3,000 Miles: My Journey from Maine to Florida

For my 30th birthday, I wanted to do something special. I had been thinking about riding the whole East Coast Greenway for a while and didn't think it's something I would be able to do. So I decided to join the East Coast Greenway on their 2022 NYC to Philly fundraising ride.

Over a weekend, I rode from NYC to Philly with hundreds of other riders. It was a great experience and exposure to long rides. When I finished, I knew I had to do the whole thing. It was just a matter of time and deciding when to start.

Two years later, I finally started my journey. I had been planning it for a while and had a few friends who were willing to host me. I took a week off from work and I was ready to go.

Arrived in Calais, Maine around 2:00 PM and started riding by 2:30. The original plan was to follow the Sunrise Trail, but it turns out it's closed until May 15.

Despite the detour, the ride was peaceful and quiet, with very little car traffic. The hills were tough. I had to walk the bike up three of them. A humbling start.

Unfortunately, my Garmin didn't record the ride. I suspect it's because I didn't keep it paired with my phone. I'll try syncing it properly today.

I made it to East Machias, just over 50 miles in total, and rode until about 6:30 PM. I didn't have the need to stop for lunch. I just had a protein bar, a caffeine packet, and two Gatorades to get me through.

My wife and I got a room at the River View Inn and grabbed Subway for dinner since Pat's Pizza had already closed by the time we arrived.

Woke up around 7 AM after a solid 10 hours of sleep. My left knee felt stiff getting out of bed, but the view from the hotel room made up for it!

We grabbed a quick breakfast at Dunkin' and hit the road by 9 AM. I didn't return to the exact endpoint from yesterday given it was only 4 miles. I was just eager to get going.

The ride to Steuben took around 4.5 hours, and the hills didn't let up. I had to dismount and walk more than I did yesterday. My shoulders started to ache, most likely from the weight of the backpack digging in mile after mile.

I met up with my wife and dog at Stueben fire station for lunch. She picked up burritos and refilled my water bottles while I reconnected with Barfi. He was so happy to see me!

I stopped around 4:30pm at Schoodic National Scenic Byway. It was getting dark and the rain was about to start. The wind was brutal, 12 mph gusts and a cold bite that made 49°F feel more like 44. The terrain was no joke either. Constant hills. But oddly enough, I could feel my legs adjusting. Even though I didn't make it to Ellisworth because of the weather, I still have stemina for another 1.5 hour ride.

My wife accidently went towards Acadia National Park and I got drenched waiting for her to come pick me up.

Covered about 55 miles today. Total ride time: 6 hours, plus a 1-hour lunch.

Started the day around 9 AM under a thick blanket of fog. My body was ready, but my brain wanted me to take it easy. Physically drained from the past two days. Cloudy skies, temps around 45°F, and a quiet, eerie start at the bridge near Weakgeun where I stopped yesterday.

The goal today: reach Belfast!

Not long into the ride, I got chased by a dog. Saw it in my rearview mirror, tail up and gaining. Heart pounding, I pedaled like hell until a car honked at it and scared it off. Thirty seconds of pure adrenaline.

Then came the trip's first flat. I spotted a staple stuck in the tread and carefully pulled it out before putting in a new tube. A lesson carried over from my New York to Philly ride: always remove the culprit before changing the tube. (Yes, I know, I'm not setup for tubeless.)

Belfast and the surrounding coastal towns were stunning. The sun broke through around 4 PM and completely transformed the ride—blue skies, golden hour, and open road. Hills are still relentless, but my legs are adapting. My bum's less sore, and I'm dialing in my form by using more quads than knees, engaging my core, and avoiding the dreaded slouch.

I ran out of battery on my lights and I rode till past sunset. Not something I would do again but I did it so I have a shot at reaching Portland by tomorrow.

Note to self: I need a hot shower every night. It's non-negotiable.

Got a bit lost near Camden. I meant to stay on Route 1, but something went off-track and I lost about 15 minutes figuring it out. My GPS is still garbage. I turned on location and Bluetooth this time, and it still didn't record my ride. Beyond frustrating. 😤

For tonight, I'm staying at a Hampton Inn which only had one room left. It was more expensive then yesterday and this one doesn't have a hot tube. Yesterday I loved the hot tub. For tomorrow, I mapped out a route on Route 1 which is shorter then going on the back roads.

Today was the perfect, sunny day to ride. I set out around 8:30 AM but in my rush, I didn't plan the route to Portland properly. I rode for 45 min only to end up back at the hotel. A frustrating loop that could've been avoided with just a few minutes of prep and I would have easily made it to Portland. Technically, I could have finished it today but we need to go back home early so my wife can pack for her upcoming travel.

I stopped in Bath for lunch. My wife picked up Five Guys and we had lunch at a beautiful picnic location by the water.

For the first time in four days, I got to ride on an actual trail and it was amazing. Beautiful, safe, fast. A total shift from navigating narrow roads and traffic. Rolling into the downtowns of each small town was equally refreshing. There's charm and character in each place, and I regret not having more time to take it all in. I had been focusing on the distance covered, but really I should prioritize experiencing the downtowns. That means grabbing a local beer or simply walking around the area and going into the little shops.

Today was a strong day physically. I tackled five major climbs, ranging from 3% to 6% gradients over a mile each. I felt good, really good. Stronger. My fastest speed clocked in at 24.8 mph, and I didn't waste much time with stops.

Wrapped up the ride at Brickyard Hollow Brewing Company in Falmouth, Maine around 5:30 PM, after nine hours in the saddle. I had been looking forward to ending with a chilled beer... but we were in a rush to get back home.

After wrapping up Day 4 on Tuesday, my wife and I headed home. The forecast showed rain for the next four days, and it didn't make sense to keep riding in those conditions.

Wednesday was reset day. I drove down to my local Trek store and picked up a rear rack to hang panniers.

While fiddling with my GPS, I finally figured out why none of my rides had been recorded thus far: I hadn't been hitting the start button. I felt so dumb. Turns out I didn't even need my phone paired. Would've loved to see the data from those hill climbs and map of the route I rode.

Thursday morning surprised me with sunshine. The weather had cleared up unexpectedly. I jumped on the opportunity and got my parents to drive me back to where I left off at Brickyard Hollow Brewing Company in Yarmouth, Maine.

I started riding around 2 PM and went until 6. I was mostly on trails today and loved it because the weather was cloudy and it felt safe to be on the trails.It felt really good to be back out there because I didn't know when I will continue my journey.

We ate at Jewel of India in Biddeford, ME. The food was really delicious! I would recommend this place. It was just sad we had to leave Barfi in the car.

Rode about 30 miles today and tomorrow I'm aiming for 70 miles, which would take me through the rest of Maine and into New Hampshire.

Another morning, another Hampton Inn. In hindsight, we should've stayed at the Holiday Inn in Biddeford last night instead of driving back to Portland.

Woke up at 7 as usual, grabbed breakfast, and my parents drove me back to the starting point near the Jewel of India. I had that familiar hesitation in me, the urge to take it easy. But the moment I hit the road and felt the sun break through the clouds, that resistance melted away. I was back on the Eastern Trail, cruising through dirt paths and gentle forested stretches.

I was especially excited to cross the overpass marked "Eastern Trail – East Coast Greenway", a landmark I'd seen from the highway before. This time, I was riding it.

Lunch was a nostalgic surprise. I stopped in Berwick, at the exact same pizza shop my friend and I visited years ago during a spontaneous road trip to Maine. I ordered veggie pizza for everyone and ate with my parents. The girl at the pizza place asked how far I was riding, I said, "To Boston." She told me her 65-year-old dad once biked from here to Texas over two months. I was totally impressed and motivated!

Crossing from Maine into New Hampshire was something I had looked forward to, but oddly enough, there was no "Welcome to NH" sign. I called another friend of mine to share the milestone, but without the signage, it felt quietly symbolic instead of triumphant.

The ride into New Castle along the coast was breathtaking. The sun, the water, the breeze, it felt like something out of a painting. I rode by the beach for miles, stunned at every curve. Words don't quite do it justice.

To mark the moment, I pulled over for a celebratory scoop of ice cream. Pure satisfaction.

I kept thinking: I've spent over 40 hours this week breathing in clean, fresh air, and I feel high on it. Not in a euphoric way, more like a deep, calm clarity. Like I can hear the world humming again.

By 5 PM, I crossed into Massachusetts. I wasn't exhausted, I just wanted to stop, shower, and enjoy a beer. We found another Hampton Inn, just 10 minutes away, and checked in. I found a highly rated Italian place, Ristorante Molise, and ordered Linguini Lemoncello. I needed the chicken and carbs after burning 4000 calories!

We left Amesbury, MA around 9 AM, aiming for Waltham, about 75 miles away. But after riding 35 miles and reaching my cousin's house in Peabody, I felt ready to call it a day. I'll pick it up from here next time.

I might need to get a proper bike fit before my next ride. My knee pain is nagging at me, and I'm not sure if it's from a poor fit or just my muscles not being up to the challenge..

Looking back, the whole experience was incredible. The rhythm of the ride, the challenges, the quiet moments... it's been a ride I'll always remember.

For future trips, I've learned that a balance of five days riding and a rest day works best. Or even just letting go of the pressure to hit big distances and focusing more on the joy of the ride itself. That's something I'll carry with me.

It's Memorial Day weekend, my wife is on-call, and the weather is perfect, so I decided to keep riding. Wrapped up my work around 1:30 PM, and my parents drove me to Peabody. Unfortunately, traffic was awful, and it took us 2.5 hours to get there. I finally started around 4 PM and rode for about three hours.

By the time I reached Malden, I realized I still had 10–15 miles to go, but it was already 7 PM. So, I took a shortcut and made my way directly to Arlington, where my friend was waiting for me. I had planned to stay with him for the night.

Riding around Lynn was a surprise. I wasn't aware how beautiful the beaches and the coastal views are in Lynn. It was a pleasant surprise.

In total, it was a solid 30-mile ride. No knee pain, and my butt didn't hurt.

When I reached Arlington, my friend was super generous and made me an amazing smoothie, followed by a delicious Thai dinner. Afterward, we hit up 5 Horse Tavern for drinks. I definitely enjoyed the Weinstephenifer!

Woke up by 7:30 AM and was out the door by 8:15. Quick stop at Dunkin' for a bagel, coffee, and some Gatorade, and I was on the road by 8:45.

My biggest concern today was figuring out where I'd stay the night because hotels were ridiculously expensive due to the holiday weekend. My sister called me in the morning, and suggested I stay with one of their relative-in-laws place. Their house was right on my route to West Warwick. The only question was whether I'd make it there. I told them I'd confirm around 6 PM when I reached Providence.

The day was beautiful, sunny, and mostly spent on trails. I'm not a fan of sandy, gravelly ones, though.

Around 11 AM, I reached Framingham and stopped for lunch, had two pizzas and a soda. It hit the spot! But I was still craving ice cream. There was a sign for Fire Ice Cream on the trail, but I couldn't find the place. I continued riding and stopped at another place and had cotton candy-flavored ice cream instead. As I was leaving, a fellow rider told me to enjoy the ride. As we chatted, I noticed she was wearing an ECG vest, and we got talking. Turns out, she works with the local government in Hopkinton to improve trails, and she was super excited about my attempt to ride the ECG. She even mentioned how the ECG might feature me in their newsletter once I'm done. I wasn't sure about that, but it was a nice thought. Her name was Sally and she's such a sweet and encouraging person.

I connected to another trail, forgot which one it was, but I was only supposed to be on it for a short segment. But that trail almost felt like a mountain bike trail with all the bumps. Then came the fun part, the trail got super narrow, tree branches were scrapping my legs and there were huge swamps. I had to get off, carry my bike and carefully walk on the edges to not fall into the swamp. I got concerned because it felt like a never ending stretch. I only had one option which was to continue moving forward.

Soon after, I met four older guys,Jim, Jim, Jim, and Shawn, who were also riding the ECG. They ride 400 miles every year over the course of a week. They warned me about the swampy section I was on and advised me to switch to a road route. They were counting how many times each of them had fallen, and it was hilarious. I was excited to meet them and even took a group photo with them. I listened to their advice and got off the trail as soon as I could.

Once I crossed into Rhode Island, the trails were beautiful again - wide, smooth, and scenic. I was on track to reach Providence by 6 PM, and my pre-planned route ended around 6:30. From there, I had another 10 miles to West Warwick.

Total for the day: 95 miles. I think I could've pushed for another 5, but I'll save that for next time.

A big win today: little to no knee pain. My left leg felt great, though the right leg was a bit sore. I also experimented with pedaling up hills by using a pulling action with my quads and calves instead of pushing down on my knees. I picked that up from a YouTube video. Strength training has definitely been helping. I spent most of the day in the lowest 3 gears, compared to the 4th gear I was using before.

I spent the night at my brother-in-law's relative's place and I'm incredibly grateful to them for letting me couchsurf. I woke up at 7:30 AM, and aunty made me chai. I grabbed my gear, and was out the door by 8:15 AM. The trail was only about 1.5 miles from their house, so I was off to a good start.

Stopped by Dollar General to stock up on Gatorade and continued on my way. Early into the ride, I found a guy with a solid 15 mph cadence and decided to ride behind him. It felt efficient, and I realized that riding with stronger riders can really help me push my limits.

This whole weekend felt like I was constantly on trails. Which is great because once the East Coast Greenway is complete, we will be able to ride on trails all the way to Florida. The resistance from the dirt trails made it harder, but I kept experimenting with my pedaling technique. I learned that using both pulling and pushing motions can really help, and I plan to focus on that more.

Around noon, the heat started to get to me and I could feel a potential heatstroke coming on. I drank a lot of fluids and kept pushing through until I made it to Putnam, where I stopped for lunch. A grilled cheese sandwich hit the spot, but unfortunately, I had a pretty bad experience with the bartender, who gave me terrible service compared to the other patrons. It was disappointing, especially after such a long ride.

Right after lunch, my Garmin notified me that I was approaching a climb. I was already dreading it, especially after a meal. As I walked my bike up, someone yelled, "Aren't you supposed to be riding that thing?" I just laughed and said, "Not this hill after lunch!" He was joking, of course, but I wasn't in the mood for hills just yet.

I passed through so many farms today, and I have to say, I kind of enjoy the smell of cow manure. It doesn't gross me out, it actually feels oddly comforting, like a familiar scent from my childhood in India.

The day wasn't without its struggles. There were two major hills with steep 7-9% grades. I had to walk both of them. The heat was wearing me down, and after lunch, I was also dealing with cramps in my stomach. But I kept going because I had to reach Hartford. Thunderstorms were predicted, and I didn't want to risk getting caught in it.

By 5:30 PM, I started to feel my body temperature fluctuating, similar to the post-marathon feeling. I realized I had barely eaten today, just chai, bhakri, grilled cheese, and two protein bars. I definitely need to figure out my nutrition strategy for these long rides. I could tell when my body processed a protein bar because I'd get a jolt of energy, and my speed would increase. But by then, I was actually yawning and almost falling asleep on the bike. Not safe at all.

I was keeping an eye on my remaining miles and time, and I could feel the drop in my energy. My average speed started at 12 mph in the morning, but by the afternoon, I was barely making 8 mph. Garmin also recorded me at 0 mph for about an hour because I didn't want to risk stopping the tracker like I did the day before.

From mile 90 onward, it was smooth sailing mostly downhill on Connecticut's trails, which was a welcome relief. The only downside was that many of the downhill stretches ended at stop signs, and I didn't have the energy to climb back up any of them. Still, it was thrilling to coast without much effort.

I finally met up with a friend near the science center, and when I saw my Garmin showing 100 miles, I was ecstatic.