I live in Portland, Maine looking for any one who has ridden to green path along the coast. I ride a trike and just wodering how it will fare on the path. I am a strictly recreational rider occassionally commuting to work by bike. Just getting used to being under the vision of most cars on the road. The trike is three inches off street level and has no suspension. One surely feels the road.
yichel

I live in Acton. Never ridden the green path on Portland. Not much help I guess. But hey from one Mainer to another anyway.

What kind of trike do you have?

I've ridden the South Portland Greenbelt. Its all paved. I would think your trike would be okay.

I ride a greenspeed GTX, its a folding model. Last year I rented the parent model and fell in love. Although I am told freezing cold weather is coming again. Soon it must end. Where in Maine do you live? Are you a Mainer or like me a transplant having moved up here in 1976? Last summer my riding was somewhat restricted to Portland and a radius of mybe 10 miles. This summer I wish to double that. As well as take a ride through the County where my wife is from.
yichel

Thanks for the good news Now just wait for the weather.
yichelo

Hoe did I not notice Acton, love to fish both the lake and river, Looking at the DeLorme Shore Drive and route 11 to Newfield might be a nice ride. Does not seem to hilly,although traffic on 11 can be scary at times.
Keep ya tires filled
yichel

I grew up in northern Maine and live in southern Maine. Most of my riding is commuting to the Shipyard (16 miles RT). I commute year around.

Powerhouse here. I was born and raised in Central Maine but now live here in Portland. Most of my riding experience was in Central Maine, Mount Desert Island, and a little of Southern Maine. Other places have been in Cape Cod in Massachusetts and miles and miles of Northern France. Alas, I've never ridden the Green Path but would like to if I can get my bike out of cold storage. From one Mainer to others, please keep me advised.

I grew up in Northern Maine. I live in Vermont now. What is the road riding like in the Portland area? How about riding in Portland? Is it bike friendly? By the way, Vermont and the Upper Valley is great riding when the weather cooperates...

Not sure I would say bike friendly, but certainly bike tolerant.
Things got markedly better after Bicycling did their Biketown schtick here.
Of course, there are intersections I avoid, like Forest and Warren, I detour around those. But you can get out of town quickly from anywhere in town, and once you do there is some very nice riding.

Can you put larger tires on it? That would both raise it up and offer a little more shock absorbtion.

I talked to one of the people who manages or runs the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, a loose association of all the Maine bicycle clubs as well as others outside the state. From what I was able to learn, there are or will be a number of connected routes here in Portland that are friendly to bicyclists.

For more information contact the Bicycle Coalition of Maine at www.BikeMaine.org

Finally the temperature hit 34 around 11:15 si raged my trike out of the dining room and hit the roads just around portland westbrook. I hope all of you had the chance to enjoy this day. if lucky and the rain holds off my goal is to ridethe loop of- out rt. 302 till duck pound road to mountain rd. then back home i figure a good 7-8 miles just two not particularly up hills but one neat down hill area. Today the 25 mile winds were chilly Keep your chains clean,
yichel

Did Westbrook to Gorham and back, then went to Hannaford's for necessities. Coldest part of my ride was walking around the store in snowmelt-soaked pants. Good to get back in the saddle after a month layoff. I'll be out there again tomorrow.

i have a wedding to go to in East Burke Vt. this summer. Checxkinh out some places to ride to. have brothers in both St. johnsbury and lyndonville so that will be one ride. Would like to try to ride to Lake Willoughby. have you ridden in the Norhteast Kingdom rergion? Where i live in Portland when not at rush hour you can own the road. I am on Washington Avenue enjoy a quick zip through the neighborhood riding along side the golf course. Or enjoy going up into Yarmouth. There is also the Baxter Boulivard a bike -jog bath thats about 4 miles. Do you have a DeLorme Gazzette? Finally the temperature is ttempting to portray Spring
Take care, yichel

Hi,
one of my favorite local rides is to head out to Yarmouth. Try coming back down Route 1 sometime when there is a stiff breeze at your back. You won't believe how fast Falmouth shows up. The shoulder is huge and the traffic is usually light. I did that once on during the Yarmouth Clam Festival. The traffic wasn't bad.

Anyway.... Rte 88 to Yarmouth. Head north on Tuttle through Cumberland Center where they decide to call the same road Blanchard or something. Past the Cumberland Fairgrounds is a left that puts you on Blackstrap Road. You can take that back into Portland.



Try Mountain Road sometime, up or down.

Who WOULDN'T want to ride in Maine?

The ride up rt.88 to Tuttle road to Cumberland Center back to Portland sounds great and doable. I know there must be a good place to stop for breakfast on that ride. If sun is somewhat out this wekend this loop will be my goal. again thanks
yichel

If you ever meet me, you will know my rides always include the 'neccesities' of life.
Just past the strip in Falmouth, on Rte 1, is the European Bakery. Hubba hubba..

That little convienence store on Rte 88 is quite nice. If you haven't been in there, go buy a juice and check it out.

There is a Mr bagel and a coffee place (Maine Coffee Roasters or something like that) on Rte 1 in Yarmouth. There are also some restaurants and a burrito place
on Rte 1 in Yarmouth.

When you get to the intersection of the Old Grey Road, there is a greenhouse/country store. It's not much, but they have cold drinks and snacks.

Ditto the recommendations of late on the Foreside Market and European Bakery -- I used to live right in between them and would hit each on a given ride.

I did used to try to get off 88 ASAP, though -- didn't used to be a lot of shoulder, but there used to be cars that weren't watching what they were doing.

Scarborough resident here. The shoulders up here are pretty decent, I think...I've done some riding south of Charlotte, NC and there are NO shoulders, and this is on rural state highways where the vehicles are doing 50+mph. I'm not generally very skittish around cars but that was unsettling.

Re: Rt. 88, Back Bay Bicycle does a Monday evening ride that does a Rt. 88 loop to Yarmouth and back (also includes Rt. 9), alternating clockwise/counter-clockwise from week to week. Good moderate-paced ride - I averaged 17mph last week and was off the back with three others.

Cinnamon pazzo at Amatos. Need I say more?

There's a nice ride taking Rt22 out of Portland (outer Congress St) to Bar Mills. Take a right to Gorham, and then Rt 25 through Westbrook and back home. It's about 30 miles. Traffic is not bad, and the roads are pretty good, with some pretty scenery along the way.

If you've never been to Maine where would you go and stay? Nothing super expensive, good food, walking, etc..

Hey powerhouse. What is your favorite 50 -60 mile (road bike) ride out of Bar Harbor? Visiting there in august with my bike....wondering about traffic.