UPDATE WITH RIDE LOG!! - Upcoming tour of the Michigan UP
 

UPDATED 6-15-09
I'm back, boy I had a good time. I wrote the ride report with pictures and everything on my blog. The links:

• Summary of the route
• Post Ride Report

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Well, I guess I am a lurker of sorts in the Touring Forum, but I figure this was worth posting. I leave Sunday for my first tour, a 5 day trek across the Upper Peninsula. It is a supported tour, but the mileage is greater than I'm used to, so I plan to have a good, hard time ;)

I'll be riding my very comfy 1990 Trek 330. I think I'll be alright with the gearing:

Gear Inches
48 38 28
14 91.8 72.7 53.5
16 80.3 63.6 46.9
18 71.4 56.5 41.6
20 64.3 50.9 37.5
22 58.4 46.2 34.1
24 53.5 42.4 31.2
28 45.9 36.3 26.8

Here is the route, a total of 352 miles:

Day 1, 72 miles
Start Point: Sylvania
Destination: Union Bay Campground

Day 2, 60 miles
Start Point: Porcupine Mts. State Park
Destination: Baraga State Park

Day 3, 74 miles
Start Point: Baraga State Park Entrance
Destination: Marquette Tourist Park Camp

Day 4, 90 miles (optional century)
Start Point: Marquette Tourist Park Camp
Destination: Big Cedar Campground

Day 5, 56 miles
Start Point: Big Cedar Campground
Destination: Tahquamenon Falls State Park

Thanks to this forum (and training of course) I feel ready, and uber excited to hit the road!!

Please keep us informed. I'm sure you'll have a good time, but if you've never done something like this before, you may want to pass on that "optional" century.

Are you bringing the violin? :)

I did something very similar last year. I participated in the ride across Wisconsin, a supported 6 day ride.

I loved it. And yes, I was very nervous looking forward to a couple of 70 mile days when I had never ridden over 40.

I enjoyed it so much I began acquiring the equipment this past winter for supporting myself on tour. I just got back from a 540 mile solo tour with one 83 mile fully loaded day.

A few more regional tours this summer/fall and if the stars and moon line up correctly, Seattle to LA next year.

I caught the touring disease, so be careful ;).

Have a safe and wonderful time.

I am nervous, I don't want to limit myself before I get there, so for now I am "assuming" I'm gonna do the century. We will see...

The nice thing is that it is all my good friends, my wife is part of the SAG, and she'll even ride a few miles with me! I'm excited about that! There are rest breaks about every 20 miles, so I am going to try and think of the ride as a bunch of 20 mile rides. Hopefully the mind game will make it easier. And I guess if I am not feeling up to it, I can hop on the Wagon for a leg (but I obviously don't want to do that! :D )

btw, Neil, you have a steel trap memory! No, I will not be taking the violin on this trip :D, just an iPod :roflmao2::roflmao2:

I haven't done it yet and I'm already hooked! :D

I've already roped my wife into doing a short overnighter locally sometime later this summer after we get back.

I am stoked about the UP, I've never been up there, but I know it's gorgeous. And, really, is there a better way to experience that beauty than by bike? I didn't think so. :D

UP is GREAT! and desolate but you'll see traffic on 41.

Don't miss stopping at the Hilltop Inn at the top of the hill outside of L'Anse on your morning of day 3.

I mean DO NOT MISS eating a huge-adze, warm, glazed cinnamon Hilltopper roll at the Hilltop. seriously. they weigh over a pound apiece.

and do try the pasties. if you're more a Veggie than a meat and potatoes guy, Jean Kay's Pasty's in Marquette is about a mile from the Tourist Park and makes the MOST excellent veggie pasties. don't miss. ride out tourist park due east towards lake superior and turn right on presque isle avenue, you'll see Jean Kays pasty on the right pretty close to the superior dome. well worth the trip for some killa pasties and the veggie ones RULE!!

I can second that! 5 years at Michigan Tech brought me past the Hilltop Restaurant quite a few times. The number of oversized cinnamon rolls I've consumed is staggering. Definitely recommended!

60-70 loaded miles on the road is a good goal. Beautiful country up there!!! Good luck and post us some pics!

I know it's a full trip.. But, when in the UP a must is the Brockway Mtn drive. North of Houghton towards Copper Harbor.. Brockway Mtn drive is beautiful.. Highest road between the Rockies and the Appalachian Mountains.

Thanks! This is the last post before the trip :) I'll put a full ride report up once I get back.

Giant Cinnamon Rolls?! I am so there!

Thanks for all the support guys, see ya at the other end! :thumb:

<BUMP>

I am back! I updated Post #1 to include a ride report and better maps, check it out.

-Frank