Coast of Maine 2023

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

4 Min Tour Sampler Video (Copy & Paste URL).:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjcIREUrpks 

LOGISTICS: Arrive on Tuesday, September 5, 2023 in Portsmouth, NH and bus back to Portsmouth on Monday September 18, 2023. Departure day is Tuesday, Sept 19, 2023. Max 16/Min 12. We recommend flying into Boston Logan Airport and taking C&J Bus to Portsmouth. C&J has scheduled service to the C&J Transportation Center approximately hourly. You will need to take a taxi to the hotel in Portsmouth.  Details in the Welcome letter. Bike boxes stored at the hotel. Long term parking at PortsmouthTransporation Center is free. Routes will be available on Ride with GPS. It is the responsibility of each rider to understand their device. Loop rides from Portsmouth are available either before or after this tour.

Type of Bike: Tandems, recumbents and e-bikes will be accepted on a case-by-case basis. Let us know as we have to transport all bikes from Bar Harbor back to Portsmouth. Bike rentals may be available however we have not made any arrangements.  No one has ever rented in the past.

RIDE RATING: Trip is rated 3B! and will average 46 miles per day with 2,600 ft climbing per day. The most difficult day is 64 miles with 3,900' of climbing.  Generally the climbs are not long, but there are many of them throughout the typical day.

Maps & Cue Sheets: Digital versions of the cue sheets and maps will be on Ride with GPS. Links to the digital cue sheets will be sent in an email and the link is posted under Ride Leader Docs with in the document entitled Event Link. We will post the maps and cue sheets in PDF format on the Ride Leader Docs. We recommend that you print out hard copies.

OVERVIEW: This is the seventh time this tour has been offered. Boats, beaches, breweries, lobsters, whale watching, inns and B&B’s are all part of the Maine coast early-fall tour. From the Hilton Garden Inn, Portsmouth, NH, we walk to our group dinner overlooking the historic harbor and mystical views of the Isle of Shoals in Portsmouth, NH. Check out: portsmouthnh.com. We cycle from Portsmouth, heading north, to skirt the shore or take quieter in-land roads following the Eastern Trail, a designated bike route, to Old Orchard Beach. And yes, it has a 5-mile beach. From there we travel to Brunswick, with a stop along the way at the LL Bean outlet store. Then, on to Boothbay Harbor for a two day stay. On the layover day you can explore the Boothbay area, take a flat ride along the many inlets and beaches or take a ferry to Monhegan Island. We'll dine on fresh lobster at a local wharf. The next day we travel through Andrew Wyeth's back yard and the scenery of Christina's World. You’ll catch glimpses of lonely light houses and craggy rocky cliffs that battle incessantly with the ocean shore. Our stop in Tenants Harbor features an award-winning B&B with stunning harbor views and breakfast to order on the porch. On our way to Camden, we'll pass the Farnsworth Museum, which is worth a visit. In Camden, you can take a ferry to Islesboro Island for a pretty ride, climb Mount Battie to view the Camden Harbor, head to the water for a sea kayak adventure or take a Windjammer day-sail in the Penobscot Bay. Check out: camdenme.org. Then it’s north again to Blue Hill with a layover day ride to Deer Island or a visit to the Wooden Boat School. Our cycling ends in Bar Harbor with a three-day stay. The Acadia National Park offers a 57-mile network of granite carriage roads for non-motorized vehicles, established by John D. Rockefeller. Take in the Bubble Pond, Cadillac Mtn and the famous views of Northeast Harbor. To end the tour, we bus back to Portsmouth for arrival by mid-day. Bike boxes are stored in Portsmouth and you can pack up that afternoon. The hotel is booked for that night in Portsmouth, NH with departure the following morning.

COSTS: Estimated tour costs of $3,300 includes 13 nights lodging with 11 breakfasts and 6 dinners, happy hour refreshments, luggage van and driver..  The deposit of $ 1,000 + $50 nonrefundable BAC fee for a total initial charge of $ 1,050 assures your place on the tour. Final payment of $2,300, is due by April 15, 2023.

SINGLES: It is recommended that singles wanting to share a room try to find their own roommate. The Ride Leader will assist singles to find a roommate. When a single rider applies for the ride, you will be placed on the wait list and a room will be reserved for a limited time. Once a roommate is found, both riders are added to the tour. If a single rider cannot find a room mate, they may be added to the ride on a “space available” status. We have some limitations on hotel rooms with 2 beds.

SOLOS: Due to the size of some B&Bs we are limited to 12 rooms. Therefore, solo riders will only be accepted if the tour does not fill. A solo supplement is $ 2,141. Payment is due with the final payment on April 15, 2023 and the supplement is paid by check made out to “BAC” with a notation of the tour name included on the check and mailed to: Bicycle Adventure Club, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193.

COVID / INSURANCE: All participants must be vaccinated. Our general COVID procedures are posted in the Ride Leader Docs. We will discuss our COVID policy and answer questions in a recorded Zoom conference call at least 90 days prior to the tour start date.

INSURANCE: Before participating in any BAC tour, you should assess whether your medical and travel insurance coverage is sufficient. BAC maintains insurance that covers expenses in excess of $1,000. related to accidents. This coverage applies when touring inside the US, regardless of your nationality. It’s assumed that members’ personal insurance will cover medical emergencies such as sudden and unexpected sickness, so these have not been included in the BAC policy. You may want to consider personal coverage for emergency evacuation, as this is not included. The costs of treatment or quarantine for Covid and other unexpected illnesses are not covered. You should ensure that your vaccinations are up to date.

WEATHER: The daily temperatures can vary from lows in the 50s to highs in the low 70s. If there is rain it will feel very cold. Plan to have protective rain gear including jacket, long pants, fingered gloves, helmet and shoe covers. Evenings are usually cool. A light jacket is recommended.

BE PREPARED TO RIDE: We will be driving our SUV and pulling a trailer for the luggage. Space for bikes in the trailer when loaded with luggage is minimal. The vehicle’s primary purpose is to transport luggage. It is not a support vehicle that will be following you on the road. You will need to call us if you have an emergency while riding. We recommend that you are comfortable doing rides of 40 miles per day prior to the start of the tour and that you pack clothing that you can carry with you on the ride in case we experience rain.

RIDE PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITY: Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support, including changing their own flat tires. Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles. All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour. We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from Ride Leader. While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and cleanup. Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour, without checking first with the ride leader. Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you may have and finally respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

Luggage: If you can, use a soft sided suitcase as it is easier to fit into the luggage van. Due to limited space and handling requirements we will limit everyone to one large bag measuring 18x26x10 or an equal linear dimension (54 inches total) and one small carry-on per person. The weight limit is 35 pounds for the large bag and 15 for the small. If you don’t understand this, contact us, because we will allow no exceptions.

CANCELLATION POLICY: The BAC ride registration fee and payment processing fee is not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled due to participation below stated minimum requirements. Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped. The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations. If the cancelling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time. If the cancelling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed. If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the cancelling roommate may also be liable for the solo supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour. BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.

SIGN UP: To register for this ride, use the sign-up links just below the Ride Description. Following your acceptance on the ride, you will receive an email message requesting you to make credit card payments to BAC for the BAC fee and your initial deposit of $ 1,000. When your deposit is received, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. BAC members with questions may contact the Ride Director by "clicking" the name at the top of this Ride Description. When you are accepted you can access the "Ride Leader Docs" posted on the tour page.  There you will find the Welcome Letter for specific details about the tour.  Routes will be available on RidewithGPS. We plan to post PDF versions of maps and cue sheets so that you can print a hard copy.