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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Somerset County, South-western, Pa
    Posts
    99

    Lobster Ride and Roll

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    I am thinking of completing the Lobster Ride and Roll next year in Rockland, Maine This ride is about 12 hours from where I live in Pa. Has any one done this ride? Is it a worthwhile well organized ride? Will I ride by the Altantic Ocean, light houses, bays etc. If you completed the ride, where did you stay? What else did you do? Any input would be appreciated.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    San Francisco Bay Area
    Posts
    9,324
    I've never done the ride, but want to. We usually go to Maine in early July for a family reunion and just can't bring ourselves to stay long enough for this.

    V.
    Discipline is remembering what you want.


    TandemHearts.com

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    724
    Hi Veronica,
    I haven't done the ride though we've thought about it several times. We had a place on Vinalhaven off the coast so we get the ferry in Rockland and all I know is book a place early if you plan to stay in Rockland or nearby. The place is usually hopping for this event. I've stayed at the Navigator in town and one of the other motels and sorry to say, not impressed. I think I'd look for a B & B. There are some nice places just North of town toward Camden.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    North Andover, Massachusetts USA
    Posts
    1,643
    Quote Originally Posted by Cyclesome View Post
    I am thinking of completing the Lobster Ride and Roll next year in Rockland, Maine This ride is about 12 hours from where I live in Pa. Has any one done this ride? Is it a worthwhile well organized ride? Will I ride by the Altantic Ocean, light houses, bays etc. If you completed the ride, where did you stay? What else did you do? Any input would be appreciated.
    I haven't done the ride, but I have ridden in that area. And yes, it is beautiful. I stayed in at Abigail's Inn in Camden, a very nice B&B - with garage / barn space for your bikes. I rode from Camden south through Rockport and Rockland and down a penninsula jutting out south of Rockland. I don't know how my ride compares to the Lobster Ride and Roll, but you can find a description of my day on this page of my journal. More info and photos in the (overall) journal A coastline beckons.

    There are quite a few B&Bs in the area, hotels too if that's your preference.

    --- Denise
    Last edited by DeniseGoldberg; 11-08-2007 at 10:33 AM.
    www.denisegoldberg.com

    • Click here for links to journals and photo galleries from my travels on two wheels and two feet.
    • Random thoughts and experiences in my blog at denisegoldberg.blogspot.com


    "To truly find yourself you should play hide and seek alone."
    (quote courtesy of an unknown fortune cookie writer)

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Somerset County, South-western, Pa
    Posts
    99
    Great picture perfect postcard quality pictures and informative journal, Denise. Surlygirl, thanks for tip as well. Both are helpful.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Maine mountains
    Posts
    109
    Have you looked at the Bicycle Coalition of Maine website re: this ride? www.bikemaine.org
    By rep, there are a variety of super routes.
    I was going to do it this year, but got sidetracked with other things...definately next year.
    This year I did the Trek Across Maine in June, the lung assoc fundraiser which ends up in Rockland.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Bar Harbor, Maine
    Posts
    165
    Hi Cyclesome, I didn't ride this year but I did last year (the century route). It's a great ride with lots of supportive, energetic volunteers and very excellent lobster rolls at the end of the day. They usually have a big screen TV set up in the gym so that you can watch whatever Tour De France stage is on that day. The ride is growing in popularity. I think they had over 600 riders this year.

    Jeff Miller (the Director of the Bike Coalition of Maine) runs the event. He is just one of the most positive people you'll ever meet and he is one heck of a cyclist.

    - traveller
    "It never gets easier, you just go faster." -- Greg LeMond

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Posts
    399
    Traveller,

    I tried to find a "course route" that would show the elevations for the century ride. I know that Maine is quite hilly. Can you give me some info on how hilly the century route is?

    Thanks,

    Lynette

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Bar Harbor, Maine
    Posts
    165
    Hi Lynette,

    I'm not sure anyone has put together an elevation map for the Lobster ride courses. I'll check and post back here what I find...

    - Carol
    "It never gets easier, you just go faster." -- Greg LeMond

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Posts
    399
    Thanks, Carol. I would appreciate that.

    Did you find it really hilly when you did it?

    I completed the Flattest Century in the East this last summer. It was my very first century ride.

    It wasn't flat but it didn't have any what I would call "killer hills." But it definitely had lots of smaller hills.

    I know that I wouldn't want to do a century that was really hilly - for me that just wouldn't be too much fun. I'm not sure if I am a good enough biker for that.

    Thanks again for checking.

    Lynette

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Bar Harbor, Maine
    Posts
    165
    Hi Lynette,

    I still haven't heard from the Bicycle Coalition if they have an elevation map of the Lobster Ride century. I sent them an email but no response. Next time I talk with Jeff Miller (the executive director of BCM) I'll ask him in person and will post what I find out on this forum.

    The Lobster ride was my very first century ride two years ago when I was just getting serious about cycling. There are a few hilly sections to the ride but I don't recall any that were "killers." But then again I really like hills and hill climbing so I may not be the best one to ask!

    One nice thing about the Lobster ride that I remember was that the 50 mile mark for the century ride was right at the start/stop point for the entire event. So if you found that the first half of the century really took it out of you then you could end your ride at 50 miles.

    More later...

    Carol
    "It never gets easier, you just go faster." -- Greg LeMond

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Posts
    399
    Thanks again, Carol, for not giving up on this.

    I went back to the website today and saw that registration is now open. I think that I am going to just bite the bullet and sign up. Maybe wait until the holidays are over when I have a little more cash in my pocket...

    But I still would love to know the elevations.

    Thanks,

    Lynette

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Bar Harbor, Maine
    Posts
    165
    Hi Lynette,

    I just got off the phone with Jeff Miller of the Bike Coalition of Maine. There apparently isn't an elevation map for this ride but Jeff will double check for me this week.

    He reminded me that the first 50 miles is hillier than the last 50 miles of the century and he thinks there is between 5,000 and 6,000 feet of climbing over the 100 miles. So it is hilly for sure! (But not as hilly as the Highlander Century in upstate New York that I did this year which has over 11,000 feet of climbing over 100 miles!!!!).

    So...even though it is hilly you should know that the support on this ride is fantastic. As I mentioned previously you could do the first 50 miles and if you decide that's enough you are back at the starting site for the ride at that point and could call it a day and have a nice lobster roll right then and there. Or you could ride out a few more miles to the next check point and then turn around and make it a metric century.

    One of the best things about this ride is the number of folks on the course looking out for the riders. If you need to call it a day before reaching the end of the ride there will be wonderful folks out there to pick you and your bike up and bring you "home."

    So I hope you'll give it a try and I certainly hope that I'll be able to make it this year myself.

    Cheers,
    Carol

    PS - The ONLY thing I remember about this ride that was not so fun was that the school turned off the hot water heater and the showers were COOOOOOOLD!
    "It never gets easier, you just go faster." -- Greg LeMond

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Posts
    94
    my husband and I are also planning on doing this ride in 2008. It looks like a good ride and the lobstah is just icing on the cake!

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Posts
    399
    I did it!

    I registered for the Lobster Ride and Roll today.

    I decided to do the 50 mile loop.

    See you there!

    Lynette

 

 

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