Cycling in Bar Harbor, Maine

socfan12

socfan12

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Hey guys, I'm up in beautiful Bar Harbor, Maine enjoying some outdoor fun with the family. I brought my bike for the trip. Here's a picture of my view from our room:

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First day, we rented some hybrid bikes to ride along the famous carriage roads in Acadia National Park as part of a cycling tour group:
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Next up was a lone ride up Cadillac Mountain, my first 'mountain' climb. It's reputed to be the tallest peak on the east coast, but it only stands at 1500' high. Nevertheless, it was the longest hill climb for me and a personal victory. Gradients where generally in the 6-8% range, with some short steeps in the 9-11% range.

This first pic is on the way up to the summit:
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and this is me at the peak:
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Cadillac Mountain was named after a Frenchman who owned the island in the 1600's. This same gentleman later found Detroit and became involved in the manufacturer of automobiles...

Here are some pics on the way down the mountain:
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All in all, a great ride and a great trip thus far! Bar Harbor is beautiful and definitely worth the trip. Definitely recommend riding the Park Loop Road and going up Cadillac Mountain!:cool:

Keep on riding!
 
Awesome !!!!!! I lived in Maine for several years been out to Acadia a few times . It's an awesome summer trip. I lived in bethel . Western Maine by Sunday river.
The whole state is wonderful, except the black flies during mud season.
My plan is to buy some property and retire up there. Wish it was next week .lol
Have a great time . That's a real nice bike !!!!
 
Haha, my wife and I were saying the same thing when we got here! It's beautiful, and close to skiing and Boston! Has a lot going for it..
 
socfan12 said:
Haha, my wife and I were saying the same thing when we got here! It's beautiful, and close to skiing and Boston! Has a lot going for it..
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Make sure you stop in south Maine on your way home and eat at some of those great restaurants in old port and that area. Portland is a real foodie city .
 
Allen, thanks for the pics !! Absolutely beautiful ! I could do the bike ride if they took me to the top and let me go downhill :rolleyes:
 
Allen, nice riding! I can't imagine too much traffic up in Maine, so its the kind of place I'd be in cycling heaven. You're not one of those little guys who climbs like a cross between a mountain goat and a gazelle are you? That is a mighty compact little frame.
 
Thanks guys. It's a beautiful area where most of the natives are very proud of their Maine, and for good reason! Definitely worth a visit if you guys get the chance, and bring your bikes!:cool:

Bob, there are lots of cyclists on the road, but there is also a light-medium steady stream of cars as well, especially in the Bar Harbor area. But most people seem to respect and share the roads with cyclist readily, so that is nice.

I'm more of a hill slug than a mountain goat. This was my first mountain climb, and it was a moderate hill. This has given me a taste to want to do more, though!:D
 
Alan...that's funny. My girlfriend and I (and her family) were in Blue Hill, ME last week (some 40 mins from Bar Harbor) and we stopped by Acadia National Park on the way back home (detour actually but it was fun). Weather first part of last week was rainy and cold and then the heat wave struck in the second half. Very beautiful up there.
 
Ha, it's rainy and chilly here this week, too. But we're still having fun outside! Today was everything you wanted to know about catching and prepping lobsters but were afraid to ask day! Apparently there's a glut of Maine Lobsters now and prices are being driven down. Too bad I don't see that in the restaurants yet...:dry:
 
I'm training currently for a nice little climb in Olympic National Park here in Washington state. Once a year they close the road to cars for the morning and we "Ride the Hurricane" which is the road to Hurricane Ridge in the park. Start is at ~700ft, summit is at 5200ft, and its all uphill (6% avg grade) for 18 miles. Equivalent to a Tour d' France category 1 climb. First time I rode it in about 2 hours, 10 minutes. This year I hope to be under 2 hours. (I'm age 55). Pick is from a couple years back.

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Nice! I can deal with 6% avg grade. When it's in double digits, that's when I start getting into trouble. Good luck with the race, sounds awesome!

The ride I just did Strava called it a Cat 3, so it's fairly mild by comparison.
 
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