October 10, 2024 - by Kent Allyn

Phew! To quote from Harry Whitfield’s Trip on the first Bert and I record, “my lord,Winona, that was a long poke.” But only the part from Cape Porpoise to Biddeford. No matter how many times I think about it… and ride it… and rationalize it… and remind myself that it’s a mere 12.3 miles…and maybe another Clif Bar, yes, that should do it… a racing coach might instruct aspirants to ride that course round trip five times for the day and that would be a modest workout. It still is a long poke to go up 69 feet in 12.3 miles. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. And I might refer to it.

Lest you think it is going to be a long poke to get through this 5th Annual 2Meals4Wheels wrapup, we will temporarily forget about Biddeford and say we were blessed with a wonderful, clear day, 45 degrees at 8 AM, with a NW blowing 10 mph. My nephew (our ride doctor) cautioned us 4 years ago on a cold morning “dress for the ride, not the parking lot”. We gathered at 8 AM at the Blue Mermaid parking lot in Kittery last Thursday, October 10, Gen Aichele, stellar thespian and director, attending all 5 rides since 2020; my nephew, Bruce Condit, the amiable and athletic ride doctor; Amy Miller, roving reporter ( on a museum quality late 60s Pinarello oo la la); Jim White, busily chronicling the lives of people on the seacoast; and me, guitar strummer and piano tickler, having recently delved into bicycling for something safe to do during Covid.

We did like Steely Dan said and smiled for the camera and slid off onto Route 103. Foliage greeted us, great blue herons were having breakfast at Ft McClary pond, Bistro 1828 was slumbering at that hour, and then the right fork onto Chauncey Creek Road to avoid the early torture of Tenney Hill; left on Gerrish Island Lane, back on 103. Five miles later we said goodbye to Amy who could only do the first leg to York – onward to the glory of the York beaches, Shore Road to Ogunquit, Rt 1’s generous bike lane, the rewarding right fork to Kennebunkport that tells us, OK, you’re getting there. Thru the port to have a look at the Spirit of Massachusetts, launched at Charlestown, MA during the Dukakis administration in 1984 as a goodwill ambassador for the State of Massachusetts. She also functioned as a training vessel for young people. Eventually, thirty years later in 2014, she ended up on the auction block for a dollar and the Raymond family of Kennebunk purchased her and turned her into a floating restaurant… floating no more, now hauled and permanently installed as a restaurant. Worth a trip -- no worries about getting seasick!

After having my schooner vitamin for the day, onward to Cape Porpoise and the Bradbury Market, who graciously offered us their parking lot, picnic tables and portable restroom (for any of you who cycled during Covid when all roadside attractions were closed… a portapotti sighting was the equivalent of spotting a rare bird…). We availed ourselves of freshly made sandwiches, hot tea, beverages and bright sunshine and talked with lunching landscapers at a neighboring table about the future with all electric mowers, blowers, etc… Jim White had some afternoon appointments and rode with a gypsy tailwind the 30 miles back to Kittery Point. We were luxuriating in the sun, staving off the inevitable… ( see paragraph 1 ).

So let’s say we’re in Biddeford now, muddling about with our phones to refresh how to find the Eastern Trail. That navigation accomplished, we had a delightful flat romp thru Old Orchard and Surfside and hung a left on Pine Point Road. A few miles northward was another of the big rewards of this venture… the Scarborough Marsh. An old railroad bed, nicely smoothed for walkers and bicycles, shrubby bushes and trees turning beautiful colors, snowy egrets, dogs, babies, gulls, and the thought that we were “almost there”. A few more twists and turns and in fact, we were “almost there” until one of our penultimate milestones on the Greenway had a convincing fence across it…a major construction zone. We were wondering, hmmm, while Doc Bruce asked directions from a nice man doing yard work and the fellow was saying he probably could have made some good money just parking himself on the lawn and pointing in the general direction for the duration of the project.

Another ten minutes and Bug Light State Park came into view – and there was the rare bird from Bradbury Brothers again… three of them! The 1924 Alden schooner Bagheera and the 1931 Portland built schooner Timberwind were coming in from afternoon charters, powered by the NW which we’d been dealing with since morning. A Grand Day Out, Gromit! for sailing. A bit more challenging for cycling…last year we had the good fortune of a southerly and averaged 13 mph. This year we managed 10 mph. It’s not that we’re getting older… the wind is getting stronger!

Getting to Bug is always a thrill – the miles seemed like they just melted away. Well, kind of… see paragraph 1. For the last 5 iterations of 2Wheels4Meals my sister Lynn came down from Gray, ME to Uber me back to Kittery Point – Gen’s brother Carl came up from South Berwick to bring her home. Our good natured (and very reasonably priced ) doctor, nephew Bruce, from Auburn, ME, was delivered by his wife, Whitney, to Bug in the wee hours to leave a car, then onward to Kittery for the start of the 5 th annual.

So that’s about it – the 2Wheels4Meals committee fears that complaining about Cape Porpoise / Biddeford is going to alienate our fan base… so we’ve been pondering a fun event for 2025 that would eliminate any route that involves going up hill for 12 miles. In fact, the total mileage might be a good round number like… 10. Walk or ride. Mostly flat. A bridge or two. Perhaps a picnic? An ocean view?

And a nap.