biking in Maine..bar harbor and acadia nat'l park

My husband and I did the VBT Vermont bike trip and absolutely loved it and now we want to do the VBT bike trip in Maine/Acadia Nat%26#39;l Park. Has anyone done that trip who could tell us how hard it is? It%26#39;s rated ';easy/moderate';. Any information you could give us would be a great help in deciding if wer%26#39;e up to the challenge. We%26#39;re recreational bikers. Thank you.

biking in Maine..bar harbor and acadia nat'l park

I%26#39;m not a cyclist of any form, I can%26#39;t really answer the ';easy/moderate'; question. VBT is a very popular tour here---it seems like they show up every other week or so during the season.

From their web site, it looks like they concentrate on the carriage road system---a network of roughly 45 miles of well maintained roads with no motorized vehicle traffic---although their little map also shows routes along the highways and part of the Loop Road. The Loop Road is decent for cycling---it is paved (rather than crushed stone) and well maintained and much of it is one-way. The highways can be a different story. Many of our public roads have narrow shoulders (if at all) that aren%26#39;t always in good repair and the traffic can be heavy during the height of the season (July and August). If you have qualms about such riding, you might consider designing your own tour. Bikes and bike racks are available here, if you don%26#39;t have your own. The access to the carriage roads is excellent. Moreover, from late June into October, the Island Explorer free shuttle system provides transport for bikes (and their riders). See:

http://www.exploreacadia.com

I have walked most, if not all of the carriage road system. There definitely are hills (some long), but only a few stretches that I think would be difficult. They say that they provide van access for the more challenging stretches---well, not on the carriage roads. There, you either cycle or walk.

You might want to check out a small, inexpensive publication: ';A pocket guide to the carriage roads of Acadia National Park'; by Diana Abrell. It is published by Down East Books, Camden Me:

https://secure.downeast.com/

She provides clear descriptions of 12 carriage road routes of varying distances and includes a table showing distance and change in elevation.

biking in Maine..bar harbor and acadia nat'l park

Thank you very much for replying and also for the good information on Maine biking. Jan and Roy