycle on their day of “rest”. They enjoyed area museums, shops and restaurants, tried their hand at fly-casting and trap & skeet hosted by the Rangeley Region Guides & Sportsmen’s Association, took in the views at Height of Land and many hiked up Bald Mountain. There were art shows, massage therapy, yoga and Qi Gong, programs at the Rangeley Public Library and live performances at the RFA’s Lakeside Theater. After dinner at the Church of the Good Shepherd, they enjoyed a beer garden and the music of The Mallett Brothers Band at Parkside & Main, capped off by a spectacular fireworks display generously sponsored by Koob’s Garage, Parkside & Main, Sarge’s Sports Pub & Grub, Rangeley IGA and Burgess Construction & Property Maintenance.
Next year’s ride will bring cyclists to the northern region of Maine- pedaling through the fields of Aroostook County. For more information you can go to ride.bikemaine.org.
Hope ALL the participants, riders, staffers, volunteers, hospitality people, etc. enjoyed this event. It sounds as if they did!
I think it’s time for the bikers to clog up the Eastern part of Maine.
Meals provided by volunteers is a great gesture but don’t see where this ride boosted the local economy. Staying in tents and avoiding local eateries. Hmmm…..
Hmmm- Captain Planet- I traveled for the week with BikeMaine as a bike mechanic. While I could not give you a specific number of the financial impact on our afternoon, evening and morning in Farmington, I can tell you what I saw and heard. I saw several people come back from downtown with Reny’s bags in hand, referred people to Northern Lights for bike equipment, had people tell me they enjoyed food and/or beverage at Java Joe’s, Tumbledown Brewing, The Granary, the Thai Place (The name escapes me), The Dugout, Giffords, The Roost, Dunkin Donuts, the Snack Shack next to the soccer fields and I am sure I have forgotten some. I can tell you I left some money behind at Rite Aid, Burger King, Reny’s, DD, and the Dugout. I will be curious to see if the downtown businesses would agree with you.
Not all riders stay in tents. Some elect to lodge in local hotels/motels/B and B’s for each night of the trip. Regardless, each town visited was a place BikeMaine participants engaged with.
I was in Tuck’s with five other BikeMaine participants and every single seat at the tables along the wall was taken by a cyclist. So…..each town we stopped in/stayed over in was a place cyclists spent money, that’s a fact.
@YoEddy, the Granary is still open? That’s fantastic, I’ll stop by there soon, thanks for the info!