Touring - Want to tour around Lake Erie atrting at Cleveland, Ohio suggestions?

I would like to go "around" Lake Erie maybe starting in Cleveland, Ohio or there abouts. Can anyone suggest a safe route and give me an idea about distances. I think we'll camp most of the time. Two middle aged guys having some fun looking for ideas that would get us around Lake Erie safely and within 10 days. Thanks to all who reply. Wardie

My tip is to not stay over night in anywhere from Dunnville to Buffalo. A lot of weird folk, if you know what I mean.

I have never ridden around Lake Erie although I have driven it number of times and my experience from that is that there is a lot of traffic. I would suggest going up towards Buffalo (still a lot of traffic although Erie looked nice) and then head over towards the Finger Lakes. I have done a bit of cycling east of Buffalo and the back roads are very much less travelled and really nice all the way to the lakes. Cleveland also has a nice network of cycling trails encircling it so training for your trip must be a joy.

Good luck

Take the ferry from Sandusky to Pelee Island and the next ferry from Pelee Island to Pt. Pelee because getting around Detroit and getting across the river on a bicycle is next to impossible. The Adventure Cycling Lake Erie and Northern Tier have the routes you are looking for. http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/lakeerie.cfm

I went around Lake Erie in 10 riding days (+ 2 rest days). Average distance per day was 120 km.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/gltlakeerie

~Jamie N

Enjoyed your cycling travelogue, Jamie. I read a few pages while finishing my coffee. Hey, my second favorite radio station is FM96 in your home town of London. It comes in at my house east of Cleveland.

Take the ferry from Sandusky to Pelee Island and the next ferry from Pelee Island to Pt. Pelee because getting around Detroit and getting across the river on a bicycle is next to impossible. The Adventure Cycling Lake Erie and Northern Tier have the routes you are looking for. http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/lakeerie.cfm

I'll second that. We did this loop this past summer (going clockwise). It took twelve days. The ACA maps are excellent. There is no way to get from Detroit to Windsor, unless you put your bikes on a motor vehicle.

The Pelee Island ferry does not keep a tight schedule so allow extra time for this.

There's a nice Hostelling International in Buffalo that's used to accomodating cyclists.

There is no way to get from Detroit to Windsor, unless you put your bikes on a motor vehicle.

As far as I know, the only way to get a bicycle directly (and easily) between the U.S. and Canada in the area is to take a ferry across the St. Clair river either at Algonac - Walpole Island or Marine City - Sombra. But that would still mean getting around/through Detroit, and I would not recommend that to anyone not intimately familiar with the area!

Two other things: The westerly winds usually predominate and as stated earlier, there is something weird about the north shore of Erie. Before I camped I could find a motel or hotel from Leamington to Dunville. Luckily there are a couple of parks you can camp in however. I seem to recall it's not the best stealth camping region though.

Did some of this back in 1999, from Windsor to Tilsonburg, On...
There are lots of rail-trails that are in mostly good shape, but traffic is generally light away from Highway #3, which is not too busy, but very fast and the shoulder was narrow. South-Western Ontario is quite agricultural and pancake flat so there are many concession lines / back roads if you don't mind dirt / gravel and adding some miles.
Many provincial parks along the shore for camping, and good swimming on our side.

Pelee Island - Sandusky ferry is a good idea if it's running, but incidentally, I think you can load bikes on the Detroit - Windsor Tunnel bus. No riding bikes in the tunnel or on the Ambassador bridge though.
Have fun.