Something to consider for the coming year.
 

I put this out on another forum and got some interest. There may be a few here as well, especially from the Chicago area.
Along my travels the past years a few people have asked about a bike rally in Michigan. Of course there are a lot of places many people would like along the lakeshore, but I realized that two things which have reached international importance are right out my back door and I do it every year. Every year around the end of Sept I ride up to Yankee Springs Campground and spend the weekend where I ride through the forest along the route of the Barry Roubaix gravel race and spend the following day riding (or driving/riding, depending on the weather) to Grand Rapids for the Art Prize competition.
I thought I would throw that out there and invite anybody who wishes to tag along. It would be the last weekend of September 2015.

Marc

Wouldn't be as far to drive as Wisconsin, and I've never been to Michigan.

Now THAT is interesting, since I go to Art Prize every year at least for a day.

So far about 10 people are tentatively planning to be there and I just put it out on two additional forums today. It will happen, I do it every year, this I decided to invite people I know from various places.

Marc

Just a little bump for this, there are currently 14 of us who are planning to attend this event in September.

Marc

I thought I should add some life to this thread. Right now I have seen interest from 14 people who tentatively plan to come. The logistics and itinerary will look something like this: In August I will be asking for commitments so I can reserve the proper campsites (hopefully together so we don't feel like midgets lost in a trailer park), Friday will be a casual meet and greet with snacks provided by yours truly there is nice single track MTB course near for the early ones, also a bar around the corner), Saturday will be a casual ride of 40-60 miles on the roads that host the legendary Barry Roubaix gravel race, Lunch at a restaurant/brewpub in Hastings at the halfway point, Sunday we break camp in the morning and caravan up M-37 to the Woodland Mall in Kentwood where we can stage out for a casual ride through E. Grand Rapids to the downtown to enjoy Art Prize we can lunch together somewhere and ride back before returning to the cars which will have easy access to the interstates for everybody's return home.

Marc

Time is drawing near, so I thought it best to give this a boost to remind everybody. It will be held Sept. 25 through 27th. We will be staying at the Yankee Springs modern campground outside Middleville, Mi. I will be taking a committed head count in late August to reserve the necessary sites together. Of course, people who live near are welcome to drive up for either of the rides. The itinerary will be; Friday casual meet and greet at the campsites (there are some nice single track trails for those who are early and want to stretch their legs), Saturday a 30 -50 mile ride through the Yankee Springs forest on the roads made famous by the Barry Roubaix gravel race with lunch at the turn in Hastings, Sunday, we'll caravan to GR and take a relaxing late morning ride through East Grand Rapids downtown and visit the Art Prize venues after which everybody can disperse and head home on their own schedules. Those who have expressed an interest or intention will be contacted individually to confirm.

Marc