BikeMaine spends two nights in Boothbay Harbor

Thu, 09/11/2014 - 9:30am

Katie and Christian Brekke of St. Paul, Minnesota, rolled into the Boothbay Region High School football field lot on their bikes around 2 p.m. on Sept. 10. The Minnesotans are two of 350 bikers participating in Bike Maine, a seven-day tour sponsored by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine to promote state and bicycling tourism.

This is the second year of BikeMaine’s existence. The cyclists began their journey at 8 a.m. on Sept. 6 in Westbrook.

Each day, the cyclists proceed to the next tour destination. Other stops included Norway, Winthrop, Gardiner and Bath. The tour ends with the cyclists’ Sept. 13 return to Westbrook.

The Brekkes both paid the $875 fee for the week-long, 350-mile ride along Maine’s hills, woods and coastline. The fee pays for 18 meals, luggage transportation, snacks, campground access, entertainment and other services.

The couple was planning their summer vacation last winter with one goal in mind: To bike or hike in a part of the country they’ve never seen. The Brekkes seemingly found the perfect destination when they stumbled upon an Adventure Cycling magazine advertisement. It directed them to the Bike Maine website which had a short video highlighting the tour’s inaugural ride last year.

“There really wasn’t much to the ad except that it directed us to the website,” said Christian Brekke. “Once we saw  it, we knew that was exactly what we were looking for.”

Like all of the participants, the Brekkes are avid cyclists who ride more than a 100 miles a week. The cyclists sign-up for a taxing tour, which consists of rides averaging 58- and as long as 75-miles per day. The cyclists are better prepared for each leg’s long distances than the state’s hilly terrain.

“I come from flat corn land and I can tell you there is nothing like this in Illinois,” said Keith Buescher of Springfield, Illinois. “This tour has a lot of climbing and it’s very tiring over six days, but it’s a great experience.”

The beautiful scenery and camaraderie with fellow cyclists are the major draws for the participants. While the Brekkes came to see sites they’ve never seen, the tour began with a lot of familiar scenery. In western Maine, they saw lakes, woods, farmhouses and barns. But as the cyclists traveled east, the Brekkes started to see many spectacular and unfamiliar landscapes.

“It seems the like the best parts of Minnesota are right here in Maine with all the lakes and trees,” said Christian Brekke. “But the major difference is the coastline, which the view of is absolutely breathtaking.”

The bikers are on the route for six of the seven day tour. The only break is a one day stop in Boothbay Harbor. When the Bicycle Coalition of Maine developed the schedule for its second BikeMaine route it had Boothbay Harbor in mind. The coastal community was designated as the tour’s marquee destination, according to Ride Director Kim True of BikeMaine. 

The coalition looked for a community with outstanding scenic location along with great housing accommodations, restaurants and entertainment. And as far as True was concerned, Boothbay Harbor fit the bill.

“Boothbay Harbor is everything you’d want a marquee community to be,” she said. “The people are warm and welcoming, and where can you find better restaurants in Maine than in Boothbay Harbor?”

BikeMaine tries to attract participants from across the U.S. and worldwide.

Italian Alberto Soana joined the tour on day two. Soana was finishing a coast-to-coast bike from San Diego to Portland when he heard about BikeMaine.

“I was in an upstate New York hostel when I heard about it,” Soana said. “I finished the cross country ride two days ago and I’m tired. I tell my fellow riders if you see a hill you’re not obliged to take it. I tell them to take a detour.”

BikeMaine also attracts a large contingent of northeast bicyclists. Pennsylvanian Seth Winter was looking for week-long bike tour close to his Philadelphia home. His interest in BikeMaine was piqued when he saw a L.L. Bean catalog advertisement promoting the tour. Winter has ridden in other tours around the country, but he said BikeMaine is one of the best.

“There is nothing like getting a nice, hot meatloaf dinner after a 75-mile bike ride,” he said. “It’s the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten. Especially when on some tours you’re lucky to get a hot dog.”

After the Sept. 10 day-off, cyclists resumed their tour on Sept. 11 to Bath.

Video by Suzi Thayer, Staff Reporter.