By Renee Worthing
Register Reporter



With warm weather encouraging people to take their fitness regimen outside, the Kennebunkport-based Maine Coastal Cycling Club (MC3) invites new riders to strap on their helmets.
MC3 President Tom Decker said while some cycling clubs are intimidating to new riders because participants seem to be racing, MC3 offers different speeds and different routes to accommodate the needs and abilities of riders.
MC3 began in 2002, when Decker, who trained for biathlons, had to quit racing competitively because of knee injuries. He first joined the Saco Bay Cycling Club, which later merged with a riding club in Gorham.
“I used to ride with some fast people,” Decker said. “They would have to send people back for me. I was chasing them and I beat myself up trying to keep up.”
He said he was exhausted after the rides, but still wanted to participate – at a slower pace.
Decker chose a different route that intersected with the riders, enabling him to interact with them throughout the ride, but allowing him a slower pace.
“They were the ‘A’ ride and I was the ‘B’ ride,” Decker said.
Decker’s idea caught on and he added the “A-, B, B+ and C” rides.
“A” rides are what he called a “free for all.”
“They ride about 40 miles at speeds of more than 20 miles per hour,” Decker said.
“A-” rides are somewhat slower and offer four different routes, including a coast route, The Estes Lake/Pig Farm loop in South Sanford and the Saco River Ride.
The “B” ride along Goose Rocks Beach and Walker’s Point, is 25 to 30 miles in length at an average speed of about 14 to 15 miles per hour. The “B+” ride follows the same basic route as the “B” ride with a couple of extra loops, adding about two miles to the ride. The speed is between 16 and 17 miles per hour.
The “C” ride is intended for people new to group rides or those that would like to start out at a slower pace. The ride is based on the needs of the riders for that day.
Most rides depart from Cape Able Bike Shop in Kennebunkport, including the “big ride” on Sunday mornings, which draws up to 70 cyclists in June and July and ends with a muffin and coffee.
A Wednesday night ride leaves from Sanford Airport and includes two routes. One loop takes riders to North Berwick and back through Wells, while the other route goes around Estes Lake and through West Kennebunk.
Decker said the advantage to the “A” through “C” rides is it allows riders to experience joining up with other riders at an intersecting point along the routes.
“They can try the faster ride and then if they don’t like it, they can drop back to the slower group,” Decker said.
He said nobody is ever left behind.
“I don’t care what need people have, I’ll take care of them,” Decker said.
Before each ride, the group gathers to discuss safety, cycling etiquette and planned stops along the route.
Kennebunk resident Dave Garriepy said he’s been riding with the club for about five years. He said the Sunday morning rides help him unwind from his third shift job at the Kennebunk Fire Department.
On Mother’s Day, John Land and his wife Amy Phalon of York joined MC3 for the first time.
Land, who raced in the Sturbridge Road Race and Sunapee Road Race last year, said he needed the extra motivation of riding with others.
He began riding about three years ago after Phalon, a life-long bicyclist, encouraged him to try it.
“I love it,” Phalon said. “It’s a good way to say in shape, meet people an it’s easy on the knees.”
Decker said most people in the group ride a road bike. He said a few people ride a “hybrid” bicycle, which has straight handlebars and narrower tires than a mountain bike.
“It’s also lighter than a mountain bike and it’s good for on and off road, but the best is a road bike,” Decker said.
Bob Osthues joined the group on Mother’s Day as well after spending the winter in Greenville, S.C.
“I’m up for the summer and it’s good to be back,” he said.
He said he rides regularly in South Carolina.
“One of the nice things (about MC3) is the various rides,” Osthues said.
Kennebunk resident Frank Wertheim said he started with the slow group and worked his way up to the faster rides.  He also turned in his old bicycle for a sleeker road bike.
Now he rides his bike from Kennebunk to his office in Springvale about once a week.
The club follows strict safety guidelines and Decker hosts first time group rider safety courses. He said riders are cautioned to watch for potholes and other hazards in the roadway, as well as cars coming up from behind.
“There is a lot to know about riding in a group and with moving traffic,” he said, adding the club will host an introduction to group riding on May 31.
The club also hosts special events such as holiday breakfast rides on Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day, during which the group stops for breakfast at a local restaurant. They also host a club barbecue in the summer and a 100-mile ride in September.
The primary purpose of the rides is exercise, but slower rides are the social rides, Decker said.
“You can ride and talk on the slower rides,” he said. “You’d be surprised what you can learn about someone from riding next to them.”
Decker said the 80-member club welcomes new riders of any age and any ability.
“We have some high school students participate in the rides, as well as people up to 60 years old,” he said. “We cover the whole gamut. What makes us different is we’re not a racing club,” Decker said. “We bring people together for riding.”
For more information, visit www.mainecoastcycling.com.
To contact Renee Worthing, email news@intheregister.com or 282-4337 ext. 240