CARIBOU, Maine — Tourism officials in Aroostook County are applauding the decision of the Bicycle Coalition of Maine to bring their BikeMaine event to The County next year.
“BikeMaine is a celebration of Maine’s people, places, culture, and food,” BikeMaine Event Director Zach Schmesser said. “As we started to think about where we wanted to go next year, northern Maine — and specifically Aroostook County — really stood out for us.
“Geographically, Aroostook County is the largest county east of the Mississippi, and there’s so much about northern Maine that we’d like to showcase for our riders, most of whom come from out of state. It’s a very special place,” Schmesser said.
Alain Ouellette, planning and development division director at Northern Maine Development Commission, is also staff support to the Aroostook County Tourism Board.
“ACT is thrilled to have nearly 500 bicyclists introduced to the region through BikeMaine,” said Ouellette. “Aroostook County can offer a very unique bicycling experience. Cyclists can enjoy open space, abundant wildlife, panoramic views, picturesque villages and low vehicle traffic. Bike along rivers, forestlands or travel along a state designated scenic highway.”
2018 will be the sixth year of BikeMaine, sponsored by The Bicycle Coalition of Maine, aimed at making Maine a bicycle tourism destination.
“The League of American Cyclists has ranked Maine as one of the top 10 most bike-friendly states in the country,” Ouellette said. “The rankings are based on more than 70 factors, including bike-friendly legislation, policies and programs; infrastructure; education and encouragement; evaluation and planning; and enforcement.”
BikeMaine officials said the event would be a week-long celebration of Acadia in the St. John Valley: La Terre Entre Deux. The specific towns that BikeMaine 2018 will visit will be announced in February.
BikeMaine is an event offered by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, a nonprofit membership organization with more than 5,000 members working to make Maine better through biking and walking.
For more information, visit http://ride.bikemaine.org/.
