Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Touring
Reload this Page >

Circling Lake Michigan

Notices
Touring Have a dream to ride a bike across your state, across the country, or around the world? Self-contained or fully supported? Trade ideas, adventures, and more in our bicycle touring forum.

Circling Lake Michigan

Old 04-27-14, 08:51 AM
  #1  
lenA
Banned
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: West Coast of Wisconsin
Posts: 665

Bikes: 2011 Surly LHT 2005 LeMond Zurich

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Circling Lake Michigan

I'm preparing for my spring tour :-) So far I have decided to drive to Green Bay, leave car with relatives and take the clock-wise route around the Lake.


I have two options when I get to Luddington. Ferry back to WI, or continue all the way around, which is what I would like to do.

If I stay at, or around Indiana Dunes S. P., looks like it would take about 80 miles to get north enough to clear greater Chicago and find a motel. I'm a 2-3 day camp, 1 day motel, tourer.

What's it like on that trek?

Rather not get lost and end up in some shattered inner city world.
lenA is offline  
Old 04-27-14, 09:57 AM
  #2  
Doug64
Senior Member
 
Doug64's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Oregon
Posts: 6,484
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1182 Post(s)
Liked 830 Times in 433 Posts
Originally Posted by lenA
I'm preparing for my spring tour :-) So far I have decided to drive to Green Bay, leave car with relatives and take the clock-wise route around the Lake.


I have two options when I get to Luddington. Ferry back to WI, or continue all the way around, which is what I would like to do.

If I stay at, or around Indiana Dunes S. P., looks like it would take about 80 miles to get north enough to clear greater Chicago and find a motel. I'm a 2-3 day camp, 1 day motel, tourer.

What's it like on that trek?

Rather not get lost and end up in some shattered inner city world.

My wife and I have done bits of your proposed route during 2 different tours.

We did the Michigan shore of Lake Michigan a couple of years ago when we did a loop around the Lower Peninsula. Nice ride.

There is a long bike path along the shore of the Lake in Chicago. We hit it on our ride across the U.S. a few years ago when we rode through Chicago from the west. I'm not sure how far north it goes but it will take you through a major portion of the city from the Indiana/Illinois border. It should show up on Chicago's bike route system. Chicago was easy to navigate. Gary, Indiana was a little more challenging, but there are motels there that would make a good starting point for your passage through Chicago.

Good luck and have fun.

The Lakeside Trail in Chicago is a great place to ride. However, the day we reached it they were having an air show over the lake, and half the city was out to watch it. We were forced to walk our bikes about 4 miles through the worst of the congestion.

Last edited by Doug64; 04-27-14 at 04:25 PM.
Doug64 is offline  
Old 04-28-14, 06:24 AM
  #3  
lenA
Banned
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: West Coast of Wisconsin
Posts: 665

Bikes: 2011 Surly LHT 2005 LeMond Zurich

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Thanks

Cool pic
lenA is offline  
Old 04-28-14, 06:59 AM
  #4  
curly666
Senior Member
 
curly666's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Milwaukee WI
Posts: 276

Bikes: Specialized Sirrus, Specialized Robaix, Specialized Carmel

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by lenA
I'm preparing for my spring tour :-) So far I have decided to drive to Green Bay, leave car with relatives and take the clock-wise route around the Lake.


I have two options when I get to Luddington. Ferry back to WI, or continue all the way around, which is what I would like to do.

If I stay at, or around Indiana Dunes S. P., looks like it would take about 80 miles to get north enough to clear greater Chicago and find a motel. I'm a 2-3 day camp, 1 day motel, tourer.

What's it like on that trek?

Rather not get lost and end up in some shattered inner city world.
Not sure if this link will help or not but you can check it out.
crazyguyonabike.com: Bicycle Touring: Ride 'round Lake Michigan, by Martha & Sheldon Hall
curly666 is offline  
Old 04-28-14, 07:05 AM
  #5  
andrewclaus
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Golden, CO and Tucson, AZ
Posts: 2,822

Bikes: 2016 Fuji Tread, 1983 Trek 520

Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 669 Post(s)
Liked 725 Times in 422 Posts
Sorry I'm not going to be able to help with your question, but I got a wave of nostalgia reading your post. That was my first bike tour back in 1975 after I graduated from high school in Chicago. It was a different world then and I borrowed a Schwinn Continental, the best bike in my neighborhood, for the ride. No panniers, just a duffle on a book rack, wearing cutoff jeans and a T shirt and those funny-looking high gym socks with colored bands, with $40 in my pocket and I got home with change. I was hooked! Good luck on your tour.
andrewclaus is offline  
Old 04-28-14, 07:24 AM
  #6  
lenA
Banned
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: West Coast of Wisconsin
Posts: 665

Bikes: 2011 Surly LHT 2005 LeMond Zurich

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I did look at CGOAB but the reports were kinda old

Just going by google maps

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5992.../data=!5m1!1e3

I'd have to swing away from the lake to use any bike trails, lanes or bike friendly thoroughfares...

The weather is crappy right now here...good day for planning :-)
lenA is offline  
Old 04-28-14, 08:25 AM
  #7  
raybo
Bike touring webrarian
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 2,069

Bikes: I tour on a Waterford Adventurecycle. It is a fabulous touring bike.

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 120 Post(s)
Liked 91 Times in 50 Posts
Have you seen this website: Great Lakes Circle Tour: Lake Michigan ?
raybo is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
kansascity
Touring
12
03-24-19 01:20 PM
Margot M
Touring
12
12-23-13 07:35 PM
bagxlee
Great Lakes
4
10-11-11 05:50 PM
Carpe Diabolus
Touring
9
05-25-11 05:09 PM
nycphotobike
Touring
6
08-19-10 08:52 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.