Steve Sawyer

Bet some of ya thought I got lost...

Just really, really busy, but irwin7638 gave me a "heads up" that there has been some talk about some of us 50+ folks getting together at OHR this year. I talked my sis into doing a metric with me (it'll be her first), so I'm up for that. She, my younger brother and I are all doing the PALM (Peddle Across Lower Michigan) in late June which covers at least 50 miles/day for 5 days, so I'm sure she won't have any problem doing a metric.

For some reason I stopped getting my daily digest of 50+ threads, but maybe making a post will correct that...

Jim from Boston

Hey...

Hey Steve,

My name is Jim, and I'm a native Michiganian ("Hi Jim.").

I rode the OHR in 2011 in conjunction with the Third Annual Fifty-Plus Ride, where I met Irwin and a few others. The family is thinking about a summer trip to Michigan in early July this year, with the intent of riding the OHR. I really need a goal to train for. If we get a contingent together, we could label it as a Sixth Annual Fifty-Plus Ride.

BTW, one of the Fifth Annual Rides last year was in Boston, which Irwin attended, and we’re intending to reprise it on the weekend of Saturday, July 26.

Steve Sawyer

Hi Jim - It would be good to connect at OHR if you make it out here.

July is really a busy month with the OHR and two weddings, and I'm hoping to do the Ride Around Torch on the 20th that Irwin and I did last year (the nicest ride of the summer IMO), plus I will have used up all my vacation time on the PALM ride at the end of June, so getting to an out-of-state ride is going to be tough. The LOML is working her butt off (literally ) at the gym this spring, and I'm thinking of using a couple of personal days to do the Amishland and Lakes tour with her in Northern Indiana in early August.

freedomrider1

Hey everybody ,Steve looks like we will be seeing each other a few time this summer. I have got about the same plan as you. OHR,Amishland and maybe RAT.

Steve Sawyer

Heh, heh - yeah, I remember you passing me at OHR last year!!

BlazingPedals

Maybe Irwin will be kind enough to organize another Friday ride from AA to Dexter on Huron River Drive.

Monoborracho

I have absolutely no idea what the OHR ride is.

But I'll wager it's not in the Texas Hill Country.

Jim from Boston

One Helluva Ride, so named because one loop goes through Hell [and back], MI. Sponsored by the Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society

Road Fan

Mrs. Road Fan and I are planning to ride GOBA (Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure in mid-June, OHR in July, and well, we'll see after that! I'd really like to see everyone at OHR again. So our plan is similar to Steve's.

Blazing, I'd be willing to help with a Huron River Drive ride this summer. I think preceding it with a Zingerman's breakfast (as we did for the Third) was too much food for me, but food is the least of our concerns.

Monoborracho, it's not in Texas, but it's a darn good ride. You can even show your "don't mess with Texas" shirt! When I lived in Dallas I rode around DeSoto a few times. Michigan is flatter but still some hills, and a lot more wooded. Plus NOT AS HOT!

irwin7638

Thanks for the credit, but I think Ken (Road Fan) put that together and knows the route. I was just following the leadership on that one.
I intend to be there, at least for Saturday, possibly the weekend again. I may also be bringing a couple riders from the Kzoo area along.

Marc

Road Fan

Thanks, Irwin/Marc, that was me. I just reached out to Yen in her new thread. If we can get Steve Sawyer and Family, JimfromBoston, his family, Irwin plus friends, Mr and Mrs Freedomrider, Mr and Mrs Road Fan, and Mr and Mrs Yen, that will be up to 20 people. I'd be glad to take you all on an Ann Arbor/Dexter/maybe Chelsea ride. There are some new trails from Dexter into one of our nicer Metroparks, very worth exploring. Ann Arbor to Dexter round trip is about 20 to 25 miles, adding in the new metro park trail makes it a 30 mile round trip, and AA/Dexter/Chelsea round trip is about 40. Going from AA to Dexter, through the park to Chelsea and home the same way could be 50 or maybe a bit more, but I haven't ridden that. I know one of the roads is not a favorite due to traffic speed, in that last option.

I guess we should start a ride thread and perhaps get a roll call going, then compare schedules and see what information we Michigan members need to disseminate so everyone knows where to be and when.

I'd love to again have my on-line riding buddies join me on some of the Road Fans' favorite routes!

Steve, so far my plans are a little different from what I previously posted - we're not doing GOBA, but we are doing OHR and probably Assenmacher's. I'd like to do RAT, but I haven't even looked at the schedule yet. There's also a chance we'll do a Shoreline tour later if we can get in one. I'd like to do some Traverse City/Leelanau riding, but again we haven't made any concrete plans yet.

OldsCOOL

I live up here in Boyne Country and have been eyeing the Torch Lake ride (having done it solo about 10yrs ago) and currently in training for the Black Bear Bicycle Tour century July 27.

OHR sounds fun, too.

Road Fan

I hope you can make it, OldsKool!

Do you know when Torch Lake is this year? Or, what do you think about just going out and riding around the lake "as civilians?"

OldsCOOL

July 20. Hosted by the Cherry Capitol Cycling Club. Sweet ride any day during the season. Regrettably, I wont make it due to the Black Bear century the next Sunday. Beautiful ride from Eastport to Rapid City. Not much for shoulder to ride but the traffic is sedate.

irwin7638

I did that a couple of years ago, at least part of it. That led me to do the organized ride the following year with Steve. Either way you work it, it's a beautiful and pleasant ride.

Marc

Steve Sawyer

Just checkin' in again here - couldn't find any other thread discussing OHR, but if we do a Friday warm-up, it'll just be me. My sis plays golf (?!?!?) on Fridays, so she'll just be on the Saturday ride.

Right now I'm gettin' pumped for the PALM (Peddle Across Lower Michigan) which kicks of on the 21st. They just posted the routes a few days ago, and looks like we're doing a total of 308 miles over 6 days. Pretty casual (daily mileage ranges from 44 to 56 miles), but I understand there are alternate routes for each day if you have time and inclination to see more of the state and rack up a few extra miles...

Jim from Boston

See this post and following. That PALM ride sound pretty cool; clever name. What are the starting and end points? Is it a "party" ride like RAGBRAI is reputed?

PS: FYA, see this post about another well-known Michigan Ride, but perhaps now of historic interest only.

Steve Sawyer

Starts in Holland MI and ends up in Lexington which is on the shores of Lake Huron just north of Port Huron. And no, this is a very "family friendly" ride, which is not to say that SOME of the participants (none to be named by me) might spend their evenings re-hydrating and carb-loading at a local brewpub...

Road Fan

Sorry, Steve, I didn't get much feedback so I thought either nobody's too interested or it's too soon. But now I'll start an OHR thread.

Steve Sawyer

No problem - probably a little early. Might want to start that thread closer to the end of the month.

I'm just the anal retentive type that put in my reservation as soon as they were open!