What’s Going On, Bud?

Yes. Well. What is going on with the bike trek from Key West to Canada? What’s the bike trek update? Weren’t you supposed to be back at it today?

First, a recap for those new to this.

The idea was to bike from Key West, FL, to the Canadian border at Calais, ME, on the Atlantic Coast Route & East Coast Greenway—approximately “3,000 miles from Maine to Florida,” according to the East Coast Greenway organization.

I started riding the ECG / Atlantic Coast route heading north from Key West on February 27th, 2025.

I pedaled the first approximately 1000 miles (upon a review it was actually 985 miles) north to Georgetown, SC by March 26th.

I drove a rental car home to Boston, MA—to fulfill two outstanding commitments—on March 27th.

For those of you following the trek you may remember I was preparing to drive back down to Georgetown, SC on April 17th—two days ago. 

Last week, I received an email that a spot on the Adventure Cycling Association’s tour of the northern half of the East Coast Greenway had opened up. The ACA’s tour covers the 1,256 miles between Bar Harbor, ME to Washington, DC in 32 days, starting May 7th and ending on June 7th.

Some backstory: I had attempted to register for this tour earlier this year, but having been the tenth person on the waiting list I thought there was no way I’d join the tour. 

Strange things happen, indeed!

As you know the world has gone more askew than usual recently, and somehow at least 11 other riders dropped out and/or changed their minds. That was lucky for me if I chose to give up my independence on-tour to become one of a group of 14 riders and two guides.

I took a few days to consider it before I made a decision. So I ruminated…

Pros:

—I don’t have to bike alone.

—Cheaper (by half!)

—Don’t need to do any “plannifying”—all the logistics have been worked out by ACA and the tour leaders. I don’t have to take hours to figure out the overnight stops, mapping, resupplies, mileage, etc.—just get on the bike and pedal.

—Defined start/end dates.

— I’d be 75% done, only needing the D.C. to Georgetown, SC gap to finish the trail.

— Did I mention that it would cost 50% less, i.e., half the cost of what it cost to do the first 32 days from Key West to Georgetown, SC?!

Cons:

—I don’t get to bike alone. There’s something to making all the choices and seeing exactly what one wishes to see. Therefore:

—I can’t necessarily linger somewhere because I need to be somewhere by the end of the day… why?

—Shared cooking. This is what I hate about ACA’s self contained tours (self contained means there isn’t a car or van carrying your gear—which I don’t mind at all…) BUT: we split up ACA cooking gear for 14 people and buy groceries for meals on a daily basis, and wash all said gear in the pm and am. This means teams of 2-3 people have to prep food, cook, and wash up daily—meaning every few days you have to be early to camp to prep & cook, then wash; and each morning you have to get up at 5 or 5:30 am, after a late night of washing dishes to make coffee & breakfast, then wash. I so wish ACA would allow people to carry their own cooking gear, or none at all (if one prefers take out at camp). This requirement has kept me from taking many of the ACA’s trips which I’d like to take. In fact it’s why I didn’t sign up for this tour originally when it was announced last year.

—Did I mention shared cooking.

But I ruminated and thought… why not?

Just shift mindset and deal with the team effort of grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning for others, as they will grocery shop, cook and clean for me. (But let me tell you there are some memorably bad meals that have been sourced at convenience stores on the self contained ACA tours in my past.) But what the hell!

Now, I’m looking forward to joining about a dozen others in Bar Harbor, ME on May 7th. And we’ll all be heading southbound to Washington, DC soon thereafter (I think there may be a shakedown ride, not sure).

So, you may be map savvy with Maine and beg the question: If you’re doing the entire East Coast Greenway, what about the miles from the Canadian border to Bar Harbor, ME—about 140-150 miles depending on the route chosen?

I’m heading up to Calais, ME—the northern terminus of the ECG—on May 1st, and on May 2nd I’ll start biking down to Bar Harbor, ME to join my fellow bike trekkers.

There are no doubts about this as I’m registered and paid-up. I will be headed south on the ECG first week of May.

And, once the tour is done in Washington, DC on June 7th—and after a day off, or two—I’ll continue the 688 miles from DC to Georgetown, SC and complete the entirety of the trail.

And while it wasn’t the continuous and contiguous bike trek I envisioned, I will have covered all the mileage in one bike season—after having spent so many miles on dreaded US 17 which is almost entirely behind me now.

Though, tarnation(!) it’s the road I’ll finish the tour on… go figure!

So it’s set. In roughly 13 days this space will turn into a short term bike journal again which I hope you will forbear and endure.

I hope to ensnare your interest… (heh!)

What I’m Reading:

“Why did they do it…”

And the other answers, “Because they could.”

That is the only answer there ever is.

— Naomi Alderman / The Power