Riding the trails
Maine’s mountain biking community offers something for everyone.
A welcome resting spot on the climb up Crommet’s in Carrabassett Valley Trails includes a view of Sugarloaf.
Text & photos by Wendy Clark
MOUNTAIN BIKING in Maine has become fun fare for the common man, woman, child and everyone in between. There is no secret handshake, no “right type,” no height requirement, and no one way to do it. Though we typically think of a mountain biker as someone riding a bike with knobby tires in the woods, this moniker can also apply to a toddler navigating a city forest on a balance bike or a bike-packer traveling dirt roads. Range Morton of Gorham Bike & Ski says, “It’s more about the trail and the mindset than the bike.”
Mountain biking definitions
Singletrack: a narrow trail wide enough for biking or walking, often curving through the woods or over obstacles.
Doubletrack: a trail wide enough for (and often created by) 4-wheeled vehicles, even if motorized vehicles are restricted. Good for easier, side-by-side riding with a friend.
Flowy trail: smooth and curvy trail with few obstacles
Bermed trail: a trail with a raised bank at the outside corners, cambered to allow riders to maintain speed. Some paths are chosen to take advantage of natural berms.
Bikes, gear, and exploring
Flying down the Narrow Gauge Trail in Carrabassett Valley.
If you want to mountain bike despite reservations, Morton says there are ways to clear most hurdles. If you’re worried about slipping and getting banged up, consider shin, knee and/or elbow pads, which have come a long way in terms of comfort and technology — some even have flexible materials that harden on impact. Or, opt for a bike with plus-size or fat tires, which are less likely to slip on Maine’s rooty trails.
No time after work before it gets dark? Consider a helmet or handlebar light — or both. Lights made for biking in the woods are so bright you’ll hardly notice when the sun goes down. Want a new bike, but it’s too hard on your wallet? Consider a capable hardtail bike with plus tires rather than full suspension for comfort, ask your shop to value your old bike as a trade-in, or look at a slightly used model at one of Maine’s many bike swaps.
Think you’re too heavy? Think again. “We fit a bike for a guy who’s 300 pounds,” says Morton. “We got him a tougher shock with higher tunability. He now rides it at downhill parks.”
Want to mountain bike but you no longer have the steam to keep up with the group? Consider an e-bike. A friend in Portland calls her husband’s e-bike “the great equalizer” because although he’s 72 with a bad knee, they can still enjoy riding together on Portland Trails.
If you don’t have a mountain bike at all, borrow one from a friend or rent one for a day from more than 20 Maine locations across the state.
Curious about local trails? Printed maps, online maps and phone apps are the way to go. Some phone apps such as Trailforks show not just the trails but also where you are on those trails. Keep in mind, however, that apps like Trailforks, Strava and the MTB Project are crowd-sourced, so difficulty levels are identified by different users and some tracks are contributed for trails which are not authorized for mountain biking. Be smart about it and bring both. And when in doubt, kiosk maps and on-trail signage rule.
Where to ride in Maine
Maine has seen a boom in mountain biking in the past 10 years thanks to the efforts of local chapters of the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA), land trusts, private landowners and purpose-built mountain biking destinations. Today, there are dozens of great places for an afternoon, day or weekend of riding.
Western Mountains
Carrabassett Valley Trails (CVT) are the crown jewel of Maine mountain biking. Since 2009, $700,000 has been invested in developing the network, which now has 40 miles of singletrack for biking, plus 80 miles of doubletrack, and plenty more for gravel riding. Plus, there are plans for significant trail development in the near future.
CVT offers plenty of beginner trails, including the Narrrow Gauge Trail (an old railroad bed known as “the Gauge”) along the scenic Carrabassett River and some river-side singletrack of the Gauge. Intermediate riders shouldn’t miss the flowy, bermed descents of Oak Knoll Trail, Newton’s Revenge, and Bear Trail. And be sure to take the short detour to the scenic Bigelow-range vista at the top of these trails near Stratton Brook Hut. Maps can be found at Allspeed (at the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center), at Carrabassett Valley Bike, and online at carrabassettnemba.org/trail-maps.
If you somehow don’t get enough biking in CVT, stop a few minutes south at Freeman Ridge Bike Park in Kingfield for a fun four miles of hand and machine-built trails, with more to come in the future.
Further south and west, you’ll find two trail projects by Mahoosuc Pathways. Bethel Village Trails offers six miles of biking trails that also connect with eight miles of trails at nearby Gould Academy. Then add a 10-minute drive to Bacon Hill and you’ll round out the day with 2.5 miles of “intermediate, fun and flowy trail,” says Gabe Perkins of Mahoosuc Pathways. It’s his favorite.
Post-ride swim of interest? Perkins says, “There are so many swimming holes it’s crazy.” Check with the Bethel Chamber of Commerce for directions. The Chamber is also where you can pick up maps or find them online at mahoosucpathways.org.
If you’d prefer a guided experience, Cliff Krolic of Back Country Excursions offers guided rides on 20+ miles of hand-built biking trails in Parsonsfield, from tight, smooth singletrack to expert steeps and stunts. See bikebackcountry.com.
Where to rent bikes in the Western mountains
Barker Mountain Bikes, Bethel, rents full-suspension, hardtail, and fat bikes and rents fat bikes at Bethel Village Trails in winter (207-824-0100).
Northern Lights Hearth & Sports in Farmington rents full-suspension and fat bikes (207-778-6566).
AJ’s Fat Bikes in Rangeley rents fat bikes (207-864-2850).
Carrabassett Valley Bike in Carrabassett Valley rents hardtail bikes (207-235-8863).
Allspeed in Carrabassett Valley (summer) rents full-suspension bikes, kids’ full-suspension bikes, and kids’ hardtail bikes (207-779-3951).
The Sugarloaf Outdoor Center in Carrabassett Valley rents fat bikes in the winter (207-237-6830).
Green Machine in Norway rents full-suspension bikes (207-739-2324).
Bridges cross Beaver Pond on the Narrow Gauge Trail.
Southern Maine
For a quintessential Maine ride this summer, visit Cape Elizabeth, where trails are stewarded by the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust and the town of Cape Elizabeth. Park at Fort Williams – site of Maine’s iconic Portland Head Light – and hop on the Crosstown Trail. It will take you across parks, past the “dirt church,” between schools, over a tidal salt marsh, along a freshwater pond, around an ice cream stand, and eventually down to the ocean at Kettle Cove and Crescent Beach, where you can cool off.
Like riding narrow boardwalks? Detour off the Crosstown to the east side of Gull Crest for a smooth and seemingly endless roll. From Kettle Cove, double back the way you came or continue a circuit across Cross Hill, around Winnick Woods and through the Red House trails before returning to Fort Williams via the Stonegate neighborhood.
Falmouth has risen to the top of locals’ lists lately – especially Blackstrap Preserve. Intermediate/advanced riders shouldn’t miss Rocky Ridge (including the tricky waterfall crossing), Bobcat and Raven (ride this one west to east). Then take a breather on the River Trail.
Another new favorite spot in Southern Maine is Gorham. The Gorham Conservation Commission, Presumpscot Regional Land Trust, Greater Portland NEMBA and private landowners have developed three connected areas for riding, with more to come.
On the south side of town, intermediate riders shouldn’t miss Couch Potato, the full Sugaree loop and Unchained (best north to south). A new loop trail adjacent to Moody Blues may be established by the time you’re reading this.
On the north side, get technical and twisty on Louie Louie to St. Nick to Sons of Yesterday. And keep an eye out for a new trail that will utilize the whole ridge around Shoot to Quill. Two new areas in Gorham will include boardwalk and trails southeast of the center, and a pump track near the middle school.
There are dozens of other trails across Greater Portland. Many are close enough to link for epic rides with few road connections. Start at Knight’s Pond Preserve in Cumberland, for instance, and ride through Rines Forest (with a Leonardo da Vinci self-supporting bridge), across Hadlock Community Forest and through the dark and challenging cattle tunnel under I-95 to Blackstrap, then through North Falmouth Community Forest, and finally turning around at the fire barn on the far side of Lowell Preserve in Windham to head back. Phew! The round trip is about 30 miles and 2,800 feet of elevation.
Heading up the coast, the Six Rivers chapter of NEMBA (in the Bath-Brunswick-Topsham area) is the newest in Maine. At just a year old, they’ve already established new novice trails at Topsham Ponds (with the town of Topsham) and Brunswick‘s Neptune Woods (with the Brunswick Topsham Land Trust). This is a boon for local kids’ programs; most approved trails in the area are in Bath, which is well known for its rocky and technical trails.
For trail maps (and post-ride ideas) for more than 35 parks in the GP and 6R NEMBA areas, pick up a set of the MTB map series at Gorham Bike & Ski shops, Bath Cycle & Ski, the L.L.Bean Bike, Boat and Ski store, and other locations. See also, wendingmaps.com.
Where to rent bikes in Southern Maine
Portland Gear Hub in Portland rents fat bikes (207-761-7632).
Gorham Bike & Ski in Portland, Kennebunk, Saco and Brunswick rents hardtail bikes (www.gorhambike.com).
Allspeed Cyclery & Snow in Portland rents full-suspension bikes (207-878-8741).
Cyclemania in Portland rents hardtail bikes (207-774-2933).
Pineland Outdoor Center in New Gloucester rents fat bikes year round (for use on Pineland grounds only), which includes a pass and helmet (207-688-6599).
Kennebunkport Bicycle Company in Kennebunkport rents hardtail, full-suspension and fat bikes (207-385-4382).
Kennebunkport Bicycle Company at Harris Farm in Dayton rents fat bikes in the winter (207- 499-2678).
Structures on Cousins Island off the coast of Yarmouth are barely visible from the top of Bradbury Mountain. While this summit is a popular spot on “the mountain side,” some of the best riding in the park is across the road.
Central / Midcoast
Beginners looking to ride in central Maine will enjoy the 7+ mile singletrack trails of Quarry Road in Waterville, Pine Ridge near the airport in Waterville (where you might spot the old plane wreckage) and the Hallowell Reservoir. “The Res” is good in the spring because it drains well and dries quickly.
Intermediate riders in search of a challenge should head to the A Trail in the Kennebec Highlands of Rome. It’s quite a climb, but the view and descent are worth it. Six miles and 1,400 feet of climbing take you to the lookout for a view of Great Pond, Long Pond and — on a clear day — Ragged Mountain. Continue another four miles of up-and-down to a small “lollipop” end on McGaffey Mountain, which will be expanded by about two miles later this year.
CeMeNEMBA discontinued printing their maps but have plans for an online option. In the meantime, look for trails on the Trailforks site or app.
The highlight of the Midcoast Maine NEMBA chapter is the Camden Snow Bowl. It’s town-owned and connects to the Ragged Mountain Preserve (part of the Coastal Mountain Land Trust) which is challenging and, well, ragged. These also connect to the Goose River Trails (“Rollins Road”), an area of private land open to mountain biking, except in November during hunting season.
The Goose River Area is easier than the advanced trails of the Snow Bowl and Ragged Mountain, but John Anders of Midcoast Maine NEMBA says, “You have to ride intermediate trails to get to the beginner trails, so overall the area is intermediate.” Find maps at the Snow Bowl, Side Country Sports, at trailhead kiosks and also online: bit.ly/mcnembafront and bit.ly/mcnembaback.
The Midcoast chapter has also been working with the Georges River Land Trust on building multi-use trails at the Thomaston Town Forest that are purpose-built for mountain biking at a beginner level. Phase two starts this year and will add more trails. Find a map of the forest online at georgesriver.org/thomaston-town-forest.
Where to rent bikes in the Central / Midcoast area
Bath Cycle & Ski in Woolwich rents mountain bikes (207-442-7002).
Rainbow Bicycle in Lewiston rents fat bikes year-round (207-784-7576)
Busytown Bikes in Lewiston rents used mountain bikes (207-241-3233).
Green Machine at Lost Valley in Auburn rents fat bikes in the winter (207-784-1561).
Sidecountry Sports in Rockland rents full-suspension, hardtail and fat bikes (207-701-5100).
Sidecountry Sports at the Camden Snow Bowl rents full-suspension, hardtail and fat bikes (207-701-5100).
Maine Sport in Rockport rents hardtail, full-suspension and fat bikes (207-236-7120).
Bermed corners like this one as well as rollers, tabletops and jumps can be found on trails throughout Maine such as in Bethel, Carrabassett Valley, Falmouth, Camden and Orland.
Northern Maine
The Penobscot Region chapter of NEMBA (PR NEMBA) has been developing a variety of trails at Essex Woods Recreation Area – a 70-acre park on an old ski mountain in Bangor. There are currently 2.5 miles of purpose-built singletrack trails, another 3+ miles of “old school” trails and 4+ miles of doubletrack. Trails range from beginner, where kids’ clinics are held, to intermediate/advanced. The feature trail has machine-built jumps, drops, tabletops, rollers and berms.
In the Bangor City Forest, a few of the doubletrack trails are good for beginners, but when asked if the singletrack there and at “the Bog,” connected to the city forest, would be good for a beginner rider, Craig MacDonald of PR NEMBA said, “No, I’d call that intermediate to advanced.” Newman Hill on Caribou Bog Conservation Area in Orono is also best for expert riders. “Super techy,” he said. “Our stuff is the some of the hardest stuff in the state.”
An overall map of Bangor-area trails can be found at bit.ly/bangortrails, though MacDonald says the best source for mountain biking is Trailforks.
Where to rent bikes in Northern Maine
Rose Bicycle in Orono rents fat bikes year-round (207-866-3525).
Members of GPNEMBA stop during a charity ride to regroup at a road crossing in Cape Elizabeth.
Find your people
If you don’t want to head off into the woods alone, or send your kids there, try out a group or two. From toddlers to seniors, beginners to experts, there are many ways to fit into the Maine mountain biking scene.
Kids & teens
The Youth Cycle Project is run by Tim Corcoran of Center Street Cycles in Brunswick, and Lenora Felker, whose background is in education/therapy and professional cycling. They offer an after-school biking program for Falmouth and Yarmouth (grades 2-4), a kids’ biking program for “Minis” (K-1), beginner bike clinics (age 6+, including adults), day camps at the West Side Trail in Yarmouth (weekly, by ages), and the popular My Bike series (age 3-18). My Bike is a race series, but Felker says it feels like a “fun series” as it’s focused more on community and social interaction than competition or winning – especially for the younger kids. See youthcycleproject.org.
The Southern Maine Mountain Biking Syndicate is the brainchild of Michael Stefanakos, who bought his first mountain bike 30 years ago and fell in love on the first ride. A NEMBA member, he is also the father of two mountain bikers. He started the syndicate in 2015 with 11 kids. Last year there were 35. This year, long-standing school-based teams like Gould, Kents Hill, Camden Hills and Hebron will be joined by Syndicate teams in southern Maine, Bangor, Lewiston/Auburn, Brunswick and possibly Scarborough to form a full Maine-based race league.
Participants learn to fix a flat, fit helmets, and charge their lights for fall rides. The Syndicate meets for weekly rides through the summer. At the end of August they start racing, but during the summer, kids can just show up. See facebook.com/ SouthernMaineMtbSyndicate.
Apex Youth Connect (formerly known as the Community Bicycle Center) is a nonprofit in Biddeford that runs programs for kids 8 to 18. The Apex Bike Factory allows kids to learn basic repair skills and then put them to use offering repair services to the public. At the Bike Factory, kids have an opportunity to earn a bike they have repaired and also to set goals for fixing and restoring donated bikes to sell at the Bicycle Coalition of Maine’s Great Bike Swap. Kids can drop in Wednesdays through the summer for mountain bike rides from 1 pm – 4 pm. See apexyouthconnection.org.
Kids’ programs and rides can also be found throughout the state — “Rough Riders” is an elective of the Sugarloaf Mountain Adventure Camp. Carrabassett Valley Kids’ Mountain Bike Day Camps will continue this summer. The Midcoast Maine chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA) hosts Youth Explorer Mountain Bike Program — a weekly summer ride series that usually ends with a swim in Hosmer Pond. Many Maine NEMBA events are also kid-friendly.
Adults
We bigger kids can also find our tribes. Women are welcomed to join one or more of greater Portland’s Singletrack Sisters weekly rides: beginners on Mondays, advanced riders on Wednesdays and intermediate riders on Thursdays. Likewise, Central Maine’s Dirt Divas offers similar rides — all abilities on Monday nights, a fast pace with minimal stopping on Wednesday nights and a moderate pace on Thursday. Locations vary for both groups and beginner and intermediate rides (and sometimes advanced rides) are “no drop,” so you won’t get left behind. Find both groups on Facebook.
This season, the Portland Gear Hub is offering “Gender Equality Outdoors” rides on the first Tuesday of each month for female, trans, femme, and nonbinary folks. The Gear Hub also offers a MTB Skill Builder series for different levels of all ages, and two week-long Girls’ Mountain Bike Camps for girls 10-14 – one in July, one in August. See portlandgearhub.org.
Brian Danz, who will be leading the Gear Hub’s Skill Builder series, will also be leading Ninja Mountain Bike Performance clinics in Portland this July – including one just for women and one for improving intermediate/advanced skills. See sandiegomountainbikeskills.com/maine.
Welcoming riders of all kinds, each of Maine’s NEMBA chapters usually has regular rides throughout the warmer months, if not year-round. All chapters are listed at nemba.org and most have websites and Facebook pages as well. Before you show up for an event, ask about ability levels. Some events split groups into different levels, such as GPNEMBA’s Tour de Greater Portland series, and some are family-friendly all levels gatherings such as the Midcoast Maine NEMBA Explorers Monday night series, which welcomes kids – even little ones on balance bikes.
