Originally Posted by
DougG
If you like hills, be sure to enter the Michigan Mountain Mayhem ride sometime. It's in that NW part of the lower peninsula that others have mentioned. The hills in that region are not particular high, but they're very steep and they keep coming one after the other. If you look at the cumulative elevation gain, I'm told it exceeds some of the better-known Colorado mountain pass rides!
For other routes that run far afield from SE Michigan, I'd suggest the Leelanaw Peninsula NW of Traverse City. I haven't measured any climbs, but I have had my butt kicked several summers in a row riding around there - hard stuff!