Beverly

I just completed registration for my second week long tour this summer. I'll be doing the Michigan West Shoreline tour in early August. Anyone done it before or doing it this year?

https://www.lmb.org/pages/Events/ShorelinePages/West.htm

I might have been a little out of my mind when I signed up for it as I'll just have finished XOBA a week before this one starts Hopefully the bike and I will survive all those miles. At least we'll have a private SAG on this tour and I can take an extra day of rest if needed.

MichiganMike

Nope. I have ridden the route, but never done the tour. You will have a great time though. Remember, Traverse Pie Company in Traverse City.

Road Fan

I'v ridden probably 100 miles near Traverse City, Leland, and Beulah, and I think you're gonna love it.

Traverse City is great but it's not a big town, your Dayton probably outranks it.

As a former Coloradan I always think of Colorado when I'm in Northern Michigan, there's a similar sense of being OUTDOORS, that the agricultural surroundings of northern Illinois (home) and southeast Michigan (current home) can't match.

Road Fan

Road Fan

BTW, there will be hills. Not Rockies-class, but very significant and if you're not in possession of good gears and legs, can kill ya! At least they hurt me and Mrs. Road Fan.

Road Fan

Beverly

We don't have a lot of hills in SW Ohio but I have a triple on the bike and I've been riding a trail in a nearby park that has plenty of hills. As I always say "I've never seen a hill I can't walk"

Beverly

I sent their website to the others in our group and they agree we need to visit the pie company

MichiganMike

I am going to look at my office. I believe I have some pictures of my trip using their maps from a couple of years ago. It really is a nice ride. If they give you the option of doing the Hart - Montague Trail or a road route, do the trail. There's a dairy along the trail if I remember right that makes their own ice cream, etc. Then a little town I believe called Shelby has a cool little Cafe there. The morning I stopped in there were about 25 older bicycle riders. They had a weekly ride on the path and always stopped there for a late breakfast. I had some fun with them.

Road Fan

I'm not that used to hills either, Bev, but I drove thru Dayton and Cincy not long ago, and it looked attractively hilly to me! I was headed to Lexington, you could drive down across the river and find hills, or in Cincy, those looked like a challenge to me! And they are bigger than what you'll mostly find in Northern Michigan.

Road Fan

Pat

Beverly,

I have did that one years ago. Let me see was it twice or three times?

It is a good ride. You don't see Lake Michigan as much as one would like. But you do see it. Also you see orchards, farmlands, resort "cottages", resort towns and all sorts of stuff.

When I did it the roads were marked well. There were SAG vehicles out. There are usually enough places to stop and get something to eat. The hills are not too bad. You get some good climbs though like Arcadia Hill and others. The top of Arcadia Hill is where they are eating watermelon on the picture on the link you gave.

As I recall, breakfasts were fine but dinners were sometimes a bit lacking.

Also, this is not a real hammerfest. Most of the riders when I did it were not in any great hurry. There were a few strong riders but most people were laid back.

It is a nice ride and I think you will enjoy it. I never regretted doing it.

I don't know the Traverse Pie company but there is no shortage of pie up there. That part of Michigan produces something like 90% of the tart cherries in the USA so if you like cherry pie, that is the place. You can probably get blueberry and apple pie too because they grow those also.

Beverly, you are from Dayton, Ohio? I grew up there. You get short steep hills in Dayton. In northern Michigan, the hills are not as steep but they are longer.

I hope you have as good a time on that ride as I always did.

Beverly

Thanks for the info.

There are six of us going with our own SAG. We have a couple hammerheads in the group but the rest of us are "stop and smell the roses" riders.

Yes, I live in the Dayton area - Englewood. As you mentioned, the hills in this area are short and steep. There are also those long 1-2% climbs that go for miles on the rail-to-trail system. Hopefully I won't have problems with the hills. I'm guessing the miles of riding into strong headwinds on the flats around here might help. I did a ride Tuesday night and pedaled into 15-20 mph winds for 8 miles At least with the hills you get a chance to coast. If you try coasting in headwinds you just stop.

Where did you live in the area? I live near the Englewood Reserve and it has a great trail to get in some hill climbing practice. I don't think there is one level area in that 8 mile trail.