Biking around Lake Michigan

I've been scouring the internets trying to find a easy-to-read route to help plan an upcoming tour around Lake Michigan. I've checked crazyguyonabike.com and bikely.com, which are both great resources, but i'm having a tough time puttin it all together.

It seems like this is the "go-to" for chicago residents. I bet lots of people are going this summer.

Anyone out there have any experience, advice, or resources to share on route planning?

Tags: circle, lake, michigan, tour, touring

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Permalink Reply by Lee on May 21, 2009 at 10:40pm

Try Adventure Cycling http://www.adventurecycling.org/ for part of the route. Did it many years ago. Started at Luddington, MI and biked over the top and around to Manitowok, WI (counter clockwise) and took the ferry back across http://www.ssbadger.com/home.aspx. That way you can avoid the industrial and urban underbelly of the lake. Mostly we just used state road maps for MI and WI because there aren't that many roads. MI has great county road maps -- you can probably get those on line. Also look for bike clubs in Traverse City, MI and get advice from them. ALso suggest a stop over on Mackinaw Island. Put your bike on a ferry to get there and back. Have fun and be safe.

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Permalink Reply by Gary Gilbert on May 21, 2009 at 10:53pm

First idea:
Post on the "Phreds" list which is inhabited by touring cyclists. See http://www.phred.org/mailman/listinfo/touring These people are a wealth of information about bicycle tours.

Second Idea:

My personal email archives include this email from 2000 from the "bike-chi" list. See http://www.lsoft.com/scripts/wl.exe?SL1=BIKE-CHI&H=LISTSERV.UIC... These people are a wealth of information about cycling in and around Chicago.

Cycletour Guide Books published a book by Harvey Botzman in 1997 entitled, 'Round Lake Michigan: A Bicyclist's Tour Guide,' which includes detailed instructions on how to circumnavigate Lake Michigan, beginning and ending at
Grant Park in Chicago. The book is oriented for a clockwise trip around the
lake, but it also provides instructions on how to convert the directions for a counterclockwise trip, which is obviously the choice from Chicago to New Buffalo.

The book includes maps for each 50 mile section of the trip, complete route descriptions, distances in each direction in both miles and kilometers, and a lot of other useful information for such a trip.

A portion of that route runs from Chicago to New Buffalo, Michigan.

The book is available for $21.95 from Cyclotour Guide Books. Their phone number is (716) 244-6157.

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Permalink Reply by Rubani on May 21, 2009 at 11:42pm

A similar ride done in 2007 by a Chicago resident.

http://renderblender.com/07CIRCLETOUR.html

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Permalink Reply by Homebuilt on May 22, 2009 at 2:47pm

Is the Circle Route documented anywhere? I see the signs for it for exactly that trip.

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Permalink Reply by Kelvin Mulcky on May 22, 2009 at 2:55pm

Botzman's book must be outdated though. I'm sure there's been new bike paths built since '97

I found MDOT's bike maps online here

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Permalink Reply by pistola on May 22, 2009 at 3:01pm

Kevin,

I'm looking at doing a similar tour sometime this summer and plan on my mapping out the route using Garmin's mapsource if possible. The toughest stretchest will be through NW indiana, for I think the best bet is to follow Le Tour de Shore's 2009 route which uses a lot of bike paths and avoids Gary IN. Check out their maps and cue sheets.
http://www.geocities.com/letourdeshore/index.html
When are you planning on doing this tour?

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Permalink Reply by Kelvin Mulcky on May 22, 2009 at 3:18pm

I'll be leaving June 22

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Permalink Reply by Bob Kastigar on May 23, 2009 at 2:02pm

I did it twice:

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/LakeMichigan

and

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/LakeMichigan2007

The second trip is the one through Indiana, and the three-bike-path, tho a little longer, is the better alternative. Pictures at http://sports.webshots.com/album/559985225zcdknU

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Permalink Reply by Tara O'Shea on May 29, 2009 at 1:35pm

We are going too. Bet we beat you. Or we could go the other way and meet you. Do you have a crew? Are you inviting other people along? If so we have a couple people that want to go as well, otherwise we're going anyway.

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Permalink Reply by Kelvin Mulcky on May 29, 2009 at 1:48pm

you can race all you want, but we're not going to be in any hurry top get back to chicago. i I think we'll complete it sometime in between two and three weeks.

As far as crews go; we might be meeting some people along the way that might tag along for a day or two. Otherwise it's just me and the girlfriend.

when are you leaving?
Tara O'Shea said:

We are going too. Bet we beat you. Or we could go the other way and meet you. Do you have a crew? Are you inviting other people along? If so we have a couple people that want to go as well, otherwise we're going anyway.