FARMINGTON – NorthStar Ambulance bike medics Blaine Rackliff and Carl Blondell parked the bike medic trailer Wednesday in a lot on High Street at the University of Maine at Farmington in preparation for a three-mile test.

The workout, Rackliff said, would take participants up High Street to Middle and back down Perham. The goal was to ride the 3 miles in less than 18 minutes in an annual test of the riders’ health and performance.

The medics carry basic support and life support equipment with a defibrillator and more on the bikes, he said.

There are 14 active bike medic members, he said, who have participated in 25 local events during the past year. They attend gatherings such as Wilton’s Blueberry Festival and Farmington’s Strawberry Festival.

They also work in schools teaching bike and trail safety, such as a class done at Jay Middle School. The medics have also done checks on bike helmets with kids as young as 3, he said.

Five local bike medics are preparing to participate in an EMS Memorial Bike Ride starting May 20 that will take them 600 miles in six days. The ride starts in New York City on May 20, and they will bike to Roanoke, Va., in memory of medics who have died. Along with Rackliff and Blondell, Sean Estabrook, Ben Guild and Justin Hulburt will leave here May 18 to participate.