(PORTLAND, Maine) Jan. 6, 2021 – Citing safety and uncertainty during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Bicycle Coalition of Maine has cancelled BikeMaine 2021, the non-profit announced on Wednesday.
Scheduled to take place from Sept. 11 through Sept. 18, the annual weeklong cycling event had scheduled stops in the host communities of Old Town, Lincoln, Patten, Millinocket, and Dover-Foxcroft. The ride is capped each year at 450 riders, but also includes more than 70 organizers and volunteers.
This year’s ride, dubbed “Katahdin Frontier,” was originally scheduled for September 2020, but was postponed to 2021 last summer.
“In the six months since we made that announcement, we have been weighing many different scenarios and contingencies for BikeMaine 2021, and keeping a close eye on vaccine and treatment progression,” said Event Director Will Elting. “Though we are encouraged by the vaccine rollout currently underway, there is still a long road ahead before gathering with hundreds of people from across the world in rural Maine communities feels safe again.”
Following the difficult decision, the non-profit says it has no intention of retiring the BikeMaine ride, and fully intends to bring it back when it is safe to do so.
In the meantime, the BCM is planning numerous smaller, safer rides under the BikeMaine umbrella that they hope to hold over the summer.
“These events will take us to new and exciting places, hit some familiar BikeMaine notes, and open the BikeMaine experience to a wider audience than ever before,” Elting says while urging the ride’s supporters to stay tuned for updates.