Maine’s size and variety offers bike rides for all levels. Here in alphabetical order are 5 of my favorites all of which we do on our great Maine Bike Tours.

Acadia’s Carriage Roads.

Built through the generosity of John Rockefeller the carriage roads offer 50 plus miles of car free cycling. Most people who ride the carriage roads only ride the super highway between Eagle Lake and the Jordan Pond House. It is a nice family friendly ride that offers a nice stopping point with services but it gets crazy crowded on summer days. If you really want to do this ride try it after 3 pm and you will encounter a fraction of the people. Looking to ride the carriage roads with a few less people try the Around the Mountain Loop, a little bit more challenging but worth the effort, I have ridden this at the height of tourist season in August and seen maybe 6 other people. In addition to more exercise and less people the Around the Mountain Loop will offer some nice views of Sommes Sound and Northeast Harbor. Want a kid friendly ride cycle Witch Hole going the opposite way at Eagle Lake from the crowds heading to Jordan Pond.

Blue Hill Peninsula

A little further a field and best for experienced road cyclists Blue Hill offers great cycling. Both the towns of Blue Hill and Castine are charming and great starting points. Get the Delorme Maine Gazatter and plan a route following the roads along the coast for miles of low traffic roads with a nice mix of hills. Be sure to visit Blue Hill reversing falls just south of the town of Blue Hill

Cape Elizabeth and Prouts Neck

My hometown favorite leave Porltand and do a bit of urban cycling over the bridge to South Porltand. From here cut over to the South Portland shore and visit Both Bug Light a small fire plug lighthouse with a nice little museum over looking Casco Bay and Spring Point another small lighthouse with a stone jetty for great views of Portland. Pop into Willard Square and stop at the great bakery for a treat before cycling out Shore Road with great views of some beautiful houses and a visit to the Portland Head Light. From here cycle onto Route 77 heading south to Two Light State Park where can wander on the Rocks, and enjoy a Lobster Roll at the scene from a Edward Hopper painting. Pedal onto Kettle Cove and then follow Route 77 to Prout’s Neck for more ocean views and view of Pine Point and Old Orchard Beach. Cycle back to Portland and celebrate your ride with one of our great micro brews from Geary’s or the Shipyard.

Rockland and Port Clyde Loop

From the funky town of Rockland, think Camden with a soul, head south on Route 73 to the Owls Head Light continue south passing the Owl’s Head Transportation Museum a great spot for any one interested all kinds of transportation from air planes to bicycles. and continue south to the Junction of Route 131. Follow 131 down to Port Clyde visiting the Marshall Point Lighthouse and the fishing village of Port Clyde. Stop at the general store or dip net for lunch before cycling back to Rockland

Route 113

One the best fall foliage Maine. Start from Bethel and follow the North Road to the bridge, cross the bridge and turn right onto Route 2 for a short stretch until the junction of Route 113. It offers easy cycling up until Hastings campground where the leisurely can turn around and the more enthusiastic can cycle up to Evans Notch. For a bigger challenge start in Fryeburg and follow 113 from the steeper side into the Notch

The League of American Bicyclists just named Maine the the 3rd most biccyle friendly state in Amercia.  Summer is a great time to see why, a Maine Bicycle Tour is the perfect way to see the best of Maine. For for information or to see how your state ranked visit the league website at http://www.bikeleague.org.

The lobster roll is a Maine icon: a combination of one of our best natural resources and Yankee practicality. The traditional lobster roll is made on a hot dog bun and, in Maine, a hot dog bun has exposed dough on both sides rather than being encased in crust. The roll needs to be buttered on both sides and toasted on a griddle. It is served full of fresh lobster meat (either with butter or mayo). No need for any veggies or other flavors to deter from the succulent, fresh lobster taste. Many people searching for a true Maine lobster roll end up at Red’s Eats, a coastal icon located right before the bridge in Wiscasset. Red’s is almost always on the list for best lobster roll. They make a fine lobster roll, but if you would rather spend your vacation enjoying Maine instead of standing in line inhaling the exhaust of summer traffic, I spend my days cycling the coast of Maine for my company Summer Feet Cycling from someone who has ridden every road on the coast of Maine here are 5 great places for a lobster road.

1. The Trevett Store is located just west of Boothbay. The Trevett Store offers a true lobster roll in an idyllic setting. This little general store with a lunch counter not only knows how to make a lobster roll, but you also get to experience the swing bridge. A swing bridge is a bridge that pivots on a central piling to allow boat traffic through. What makes the Trevett bridge unique is that it is manually operated. Anytime a boat needs to pass through, the bridge keeper comes out with a metal pole, inserts it into the bridge, and walks in a circle until the bridge gains enough momentum to swing open.

1. Osier’s Wharf is located at the gut where Route 129 crosses onto Rutherford Island (home of Christmas Cove). Osier’s is another corner store with a killer lobster roll with a great view of a working lobster co-op. For non-shellfish eaters, the fish and chips are freshly made and a delicious bargain.

1. The Lobster Claw is located on West Street in Bar Harbor, Maine. Barry, the owner, is a character and it is worth a visit just to meet him. In addition to being a hoot, Barry is passionate about fresh food and will build you a great lobster roll on demand. All of my friends that guide for National Park Kayak ( the best kayak outfitter on Mt Desert Island) swear that he also has the best fish and chips in town. This is the only place in Bar Harbor to eat a lobster roll or lobster stew. We bring hundreds of people to Bar Harbor in the summer and we never have lobster in town. This is because most, if not all, of the restaurants in Bar Harbor pre-cook the lobster and just heat it up when you order it. We always pile our guests into the van and trek across island to Beal’s or Thurston’s for a fresh lobster dinner.

1. The Lobster Shack at Two Lights is our home town favorite located on Route 77 just south of Portland in Cape Elizabeth. For this one, bring your bike. You can pedal out of Portland and visit Spring Point and Bug Light, two of the smaller lighthouses in Portland Harbor. Then continue on to the Grand Daddy of Maine lighthouses, Portland Head Light, before cycling to the Lobster Shack for a lobster roll in an Edward Hopper painting. Two Lights was the subject of several of Hopper’s Maine paintings.

1. Waterman’s Beach Lobster is located off of Route 73 heading south towards Port Clyde. Waterman’s beach recently received honorable mention from the James Beard Foundation. They have not let it go to their heads. They are still only open Thursday through Sunday and offer great simple fresh food in an unpretentious setting with an amazing view.

Summer Feet Cycling’s Sailboats and Summer Folk Camden Weekend Tour was just listed as one of 10 Amazing Adventures under $1000.00 by Smarter Travel Check out this great trip and a few others at Smartertravel.com

Portland, Maine was just named by Forbes Magazine the “Most Livable City in America”

http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/01/cities-city-ten-lifestyle-real-estate-livable-cities.htm

Check out why this summer plan a visit to Portland and then explore the rest of the wonderful state with a Summer Feet Cycling week-long or weekend bicycle tour.

10 tips for choosing a bicycle vacation

1. Think about where you want to cycle. Bicycle Vacations are one of the fastest growing in the travel industry. A Google search of Bicycle Tour Companies returns over 2 million results. The possibilities are endless. There are bicycle vacations to just about anywhere you want travel.
2. Think about the type of tour you want. The most popular type of tour is a fully supported tour. On a fully supported tour, you and the group you are cycling with are accompanied by tour leaders and a support vehicle often called a SAG wagon. The leaders take care of all the details, fix flat tires, carry your luggage and point out highlights of the areas you visit. On a limited support tour, usually your luggage is carried for you but you are on your own during the day. On a fully loaded tour, you carry everything including clothing, spare parts, tools, food, tent and anything else you need.
3. Think about how much cycling you want to do. Again, the possibilities are limitless. There are companies that cater to folks who are not cyclists but think a cycling vacation would be fun. Often these companies plan their trips expecting guests to bike between 10 and 15 miles per day. On our recreational trips, our average guest moves at about 8 miles per hour including stops. There are also trips for people who want a little more cycling. Summer Feet Cycling’s recreational trips are set up for people who want to ride between 20 and 35 miles per day. At 8 miles per hour, this works out to be between 3 and 5 hours of cycling always broken up by stops and lunch. More aggressive tours will ride between 50 and 75 miles per day at a quicker pace and then there are trips for the hardcore cyclists who want 80 to 100 miles a day with as many hills as they can find. Most companies will encourage you to cycle as much or as little as you want so there is no pressure to do it all. Look at the company’s website and it will often disclose the daily mileage option.
4. What type of lodging appeals to you? Here the possibilities also run the gamut. At the higher end, you will stay in the best Hotels and Inns an area has to offer. Other companies use simple, clean and comfortable lodging, and there are trips designed for those who wish to camp. Similar to the Bed & Breakfast based trips, camping trips will range from deluxe camping where someone pitches your tent and cooks for you to do-it-yourself camping trips.
5. Consider price. Self proclaimed luxury companies charge somewhere between $3000.00 and $5000.00 per person per week for a fully supported domestic trip offering high end lodging and meals, and between $3000 and $7000 per person per week in Europe. Like everything else, some things cost a lot because people enjoy the prestige of paying a lot. There are many opportunities to enjoy a luxury trip for less. In some areas that are hard to reach or have legitimate security concerns, the premium may be justified. In most places, you can get as good or a better tour for less money. Knowing what is important to you will help you narrow down the selection.
6. Do Some Research Most companies will have a wealth of knowledge on their websites: the itineraries, daily cycling distances, links to lodging, as well as list of what is included in the tour price. Request brochures and call the company’s toll free number with any questions.
7. Do Not Be Intimidated. All the companies I have ever dealt with understand that the best way to grow their businesses is by making sure every guest has a great time. The trip leaders will 99% (everybody has a bad day on occasion) of the time bend over backwards to make sure you feel comfortable and enjoy yourself.
8. Small Group Travel is Not a Bus Tour Many people are wary of signing up for a packaged vacation because they worry about giving up their freedom, eating bad chicken, and being stuck with the boorish auto parts salesman from Des Moines for six days. Small group adventure travel offers travelers a great deal of flexibility while also turning over the logistics and planning to someone else so you can enjoy your vacation. Everyone who has ever taken a Summer Feet Cycling trip as there first bike tour or group travel experience has told me they cannot wait to do it again.
9. Bigger is Not Always Better. The industry is dominated by a couple of large players, Backroads and VBT being the biggest. The advantage of a large company is consistency of product in a wide variety of places. The disadvantage is that many trips offered by large companies are formulaic. Therefore, with so many places to manage, they may not drill down as deeply as a smaller company dedicated to getting it right in a few locations. In full disclosure, I am the owner of one of the smaller niche companies, Summer Feet Cycling.
10. Take a Trip In ten years in business, I have never had anyone say that the trip was a mistake, a disaster, or a regret. I have sent a few people home sad that it rained a little more than we all would have liked. I have had hundred of people say that they were, thrilled, elated, changed and looking forward to their next trip. 27 million people have taken a bicycle vacation in the last five years. Join the fun!

Into my inbox today came an exciting offer from TREK travel a 3 day/ 2 night wine country weekend for the bargin price of $1595.00 pp. I do not see the bargain. Summer Feet Cycling offers 3 day/2 night trips on the coast of Maine for $725.00 pp ($625.00 pp when booked by 4/30/2009) and POMG Bike Tours of Vermont offers 3 day/ 2 night trips for $465. 00 to $525.00 granted you will not get to ride the latest and greatest TREK bikes but think about it this way. With the money you save you can either invite an friend, take a week-long trip with a company like Summer Feet or you have almost saved enough to upgrade to a full dura ace group.

Someone was kind enough to send videos from the Summit. Ray LaHood is inspirational as he talks about transforming America’s view of transportation and as always The God Father of Cycling Rep. Earl Blumenauer makes me want to jump on my bike.

Here are videos of the morning speakers at the National Bike Summit on Wednesday, March 11.

US DOT Secretary Ray LaHood

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5323865082882842828

US Representative Earl Blumenauer (OR-3rd)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5527072340327644893

US Representative Daniel Lipinski (IL-3rd)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2784701150857668849

US Representative Doris Matsui (CA-5th)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5225171971519783674