Bicycle Ride Around Lake Michigan

In a couple of weeks my wife and I are planning a bicycle trip around Lake Michigan. We are looking for a place to park our truck while we tour. Our plan is to drive from Kentucky and begin the trip from the New Buffalo area. Anyone know about any sort of long term, maybe a month, parking in that general area?

THANKS!​

 

Write, how many miles are you figuring out will be? Are you going all up door county in WI, or going across say, green bay to algoma?

 

Here's a link to our route. We've been doing this a lot of years so I'm sure there will be changes before we leave and during the ride. It always happens, someone says ya gotta see this or ya gotta take this road.
Ride with GPS | Bike Route Planner and Cycling Navigation App

 

Ah you're talking the inter urban bike trail that is about a little over a mile from my house in Cedarburg.

 

Wow, that sounds like an awesome thing to do! 997 miles, how many days are you figuring on? Will you ride if it’s going to rain all day? Just curious what your ages are?

 

Usually if we wake to rain and the radar shows all day rain, we'll stay in the tent. If it starts raining while we are riding we soldier on, at least until we find a suitable place to hang out and wait for better weather. We spent 21 consecutive summers bicycle touring, mostly in Europe. Then COVID hit and broke our streak. That was followed by the illness and passing of my wife's father. All of which either kept us off the road all together, or greatly reduced our time on the road. But it's back in the saddle again. I'm 72 and my wife is younger at 62. We're figuring about 20 days for this trip.

 

That’s awesome! Way to stay super active and taking the time to see what this world has to offer.

 

I like everything about your trip except for the pedaling part.

 

My Hat is Off to you.

I’m a two time veteran of Cycle Oregon (8&9, 1995&1996)

Cycle Oregon is an organized ride, that averaged 2,000 riders, covering 450-550 miles in 7 days. Cycle Oregon is designed to showcase and Benefit the more rural areas of Oregon.

It is a Fully Supported Tour with Food and Baggage transport, most riders use tents, which are typically set up at the local high school, on the football fields, with portable shower trailers like what is used in wildfire camps, and the food prep usually using the school’s kitchens.

Along the route, there would be several designated rest stops with portable restrooms, water light snacks, and a Lunch stop mid route. It would also include several 15 person maxi vans with bike racks as “Sag Wagons”, mobile mechanic vans, several ambulances that patroled the route, and several State Troopers on motorcycles that patrolled the route as well.

I was 30, and 31 the years that I did it, the years that I rode, our oldest rider was 79, and IIRC the youngest was 12, both finished the rides unassisted

The average day was around 80 miles, some a bit less, and they usually included at least one “Century Day”, and also often included “Bonus” additional mileage routes

It has usually been the week following the week of Labor Day, in September, which is about as reliable as you can get for Dry weather in Oregon, and a bit Cooler than July or August.

I rode a Trek 1220 aluminum frame, with the RSX components upgraded to Shimano 105 groupo components and Spinergy carbon fiber wheels

I still have my bike and the road bike(Trek 330, that much of the RSX components upgraded) that I often took with me on my overnight work,driving truck, and my Trek 930 mountain bike.
I haven’t done any riding in many years

An unsupported ride of that length is quite an undertaking, I Hope that You have a SAFE, and Enjoyable Ride


Doug

 

On the last 25 miles of our trip and it's been fantastic. Met a bunch of fun folks, survived several stormy nights, 35 mph head winds and blazing hot heat. Saw great small towns and big cities. Pictures to follow.

Chicago at night

 

FINISHED!!
The Mrs. arriving at our truck.








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Not every day was perfect. Some were too hot to live. Some were too wet for frogs, some were market fun, som were surrealistic.

 

Be it ever so humble there's no place like home.

 

Some days were a bit lonely.

 

I'd definitely take lonely over Chicago.

 

Thanks for taking us along on your trip. Congratulations on a safe and epic adventure! Did you weigh you bikes with all the gear? That's a lot harder than the bare bike we usually ride.

 

That looks like perfection.

 

Glad you guys made it home safe!

 

Thanks for sharing your trip with us.