So Giant the bicycle manufacturer is following TREK’s model and getting into the bicycle tour business. I have never thought of cycling Taiwan. It will be interesting to see if they market to the US market or focus on Asian clients.
We are exited that our new Family Bicycle Tour is now live on our website. Redesigned for 2012 the trip highlights the best of the Maine Coast and Acadia National Park. Here is the Itinerary.
Leaders will collect you from your hotel in Portland, Maine for the transfer to Bar Harbor and the start of your trip. We stop along the way to visit the Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory and to explore Ft Knox a well preserved civil war era fort. After lunch we continue on to Bar Harbor where we join Captain John on his lobster boat to pull traps and learn all about lobsters.
Today is all about pedal power. We spend our day cycling the carriage roads of Acadia National Park. These wonderful car free roads wind through the interior of Acadia National Park past ponds and lakes and through pristine forests. We pause at the Jordan Pond House for lunch and to enjoy their homemade ice cream. After lunch enjoy a swim or some family time before we head to Mount Desert Oceanarium and we enjoy a lobster feast over looking the ocean.
Our morning begins with a kayak excursion. We join our local guides and paddle quiet waters and coastal inlets in search of seals, seastars, and bald eagles. In the afternoon we offer an optional kids only hike and leave you a free evening for family exploration.
Today we enjoy an hour-long scenic ferry ride across Frenchman Bay to the Schoodic Peninsula, an off the beaten track section of Acadia National Park. We hop on our bikes and pedal the rock bound coast stopping for lunch and time to explore the rocky coast.
Grab your hiking boots. It is time to summit. Today we will climb to the top of Cadillac Mountain, the first place to the see sun in the United States. From the summit we enjoy panoramic views of the Maine Coast. From the summit choose an extended hike or a shuttle back to town to relax.
After breakfast we start working our way south to Portland. We stop in the charming town of Camden to hop on a classic schooner. Help raise the sails and then relax and as we experience Penobscot Bay the same way the explorers did 400 years ago. We return to Portland by 4:00 pm and say sad goodbyes as we drop you off at either the airport or a local hotel.
it is that time of year again. Time for food, drink, friends and family and of course that omnipresent question, What the H#$! do i get uncle Bob? Well are a few suggestions for the cyclist on you list.
1. Arm Warmers
Perfect for cool mornings that warm into pleasant days and hilly rides where you get warm on the way up and cool on the way down. Ranging from $25.00 to $60.00 they are available in basic black and funky patterns
2. A Cycling Coffee Cup Holder
A great gift for folks who love to cruise around town or relatives in Florida who ride their cruiser to the beach We like the Morning Rush Coffee Holder for San Francisco based Soma Fabrications. $21.99 http://www.somafab.com/archives/product/morning-rush-coffee-holder
3. A Workstand
Perfect for the cyclist who loves to tinker with their bike. Nothing improves the easy of tinkering than a good workstand. We like the Park PCS-4-1 stand as we find the the clam shell type clamp easier to use that the PCS-4-2 crank style clamp. $160.00
http://www.parktool.com/product/deluxe-home-mechanic-repair-stand-pcs-4-1
4. A Wool Cycling Jersey
Stylish, warm and free of the funk that can accumulate in synthetic jerseys. From $100.00
http://www.swobo.com/catalog/product_info_m.php?cPath=2045_2046
5. A Shop Apron
Another gift for the tinker. it keeps the grease off when you do last minute repairs and it helps you keep tools and parts easily accessible. I never work on bikes without donning one.
http://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-SA-3-Deluxe-Header/dp/B000WY8I26
6. The Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne. The former leader of the 80′s band the Talking Heads, David chronicles his travels throughout the world with a folding bike.
http://www.davidbyrne.com/art/books/bicycle_diaries/
7. A CO2 Inflator
Gone are the days when a flat tire meant struggling to inflate the tube with a tiny mini-pump. Today the quick and easy way to do it is with a CO2 inflator. These small cartridge powered tools fit easily in a pocket or trunk pack. I like the Genuine Innovations Proflate Elite it offers one hand operation, and is compatible with both Presta and Schrader valves. $29.99
http://www.genuineinnovations.com/bicycle/mountain/proflate-16-red-cup-clone-2.html
8. Cool Weather Gloves
For those who cannot wait to haul their bike out in the spring and are reluctant to call is a season, cool weather gloves are great. I have had several New Year’s rides cut short by cold hands. I like the Planet Bike Aquillo the lobster claw design keeps finger warm yet still allows enough freedom for solid control of the steering, brakes and gears.$34.99
http://ecom1.planetbike.com/9005.html
9 A Guide to Rides. Backcountry rides www.countrymanpress.com offers a wide change of guides to rides in the Eastern part of the contry. There are few joys in life as wonderful as discovering an area by bicycle. a cycling guide is the gift of a years worth of discover and adventure.
10. A Bike Tour. Give that special someone the gift of a a bicycle tour and why not join them. From our 3 day Maine Bike tours to weeklong trips in Maine, Nova Scotia, and Quebec a bicycle tour is the ultimate gift for anyone who likes to ride.
As usual Outside magazine gave it’s annual plug for Portland Maine as one of the best places to live. See the video here. Check out why on a bike. we offer:
5 hour Portland Bike Tours featuring 5 lighthouses, Casco Bay and Portland’s history
A 3 day bike tour of Portland featuring great food, island exploration, and fresh lobster
and a 6 day bicycle tour featuring Portland and the Kennebunks
Discounts reflected on your invoice. Specials cannot be combined with other offers and do not apply to previously booked trips.
There is an iconic image from the Island Institute of a group of sheep in a dory being towed by a lobster boat. I have always wondered about that image, its age and origins. I always thought it was a slice of history. This weekend during our Camden Maine weekend bike tour, our group stumbled upon Maine Island sheep.
On Sunday our group rode from Camden to Rockland continuing on to The Owl’s Head Light and Birch Point State Park. From Birch Point we decided to cycle to the Keag Store in south Thomaston for Lobster Rolls and Maine Italian Sandwiches.
While sitting at the Picnic tables enjoying our lunch a livestock truck pulled onto the dock. We immediately wondered whether livestock was going on or coming off boats. The answer was off as the sheep were coming from Matinic Island. Matinic is a privately held island over 10 miles off the coast. For over 300 years sheep have been on Matinic and have been brought to the mainland for slaughter.
The owner of the sheep, whose name escapes me, saw that we go to New Zealand and struck up a conversation about sheep. The Matinic sheep are much milder in flavor than normal sheep, with the a number of them going to Fore Street, one of Maine’s best restaurants and some going to the Rosemont Market, a wonderful market of fresh local foods.
One of the joys of running Summer Feet is the continual opportunity for new discoveries. It was great this weekend to interact with a slice of Maine that for years had captured my imagination.
Portland, Maine is a great city and the gateway to the rest of Maine. Many of the guests on our wonderful Maine bicycle tours pass through Portland. Here are a locals thoughts on things to do in Portland, Maine
As a major working seaport and the gateway to Casco Bay, Portland is all about the ocean. Portland proper is actually a fairly small peninsula bounded by the Fore River on the southeast side and the Back Cove on the northwest side. The heart of Portland is the restored Old Port District running from Commercial Street along the water up to Congress Street and Monument Square. While facing the water on Commercial Street, Portland’s downtown is surrounded by two of Portland’s main residential areas – the East End to your left and the West End to your right. Portland is a city of eclectic charm and is best explored at a slow and leisurely pace.
Some of the things you might consider looking into include:
If you like to SAIL: check out a cruise on the Frances or one of Portland’s schooners. Relax onboard and see the city from a whole different vantage point. These fine boats sail from the Maine State Pier located aside of the Casco Bay Lines Ferry Terminal.
If you want to get out to an ISLAND: hop on the Casco Bay Lines Ferries and either tour the harbor on a mailboat or sunset cruise, or get off on an island, explore, and take a ferry back when you are ready. Casco Bay Lines is located at the corner of Commercial and Franklin Streets. Arrive early to purchase your ticket and catch the first boat out of town.
If you like to WALK: Portland Trails has an impressive network of walking paths in and around Portland. Also, both the east and west end neighborhoods of Portland boast wonderful walking promenades with views of the stately homes and water views that make the neighborhoods so desirable. If you find yourself on the East End, stop in and visit the Portland Observatory. The view from the top encompasses all of Casco Bay, Portland, and on clear days, Mount Washington in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
If you’d like to learn more about LOBSTER: join Captain Tom on board his working lobster boat and experience the thrill of hauling up a trap and seeing what is inside. Lucky Catch Cruises leave from Commercial and it’s best you call the captain to reserve and confirm your spot.
If you enjoy ART: Portland has a thriving arts scene. The Old Portland and Portland’s Art District are both full of galleries and, in the summer, there is something happening every evening. If you are in town the first Friday of the month, look for participating venues of the First Friday Art Walk and enjoy an evening exploring the visual arts community of Portland.
If you like to EAT AND WALK: check out Maine Foodie Tours for three different culinary tour options of Portland and see for yourself why Portland was voted America’s foodiest small town 2009 by Bon Appetit magazine.
If you like to EAT: there are so so many options of places to eat in Portland. To help you sort through some options, check out the Portland Food Map for reviews and categories of options.
If your visit includes a Saturday, consider checking out the Portland Farmer’s Market in Deering Oaks Park. It’s really neat! You could certainly find enough deliciousness for a picnic lunch.
If you want to sample LOCAL BREWS: again, many options. Keep your eyes open for pours by Shipyard, Geary’s, Gritty’s, Allagash, Sebago, StoneCoast, and the Inn on Peaks Island Brewery.
Hopefully you find something of interest in these recommendations! Enjoy planning your time in Portland and if I can be of any other assistance, please let me know.
PORTLAND, Maine—Summer Feet Cycling, a bicycle tour company that specializes in high-quality, once in a lifetime bicycling vacations in Maine, offers independent cyclists a welcome alternative to traditional group bike tours. Summer Feet Cycling offers a selection of self-guided Maine bike tours that offer travelers a budget-friendly and fun way to explore Maine’s beauty at their own pace.
On a self-guided bike tour, travelers choose their own tour start date and Summer Feet Cycling makes all lodging arrangements and luggage transfers, provides detailed route notes and maps, and ensures that guests are dropped off and picked up at the beginning and ending of the bike tour. Guests enjoy a hearty breakfast each day and accommodation in quaint inns and B&B’s. Self-guided tours can be completely customized to meet the needs of the travelers in terms of tour length and daily cycling mileages, with a 5-day minimum. Summer Feet Cycling offers explorations of Maine’s stunning coastal shorelines, Acadia National Park, and many of Maine’s historical and cultural highlights through self-guided tours like these:
This week-long self-guided bike tour explores the best of Bar Harbor and Camden with highlights like cycling through stunning terrain at Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island, the Schoodic Peninsula, Islesboro, and Rockport. Other highlights include feasting on freshly-caught Maine lobster, kayaking Maine’s pristine waters, taking a sunset sail on Penobscot Bay, and staying in charming Maine inns and B&B’s. Price: $1500 pp (including bike rental).
This ‘light’ version of Summer Feet Cycling’s popular Pedal the Coast tour offers travelers the opportunity to enjoy an inn to inn bike tour of Maine at a more relaxed pace. Guests can choose between 5 and 9 days of cycling and Summer Feet can also add layover days for more rest and relaxation or activities like kayaking, sightseeing, and hiking to create a more adventurous vacation. The coast of Maine offers stunning diversity as it traverses almost 400 hundred miles from Kittery to the Canadian border. Travelers can get an exclusive look at the best of the Maine coast with cycling along Pemaquid Point, Penobscot Bay, Blue Hill Bay, and Acadia National Park. Prices start at $1600 pp.
For more information about Summer Feet Cycling’s self-guided bike tours like these, visit
Looking for a slightly more exotic cycling destination this year, consider a South Africa Bicycle Tour. great wine, friendly people, and stunning scenery.
Immersion Journeys is an award-winning boutique tour company that truly believes that it’s the experience is what the traveler seeks out. Their unique brand of travel planning covers east, southern and west Africa including India, Bhutan and Nepal and each trip is tailor-made for their client to give them the most valuable experience of the host country. This includes home hosted dinners in South Africa, visiting Masai village elders and trekking in the hilly regions of Ladakh (India) passing through remote villages and temples, or walking safaris in the Serengeti while enjoying a bush breakfast under an ancient baobab tree.
Immersion Journeys was given the 2010 Tanzania Tourist Board’s 2010 Tour Operator of the Year Award.
Their most recent adventure product is a 10 night/ 11 day cycling and culinary adventure in South Africa’s Cape Peninsula region. This tour has all the trappings of luxury with a large element of gastronomical delights amid spectacular scenery, warm hospitality and adventure. One cycles all the way down to the Cape of Good Hope and up through the pristine wine lands that produces some of the world’s finest wines. For more information on this tour, visit www.helloyebo.com.
Spend the 4th of July discovering Acadia National Park on a Maine Bike Tour. We are offering a $100.00 per person discount on our July 1-3 Exploring Acadia Tour
