Shifting gears

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/07/2023 (1148 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BAR HARBOR, Maine — Norman Patry gave up on his dream in life — and the decision eventually opened the door for him to later achieve a dream in life.

Known as the big toe at Summer Feet Cycling & Walking, a tour operation based in Portland, Maine, Patry’s path has taken him from trying to help folks improve their balance sheets to instead helping them put assets in their memory banks. His route has hardly been a straight line — but then what great bike ride is.

Growing up in small-town Maine, Patry had a similar aspiration to many of his young peers: go off to a New England college and then move to and work in the big city. Preferably New York or Boston.

The plan appeared to be proceeding perfectly as Patry graduated from Boston College and started working in the investment industry in the Massachusetts capital. However, after a half-dozen years at Sun-Life Canada, he had an itch that needed to be scratched. Patry was 29 years old, the lease was up on his apartment, he had just broken up with his girlfriend and he didn’t like his job. Reading the tea laves as they were, he thought about taking a summer off to ponder his possibilities.

“But the deal with myself was I would only take the summer off if I had a challenge. To quit my job to just sit around and watch Oprah all week? Probably not worth it,” Patry explains.

Over a beer one evening with his buddy Pete, the “challenge” presented itself when Pete — an avid cyclist — suggested the idea of Patry biking across America.

“I didn’t even own a bike and I hadn’t ridden one since he was a kid. But I started to get really intrigued by the idea,” Patry recalls. “Over the next few days, riding on the subway and then sitting in my little cube I was like: ‘If I don’t do it, I’m going to wonder about it.’

“So, I literally walked into my boss’s office, gave my two week’s notice, got off the subway one stop earlier than normal, walked into a bike shop and told them I wanted to ride a bike across America.”

The shop sold him a Trek 520 Touring bike, which he later named Alice, and he went to the library and took out a book on bike touring. Two weeks later, in the summer of 1995, he embarked on a two-and-a-half-month, 6,700-kilometre adventure that took him from Williamsburg, Virginia to Coos Bay, Oregon. He camped most of the time; occasionally splurging for a hotel — and a shower.

“That was my first adult bike ride. I knew so little I had three cotton T-shirts,” he laughs.

When he was done, he felt rejuvenated and ready to conquer the corporate world again. He went back to Boston — because he loves the Bruins and playing pickup hockey with his pals — and got another job in the investment industry. But, two years later…

“If you want to quit your job every two years, you’re probably in the wrong business,” says Patry.

So he packed up his stuff and hit the road again: this time back to Maine, where he could be close to his father and maybe finally figure out what he wanted to do when he grew up.

“It was then that I came up with the idea that I wanted to ride a bike for a living,” Patry says with a big smile.

Great idea and a perfect work place for Patry to pursue his passion. Maine offers incredible cycling opportunities for enthusiasts of all levels. With its picturesque landscapes and diverse terrain, the state provides a variety of cycling experiences — from scenic coastal routes to challenging mountain trails.

While working as a guide for a company in Portland, Patry thought to himself “I can do this” and decided to start Summer Feet. His first year in business, he had a grand total of 11 people ride bikes with him. The number skyrocketed to 57 the following year. Two decades later, he was anticipating a couple of thousand guests in 2023.

Summer Feet conducts a variety of guided and self-guided tours around the state and one of its main hubs is Bar Harbour. It’s there that Patry takes myself and some fellow travel journalists and aspiring cyclists for an early-May, three-day visit .

The charming coastal town exudes a quaint New England atmosphere — its streets lined with shops, galleries and restaurants. Located on Mount Desert Island, it also serves as a gateway to Acadia National Park, one of the most visited national parks in the United States — and one of the state’s best places to tour on two wheels. A number of Summer Feet tours feature a visit to Acadia.

“It’s just a very pretty place, and it has great cycling,” says Patry.

Our visit to the park includes riding the Park Loop Road, touring the Schoodic Peninsula and being introduced to the iconic Carriage Roads.

The 27-mile park loop offers a mix of coastal and inland scenery. It passes through forests that have a beautiful scent of balsam, along rocky shores and past several notable attractions and viewpoints. Be sure to make a stop at Sand Beach, where you can witness the powerful crashing of waves against the shoreline.

The loop also provides access to the summit of Cadillac Mountain, the highest point along the eastern seaboard of the United States. From the top, you can enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding islands, mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. Cadillac Mountain is also particularly renowned for its stunning sunrise vistas.

It’s worth noting the park can get crowded during peak seasons, so plan your visit during less busy times or arrive early in the day to enjoy a more serene experience. A large portion of the loop road does, however, have two lanes of one-way traffic, creating a default bike lane that makes for great cycling.

The Schoodic Peninsula provides a quieter and less-crowded cycling environment while still showcasing the park’s natural beauty. Located on the mainland, just east of Mount Desert Island, the peninsula features a network of scenic roads and trails that are perfect for cycling. The Schoodic Loop Road encircles the peninsula and provides a roughly 14-km route with stunning views of the rugged coastline. Our ride featured a memorable stop at Schoodic Point, a dramatic headland with expansive ocean views.

The jewel of Acadia National Park are the Carriage Roads. Unfortunately, spring rains prevented us from riding the trails, but Patry took us for a walk to give us a taste of their beauty and whet our appetites for a return visit. The 72 kms of carriage roads are a network of beautifully designed paths that wind through the park’s stunning landscapes. They were created by John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his family in the early 1900s, “to help people enjoy the interior of the park free from the noise and pollution of the automobile.”

One of the notable aspects of the carriage roads is their numerous picturesque stone bridges, which add charm and elegance to the landscape. The bridges were constructed using local materials, such as granite and cobblestones, and were meticulously designed to blend seamlessly with the natural surroundings.

Definitely worth a return visit.

Back in Portland after our tour and enjoying a latte at a wonderful local coffee shop, there is not a moment of hesitation when I ask the now 57-year-old Patry if he’s glad he made that fateful decision to bail on his childhood dream.

“You bet, it changed my life for the better,” he says. “Growing up, you watch movies and you think “Oh, corporate America looks great.” And then you find out it’s not that interesting.”

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