|
Maine Cyclist
Maine Hosts National Bike Rally Bicyclists from across Maine, New England and Canada gather every summer for a weekend of riding, camping and fun at the Maine Bike Rally. The 2008 rally, taking place for the first time in the beautiful western Maine town of Fryeburg, promises to be really special. The League of American Bicyclists has designated the Fryeburg event on July 11-13 as its National Rally. Bicyclists from all over the country will come and help us celebrate the Maine Bike Rally's 20th anniversary. The rally is co-hosted by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine (BCM), Casco Bay Bicycling Club, Merrymeeting Wheelers and local cyclists. Dave Kinsman, founder of Downeast Bicycle Specialists and former BCM board member, heads a local organizing committee that includes dozens of bicyclists and community leaders. The rally already is generating lots of excitement in the Fryeburg area with enthusiastic volunteers working on the event. The rally will be based at Fryeburg Academy and the school will be a major partner. We will camp on their grounds and use their wonderful new sports complex and field house for showers, dinner and presentations. The school cafeteria will serve buffet breakfasts and bagged lunches. Fryeburg Academy's art department organized a student competition to create a logo for the rally. At a recent planning meeting, we had the special treat of reviewing the entries - and the difficult decision of choosing among many fine designs. The winning logo will be used on 2008 Maine Bike Rally T-shirts, booklets and advertising. Look for a display of all entries this summer at the rally's bike art show, one of many planned events. Fryeburg community members and representatives from the hosting organizations have formed committees for road rides, mountain bike rides, food, entertainment/events, marketing and sponsorship. Many of the committees could use help, so please consider getting involved. You can find a list of committee contacts and other updates about the rally at http://cascobaybicycleclub.org/Rally_2008/. General planning meetings will be held on the second Wednesday of the month. Much of the work will take place in subcommittees and through e-mail, so you can participate even if you live far from Fryeburg. We hope to see you at this year's 20th Annual Maine Bike Rally! Please mark your calendar now for July 11-13. Ken O'Brien serves on the 2008 Maine Bike Rally's steering committee.
Better Bicycling in Maine Since 1992 |
