Farm to Fork Fondo

Farm to Fork Fondo, Maine

"Combine a beautiful ride through enduring farmland along Vacationland's coast, hundreds of cyclists from beginners to professionals, aid stations with treats straight from local farms, a post-ride Maine lobster bake and farm to fork barbecue feast, and you've got yourself the Farm to Fork Fondo - Maine!"—from the Farm to Fork Fondo website 

Ahhh... what can I say? Other than having a uniquely challenging ride on beautiful Maine backroads, and fun with friends (at the post-ride barbecue), the Farm to Fork Fondo was a bit disappointing.

Pros:

• Gorgeous scenic route with challenging, rolling hills
• Maine
• Friends! (Eight of us in all)
• Great mechanical support from LL Bean
• Fun post-ride lobster bake and barbecue

Cons

• No food at first farm stop, other than dense oaty Clif bars. (Where were the "polenta cakes with wild blueberry jam swirl, mini blueberry and chevre turnovers with honey glaze, and shortbread cookie sandwiches with blueberry buttercream frosting"? Hahaha... I'm not kidding.)
• No food at second farm stop either, unless you can count broken bits of cookie, maple sugar candy, and those anchor Clif bars). No "Maple-oat-carrot bars, chocolate beet cake with maple cream frosting, or shots of the farm's pure maple syrup"... (ok, seriously?)
• Ahh, not as promised/advertised/promoted
• Hand to eke out the first half of my ride on energy chews. (Unplanned)
• Friends not happy, (telling me they're going to vet the next ride I propose. Sigh.)

Meh. All in all, a mixed experience. Not sure I'd ever ride this one again.

Great support from LL Bean!
We discovered a gash in my tire 30 minutes pre-ride.
Nice to be able to get that replaced so quickly.