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Sunday, April 17, 2005
They like to bike
Copyright © 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. | ||||||
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Also on this page: SOURCE FOR CYCLISTS | |||||
On a bright Sunday morning two years ago, Mark Beauchemin joined three dozen bicycle riders heading out of Kennebunkport. It was his first ride with the Maine Coast Cycling Club and, as the cyclists headed toward the coast, it didn't take 12-year-old Beauchemin long to decide that riding with them was high adventure. "It was amazing," said Beauchemin, who lives in Saco. "It was sunny when we went by the beach, and it was the first time I had ridden with so many people. The ride was 30 miles, and I was just loving it." Now 14 and a student at Saco Middle School, Beauchemin is a veteran of numerous club rides. So is his father, Jay Beauchemin, a Saco dentist. Mark's mother, Judy Beauchemin, an accountant and bookkeeper who accompanied her son on his first ride, is just as enthusiastic about her family's favorite sport. "The nice thing about bicycling together is that you feel safer," she said. "You feel better when riding with friends." Throughout Maine, on-road group cycling has reached an all-time high in popularity. At least 10 Maine cycling clubs invite participants on weekday and weekend rides that begin mid-April and continue to at least October. Many host events like 100-mile Century rides. A few organize weeklong bike tours. One indication of bike club popularity is participation. Southern Maine bike clubs average about 100 members each. The Coalition of Maine Bicyclists, an advocacy group for Maine cyclists and an umbrella organization for clubs, lists more than 5,000 members. Jeff Miller, executive director of the coalition, offers several reasons for the growth. "You ride with folks with experience and expertise," he said. "It's a great way to make new friends. You learn better ways to handle your bicycle in traffic, and there's safety in numbers." Ask club members why they log hundreds of miles riding in packs, and many explain with a single word: camaraderie. "It's a huge social thing," said Jennifer Berube of Bowdoinham. Eight years ago, Berube went on her first road ride with Brunswick-based Merrymeeting Wheelers. Then she became an active volunteer. Now, at 33, she's president of the club. "I've made new friends of all ages," she said. "On a bicycle it doesn't matter how old you are. We all love cycling, and spending time together." Bob Bruce, 63, Wiscasset, a longtime rider with Merrymeeting Wheelers, looks at it much the same way. "There's a great social aspect to riding," he said. "I only met one cyclist I didn't care for, and I've met a lot of them." Since physical fitness varies among cyclists, many clubs organize rides so participants have different speed options as they cover the miles. During Sunday rides, Maine Coast Cycling Club has an elite A-Group for a select few who want to peddle 22 miles per hour for 40 miles. Maine Coast's A-minus group goes about 19 miles an hour for a shorter distance. They have a B-Plus Group too, a B Group, and a C. "C is for any newcomer because newcomers are not always sure of the speed at which they're comfortable," explains Tom Decker, president-elect of Maine Coast Cycling Club. "We evolved to all this because we found the need." Popular Portland-based Casco Bay Bicycle Club begins the season with easy evening rides and weekend jaunts. But according to David Clements, president of the club, plenty of cyclists in his club train for more rigorous events. A White Mountain Series sponsored by the Casco Bay Bicycle Club prepares avid cyclists for the club's White Mountain Century. It's a 100-mile road ride through New Hampshire's steepest terrain. At 57, Clements is devoted to cycling. From April to December he commutes from his home in Gray to his workplace in Portland. Last year he logged 5,700 miles of two-wheel transportation. Clements is more than a little proud of Casco Bay Bicycle Club. The club, he said, has slightly more female participants than male. Its oldest member is 78, the youngest well under 20. The average age, Clements believes, is about 40. "I've met the best people bicycling, he said. "I've never met a bad person on a bike." Motorists who encounter a knot of 50 or more cyclists out for an evening ride may not agree. But according to club members and officers, group riders are schooled in safety before they go out on the road. "We always consider traffic," said Berube, who reviews safety protocol with new riders. Among other things, they're instructed to obey all traffic laws that apply to motorists. They're asked to wear bright clothing, ride single-file, and use hand signals when turning or stopping. Jamie Wright owns Gorham Bike and Ski, and is an active participant in Portland-based Southern Maine Cycling Club. He also educates riders in traffic safety. But, he added, the prevalence of road rage makes it hard to appease every motorist. "We try not to annoy drivers," he said. "But sometimes that is impossible. You can't drive home these days (in a car) without annoying someone." Still, the cycle clubs persist. Merrymeeting Wheelers helps organize bike rodeos, where youngsters are taught how to cycle safely. Jay Beauchemin, the Saco dentist active with Maine Coast Cycling, is starting a bicycle club program for young people that promotes safety and fitness "and getting kids to enjoy the sport the way we do." Though bike packs coursing down so many roads may seem like a new phenomenon, that's not the case. According to Miller, executive director of The Coalition of Maine Bicyclists, the granddaddy of cycling clubs - the 30,000-member League of American Bicyclists had its start in 1880. "They've been around," said Miller, "since the bicycle was invented." Although there are many bicycle club events, everyone has a favorite. For Bruce, the secretary-treasurer of Merrymeeting Wheelers, it's the club's summer tour. He's organized five of them, and is looking forward to his club's nine-day spin through Aroostook County in July. According to Bruce, participants on the Aroostook ride will buy lunches at diners and restaurants. They'll spend nights in campgrounds. A sag wagon will meet them at campgrounds with sleeping bags and tents. And there will be assistance in the event of a bicycle breakdown. Already Bruce is in contact with a northern Maine tourism board. "They're going to work with us to make the trip even more memorable," he said. "This will be the biggest ride we ever had." Lloyd Ferriss is a free-lance writer and photographer who lives in Richmond.
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