Ocean and Mountains Maine to NH

† 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 $150 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

BAC Ocean and Mountains Maine to NH

OVERVIEW: This 12-day tour is a roundtrip journey, start/end from South Portland ME, during the beginning of New England fall foliage season. The loop proceeds clockwise, first gently south along the rocky Maine coastline with numerous lighthouses, then north through the NH lakes district into the White Mountains. In the “Whites” we climb over Crawford Notch along the base of the Presidential Range with Mt. Washington looming in the distance. Turning east we return to Maine meandering around the many lakes, ending up back on the Atlantic coast. We will stay 2 nights at 3 of the stops, with optional loop rides available. Highlights are a dinner cruise on Lake Winnipesaukee, optional “train” ride to the summit of Mt. Washington on the Cog Railway, a 1-night stay at Bretton Woods resort/spa, water sports on a Maine Lake, and of course the lush green-to-colors of fall in New England. Accommodations include a mix of 7 hotels, inns, and a resort, with a social hour each night and 4 group dinners.

LOGISTICS: Arrive South Portland, ME on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. If you arrive early enough, take in a loop ride (link available in RWGPS Event) or walk around the area to check out the sights. Last ride day is Friday, September 25, 2026.  Departure day is Saturday, September 26, 2026 (early departure Friday afternoon is possible) at South Portland, ME. Arrival/Departure hotel: Best Western Merry Manor Inn, 700 Main St, South Portland ME 04106. Phone: 207-774-6151, contact Don Haggett. Take a taxi, Uber, or car lift option from the Portland International Jetport (PWM). Parking for $50 (entire stay) and bike box storage are available for the duration of the tour. First meeting is at 5:00 PM on September 15, location to be determined. Tandems and e-bikes will be accepted on a case-by-case basis. Talk with the leaders about this. When you are accepted on the tour, 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.

GETTING THERE: Flying: Portland International Jetport (PWM), 1001 Westbrook St, Portland ME 04102. Take a taxi, Uber, or car lift to the hotel. Driving: GPS Address – 700 Main St, South Portland ME 04106. Easy on and off Interstate 95.

RIDE RATING: The trip is rated a 3C!, averaging 56 miles per day and 2,636 feet of climbing for the required riding days. The most difficult day is 68 miles and 4,876 feet of climbing. There are 7 mandatory days of riding and 4 optional days.

MAPS & CUE SHEETS: Links to the digital cue sheets will be sent in an email. A document will be posted in Ride Leader Docs that will have the link to give access to the RWGPS Event. From there we recommend that you print out hard copies of both the maps and cue sheets. In RWGPS click on 'More' ; 'Print Map and Cue PDF'; choose personal printing preferences. Scroll to the bottom and click on 'Submit'. Save the file where you can find it. Then print the PDF from that file location.

COSTS: Your $1,500 deposit and final payment, due April 14, 2026, of $1,300 will cover the costs of all lodging, 4 dinners, 3 breakfasts, 11 happy hours, modest housekeeping and group dinner tips, all administrative costs, and luggage transportation. The non-refundable BAC fee of $85 is in addition to the tour cost. After the tour we will provide a report of all expenses and return any money that remains after expenses have been paid.

SINGLES: We encourage single riders to sign up who are willing to share a room. We will assist with the singles search for a suitable roommate. Singles who are accepted but waiting to find a roommate will have a limited time-frame to do so if there are more BAC members registered on the wait list.

SOLOS: Solo supplement, is $ 1,500. There will be a limit of 2 solos, with preference given to singles sharing a room. Any solo supplement payment  is due when the final payment is due. You can pay with Zelle or by check. Mail a check to BAC, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193. Checks should be made out to “BAC” with a notation of the tour name included on the check.

There is now a Zelle option to pay the solo supplement. 

• In your bank's website, add Bicycle Adventure Club as a new recipient, with email address treasurer@bicycleadventureclub.org
• Initiate a payment 
• In the Message block, enter the name of your ride.

If you have questions, contact Nancy Bohnett nbohnett@bicycleadventureclub.org.

Note: ONLY solo supplement payments may be paid via Zelle. All other payments must be paid by credit card through the BAC website.

BIKE RENTAL: Contact Gorham Bike & Ski, 693 Congress St, Portland ME 04102 at (207) 773-1700 to work out rentals on your own.

HEALTH & SAFETY: We will invite participants to a Zoom meeting about 6 weeks prior to the tour start date to discuss health and safety rules. Participants are expected to come to the tour in good health and be ready to ride. In short, if you are ill on the tour, be it a cold or test positive for COVID but you can ride your bike, then you can stay on the tour with precautions in place. In this case, protocols for isolation, masking, and social distancing are required. If you test positive and cannot ride your bike, then you must isolate in place. That may mean departing the tour or arranging your own transport to subsequent hotels on the tour. Protocols for isolation will be required. We will all need to be flexible as safety comes first.

HOTELS & OVERNIGHTS: This tour has a combination of hotels, inns, and a resort in these locations: South Portland ME; Dover NH; Wolfeboro NH (2); North Conway NH (2); Bretton Woods NH; Bridgton ME (2); Brunswick ME, and back to South Portland ME.

WEATHER: The daily temperatures can vary from lows in the 50s to highs in the high 60s. 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 warm jacket is recommended.

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.

BE PREPARED TO BIKE RIDE / LUGGAGE VAN: We will be driving a truck 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 and will not 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 50+ miles per day (with moderate climbing) 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.

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 45 pounds for the large bag and 15 for the small. If you don’t understand this, contact us, because we will allow no exceptions for the safety of all.

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 respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

CANCELLATION POLICY: The BAC Ride Registration Fee and Payment Processing Fees are not refundable unless the entire tour is canceled because the number of participants registered is less than the minimum established for the tour. 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 costs as a result of cancellations. If the canceling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time. If the canceling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed. (Note that most hotels on the tour require a final count for the reservation 30 days in advance.) If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped, the canceling roommate may also be liable for the single supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour. BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation

REGISTER: To submit a request to join this ride use the "links" displayed above this Ride Description. When you are accepted, the Ride Leader will move you from the Waitlist to the Pending List. At this time you will receive an email notification to login to the BAC website to sign the release of liability form and pay the non-refundable BAC ride registration fee and the initial tour deposit by credit card. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. To contact the Ride Leader, "click" the name at the top of this Ride Description.