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-   -   Bike Maine Cancelled their 2021 Tour (https://www.bikeforums.net/fifty-plus-50/1221066-bike-maine-cancelled-their-2021-tour.html)

jppe 01-07-21 04:27 PM

Bike Maine Cancelled their 2021 Tour
 
The weeklong supported tour was originally scheduled for September, 2020. They postponed the ride due to COVID until September 2021 which was a smart decision. They just rolled our registrations over from 2020 to the 2021 event. I received an email from them a few days ago that they’ve now made the decision to not hold the large event for 2021. We will get refunds except for an $150 administrative fee.

I think cancelling the event is a reasonable decision on their part. There are still too many concerns trying to put on an event like that for this year. I don’t know about the area where you like, but the initial rollout of the vaccination near me is extremely chaotic.

My wife told me that we just need to “plan to do our own thing” ride wise this year. She will SAG for me so I just need to figure out when and where. We really enjoyed the Natchez Trace Parkway a few months ago so I can check that off the list. I’ve already ridden across the US, the Blue Ridge Parkway and across the US so I need to come up some other options.

Any suggestions???

indyfabz 01-08-21 05:32 AM

Look at Adventure Cycling’s Green Mountains Loop. It also has a loop in the Adirondacks.

rsbob 01-08-21 10:40 PM

Ride from the most NW point of Washington state down the coast to Sandy LEGO (San Diego) CA.

jppe 01-09-21 01:04 AM


Originally Posted by rsbob (Post 21869358)
Ride from the most NW point of Washington state down the coast to Sandy LEGO (San Diego) CA.

Intriguing!! How would Hwy 101 be for a bike? I think I’ve driven some of it but that was 20+ years ago on a family trip.Amazing views as I recall.

Google maps routes me off the coast through Klamath Falls.

rsbob 01-09-21 06:35 PM


Originally Posted by jppe (Post 21869440)
Intriguing!! How would Hwy 101 be for a bike? I think I’ve driven some of it but that was 20+ years ago on a family trip.Amazing views as I recall.

Google maps routes me off the coast through Klamath Falls.

Highway 1 along the coast all the way. I have driven it dozens of times and it is stunningly beautiful. You definitely want to go North to South so you have the prevailing winds behind you. Have some good friends that did it on a tandem. They said it was challenging.

101 is NOT the way to go since most of it is 4 lanes and 65 MPH.

Kabuki12 01-11-21 06:03 AM

Agree with rsbob , 101 is a freeway on most of the route . Highway 1 is legal for bikes and hugs the coast wherever possible. Keep in mind that there are areas that can be dangerous with no shoulder. After high school in 1972 my best friend rode from Oxnard where we grew up , to Berkeley for school. He was hit twice around the Big Sur portion and both times the drivers kept going. He was ok , just banged up a bit. It wouldn’t stop me from doing the trip if I had the time. It is one of the most picturesque places in America. I will someday do the Oregon portion of the ride . I met a couple down here that did it and said they only got rained on once but that is rare. Fenders would be helpful , rain is almost a given from Northern California to Seattle. Very steep hills in some places both up and down!

Kabuki12 01-11-21 06:07 AM

I see the same fate for Eroica California.

huffman 01-11-21 08:52 AM


Originally Posted by jppe (Post 21867204)
We will get refunds except for an $150 administrative fee..... Any suggestions????

Sue them is my suggestion, they cancelled a second time an you get hit with a $150 admin fee. I'd search for others in your same boat and consider a class action lawsuit.

BlazingPedals 01-11-21 09:06 AM


Originally Posted by huffman (Post 21872513)
Sue them is my suggestion, they cancelled a second time an you get hit with a $150 admin fee. I'd search for others in your same boat and consider a class action lawsuit.

Yeah, I don't have a suggestion for an alternate trip, but I think it's terrible that they're charging you an administration fee when they're the ones canceling. And $150 seems excessive. They should be paying you an administrative fee for requiring you to change your vacation plans.

jppe 01-11-21 02:34 PM


Originally Posted by rsbob (Post 21870427)
Highway 1 along the coast all the way. I have driven it dozens of times and it is stunningly beautiful. You definitely want to go North to South so you have the prevailing winds behind you. Have some good friends that did it on a tandem. They said it was challenging.

101 is NOT the way to go since most of it is 4 lanes and 65 MPH.


Is there a Hwy 1 along the coast in Oregon? All I was I was able to find along the coast in Oregon was Hwy 101. Is that doable by bike?

rsbob 01-11-21 10:13 PM


Originally Posted by jppe (Post 21873276)
Is there a Hwy 1 along the coast in Oregon? All I was I was able to find along the coast in Oregon was Hwy 101. Is that doable by bike?

My bad, take 101 through Washington, Oregon and Northern Ca until it intersects Hwy 1. Then follow 1 down the coast. And yes 101 is highly rideable through Wa and Or and N. Ca but you will want to hit 1 pretty quickly before it turns to 4 lanes and 65.

indyfabz 01-12-21 11:03 AM


Originally Posted by jppe (Post 21869440)
Intriguing!! How would Hwy 101 be for a bike? I think I’ve driven some of it but that was 20+ years ago on a family trip.Amazing views as I recall.

Google maps routes me off the coast through Klamath Falls.

Adventure Cycling Association has maps for the Pacific Coast. ODOT has a great, free on-line resource you can print for the OR portion.

rydabent 01-12-21 11:19 AM


Originally Posted by jppe (Post 21867204)
The weeklong supported tour was originally scheduled for September, 2020. They postponed the ride due to COVID until September 2021 which was a smart decision. They just rolled our registrations over from 2020 to the 2021 event. I received an email from them a few days ago that they’ve now made the decision to not hold the large event for 2021. We will get refunds except for an $150 administrative fee.

I think cancelling the event is a reasonable decision on their part. There are still too many concerns trying to put on an event like that for this year. I don’t know about the area where you like, but the initial rollout of the vaccination near me is extremely chaotic.

My wife told me that we just need to “plan to do our own thing” ride wise this year. She will SAG for me so I just need to figure out when and where. We really enjoyed the Natchez Trace Parkway a few months ago so I can check that off the list. I’ve already ridden across the US, the Blue Ridge Parkway and across the US so I need to come up some other options.

Any suggestions???

Seems kind of dumb to cancel something in Sept. By then everyone that wants one should have a virus shot.

rydabent 01-12-21 11:32 AM


Originally Posted by Kabuki12 (Post 21872346)
Agree with rsbob , 101 is a freeway on most of the route . Highway 1 is legal for bikes and hugs the coast wherever possible. Keep in mind that there are areas that can be dangerous with no shoulder. After high school in 1972 my best friend rode from Oxnard where we grew up , to Berkeley for school. He was hit twice around the Big Sur portion and both times the drivers kept going. He was ok , just banged up a bit. It wouldn’t stop me from doing the trip if I had the time. It is one of the most picturesque places in America. I will someday do the Oregon portion of the ride . I met a couple down here that did it and said they only got rained on once but that is rare. Fenders would be helpful , rain is almost a given from Northern California to Seattle. Very steep hills in some places both up and down!

The site "crazyguyonabike' has hundreds of ride reports of cyclist riding Hiway 1 and the Pacific coast. Some stated you had to be careful, but did not say cyclist should not ride it.

rydabent 01-12-21 11:33 AM


Originally Posted by huffman (Post 21872513)
Sue them is my suggestion, they cancelled a second time an you get hit with a $150 admin fee. I'd search for others in your same boat and consider a class action lawsuit.

That is an INSANE charge for writing out a check and a stamp!!!!!

Koyote 01-13-21 11:14 AM


Originally Posted by huffman (Post 21872513)
Sue them is my suggestion, they cancelled a second time an you get hit with a $150 admin fee. I'd search for others in your same boat and consider a class action lawsuit.


Originally Posted by rydabent (Post 21874582)
That is an INSANE charge for writing out a check and a stamp!!!!!

I suspect it is more than "a check and a stamp." I think plenty of event organizers have suffered their own losses, due to non-refundable permits and insurance fees and such. And if they are very large events, with paid staff, they may have already paid out some salaries that can't be recouped.

I've lost a few bucks on at least one registration for an event that was cancelled in 2020, and it doesn't bother me a bit. I would like these people and their organizations to survive the pandemic, and not flee the industry - because I would like them to still be putting on such events after the pandemic is truly over.

Iride01 01-13-21 11:55 AM

Hwy 1 in California will be a beautiful ride. Quite a bit of it right along side the ocean. I've been up and down Hwy 1 several times by car and the sights and views are truly something to see. Knowing how stupidly I drove it at unsafe speeds for some of the curves I encountered, I'd be wary of other drivers using the same ignorance I did then. So be sure to get some input and thoughts from those that actually cycle Hwy 1.

Highway 101, for parts I've been on will have nothing interesting and many parts way too much motor vehicle traffic.

pdlamb 01-13-21 01:15 PM


Originally Posted by Koyote (Post 21876061)
I suspect it is more than "a check and a stamp." I think plenty of event organizers have suffered their own losses, due to non-refundable permits and insurance fees and such. And if they are very large events, with paid staff, they may have already paid out some salaries that can't be recouped.

I've lost a few bucks on at least one registration for an event that was cancelled in 2020, and it doesn't bother me a bit. I would like these people and their organizations to survive the pandemic, and not flee the industry - because I would like them to still be putting on such events after the pandemic is truly over.

Hear, hear!

rydabent 01-14-21 03:22 PM

Again cancelling as event clear into Sept seems a little dumb. By then everyone that wants a shot should probably will have had one.

Further the group putting on the ride could insist that all participants have the virus shot. We cant stay cooped up forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

indyfabz 01-14-21 03:36 PM


Originally Posted by pdlamb (Post 21876245)
Hear, hear!

You both get it. Someone posting in this thread doesn’t understand the first thing about organizing an event like this and has zero knowledge about the state of the organizer.

Steve B. 01-14-21 03:53 PM


Originally Posted by indyfabz (Post 21867835)
Look at Adventure Cycling’s Green Mountains Loop. It also has a loop in the Adirondacks.

Agree with Adirondacks. Lots of loop options that put you into small towns with both lodging and restaurants. Easy to do a 4-5 day of 60-70 per day. Hilly though, everywhere.

Or look at the Bon-Ton Roulet. The website states it's happening July 24-31 for 2021. The Bon Ton Roulet

Central NY Finger Lakes area. Beautiful area (you - as in JPPE, have ridden some on your cross country along US 20). I'd bet there are assorted maps/routes on RWGPS.

indyfabz 01-14-21 04:15 PM


Originally Posted by Steve B. (Post 21878221)

Or look at the Bon-Ton Roulet. The website states it's happening July 24-31 for 2021. The Bon Ton Roulet

Central NY Finger Lakes area. Beautiful area (you - as in JPPE, have ridden some on your cross country along US 20). I'd bet there are assorted maps/routes on RWGPS.

Did Bon Ton twice. Last time was in 2014. The Finger Lakes region does have a lot of great riding. The event itself has changed format over the years. There are usually more no-move days. You go to a place one day and do a loop ride on the no-move day. People seem to like that more. It has also been offering more college dorm rooming for those who don’t like to camp. When I first did it in ‘06 or ‘07 there were no dorm rooms. In ‘14 you could spend 4 nights in dorms. Two each at Keuka College and Hobart-Smith.

pdlamb 01-14-21 05:36 PM


Originally Posted by rydabent (Post 21878180)
Again cancelling as event clear into Sept seems a little dumb. By then everyone that wants a shot should probably will have had one.

Seems like I've heard that one before. Vaccines will be approved before election day ring a bell? How about 20 million vaccine doses distributed by the end of December?


Further the group putting on the ride could insist that all participants have the virus shot. We cant stay cooped up forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A. How many people do you know who are qualified to evaluate vaccine certifications from multiple venues in all 50 states and a few foreign countries? How many of them are looking for a temporary job?
B. Has your locality outlawed bike rides? I just got back from a lovely 20 mile loop. I'll get some longer rides in over the weekend; nobody is keeping me cooped up!
C. Did you notice the difference between me going for a solo ride and you wanting to go for a bike ride, eat, and sleep cheek by jowl with a few hundred of your closest friends you never saw before that week?

dennis336 01-15-21 07:13 AM

If you were thinking of a Maine trip and are still interested in New England/Northeast, I'd agree with an earlier poster recommendation on Adventure Cycling's Green Mountain or Adirondacks loops (you actually can easily combine them into one trip as there's a connector from Vermont to NY for anyone wanting do do a longer trip. I've done both loops - with my wife driving support. We're not campers, but we found there's plenty of nicely spaced bed and breakfasts or small family run motels spaced out nicely along both routes. Hilly rides but beautiful.

indyfabz 01-15-21 11:59 AM


Originally Posted by pdlamb (Post 21878355)
Seems like I've heard that one before.

His M.O. is to post "alternative facts" and unsupported (by anything real) opinions.

For example, this contradicts his unsupported claim about likely vaccination progress:

U.S. Has No Covid-19 Vaccine Reserve Despite Trump Administration’s Claims, Report Says (forbes.com)


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