Day 69 – August 11 – Fryeburg, ME to Brunswick, ME – 78 Miles

Rain was forecast again for today.  There was heavy overcast, it was cool and there was no rain.  A check of the radar showed no showers in the area.  We got our start at 8:00. Our goal for the day was Brunswick. It would put us within a two days ride of Bar Harbor

Our route followed county roads and minor state routes.  We were out of the mountains but that did not mean that there were no climbs.  Maine is hilly.  When these roads were built they were just laid over or around hills.  There was not much work to reduce the grade.  The hills today may have been short, but many were steep.  There were quite a few rollers where with enough speed from the previous downhill, we could make it up the next hill with a little effort.

It was a relief to have a day without mechanical or weather demons.  At least that is what we thought.  When we arrived a Brunswick for the evening Joe let me know that the lever for his front brake was sticking.  Upon a closer look we discovered that the cable had frayed.  The other problem was that it was after 6:00 on Saturday, and a check of local bike shops did not provide hope that there might be one open on Sunday.  I was able to free up the sticking lever but the cable was down to just a few strands.  Not something we would want to rely on for a full day of riding.

With our ride nearing the finish, the brake issue just added to the anxiety.  The area we will be riding into will be full of vacationers and traffic. The roads in Maine have not been the best.  Shoulders, if they exist have not been consistently well surfaced.  Weather forecasts are calling for more rain tomorrow.