Capital to Coast Bike Ride

Meander through the towns and scenery of the magnificent Merrymeeting Bay region on the 3rd Annual Capital to Coast Bike Ride!

The ride starts in Bath at Waterfront Park at 8:45am. Riders will travel north along roads that follow near the route of the proposed off-road Capital to Coast Trail through the towns of West Bath, Brunswick, Topsham, Bowdoinham, Richmond, and Gardiner. All experience levels are welcome to come along, hop on your bike, and enjoy the ride!
There are two distance options for the ride. At 26 miles, riders will arrive in Richmond where Richmond Days will be in full swing. Stop there to enjoy food, games and festivities! For a longer ride (37 miles), riders can choose to continue on from Richmond to Gardiner’s Waterfront Park and catch more great views of the Kennebec River. Both experienced and novice bikers are welcome. The ride will include frequent stops to rest and regroup, and the expected pace is 10 to 12 mph.
Bus transportation from Gardiner and Richmond to the start of the ride in Bath will be available. The event is free if participants arrange their own transportation or $10 for the bus.  Bus pick-up in Gardiner is at 7:30am at Waterfront Park. Bus pick-up in Richmond is at 8:00am at the Richmond Town Office parking lot (26 Gardiner Street).
The Capital to Coast Trail will connect local communities, and this ride gives bikers the chance to take advantage of what towns along the way have to offer. When riders meet at the pavilion at Bath’s Waterfront Park, they can check out the Bath farmer’s market before starting the ride. Rusty’s Market in Topsham will offer a stop for a snack as riders continue on to Bowdoinham. In Bowdoinham, riders will have a chance to visit the farmer’s market, the Merrymeeting Arts Center, and the Town Landing Restaurant. When riders arrive in Richmond, Richmond Day’s Renaissance themed festival will be in full swing, with Renaissance activities, fair food, and fun. Riders who continue on to Gardiner can take advantage of all that Gardiner’s downtown has to offer.

• Click here for more information
• Click here to register
• Contact Anne Reiter at the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust for more information at 442-8400 or areiter@kennebecestuary.org

The Capital to Coast Trail System:
This ride passes through communities that are working to expand off-road multi-use trails to create a connected network that leads from Maine’s Capital to the Kennebec Estuary. Two new sections of trail are in the planning stages. The Merrymeeting Trail would create a path from Gardiner to Topsham, connecting the Kennebec River Rail Trail with the Androscoggin River Bicycle and Pedestrian Path in Brunswick. The Androscoggin to the Kennebec Trail would pick up at the eastern end of the Androscoggin River Bicycle and Pedestrian Path and continue on to downtown Bath. While the off-road routes are in progress, this ride gives people the chance to get out and enjoy the amazing Merrymeeting Bay region on the interim on-road routes.