Tag Archive - michigander

Michigander 2011: The Finish – Holland to South Haven

July 22, 2011 in Bicycle News with Comments Off

Sam Kennedy brings in another Michigander 2011 finisher

You gotta say this about this year’s Michigander.

Weatherwise, it was about as extreme as anyone could ever imagine.

From heat indexes over 100, blazing sun and high humidity to today’s driving rain and cool 71 temps, we had it all, including picture postcard perfect Thursday sun and low humidity.

Today’s Holland-to-South Haven ride to the finish line as the week’s shortest distance. But what would have been a leisurely pedal to a great finish after a great week turned into a soggy, splashy float to the finish. Not that we want to complain. It was exhilarating and fun, another part of the challenge of long distance biking, made even more memorable by the driving raindrops which sometimes felt like a million little acupuncture needles tingling our exposed skin.

Me (2nd from right) with some of the folks I rode with: Tim, Lynne, Gary, Anne and John. Missing was Pat, who was eating the victory cake when we took this picture.

Rain started falling about five minutes out of Holland. At first, it was just a light shower. But by the time we wheeled into Saugatuck, it was a downpour, complete with thunder and occasional lighting flashes. Our rear tires sent up seven foot high roostertails and passing trucks on the roads splashed us with small waves of roadspray.

Yet when we crossed the finish shortly before noon in South Haven – where the tour began a week earlier – there was enough of a rain respite for Sam Kennedy to do his traditional finish line greeting.

Recapping the week, the big story was the heat – and how most of us who got our early each morning missed the worst of it, protected by overcast skies that burned away about noon, when we were well on that day’s home stretch.

Biggest complaint this year – besides the unbearably hot tents in the afternoon – was the food. Compared to previous years, it seemed to get pretty much universal thumbs down.

Alas, the Saugatuck Chain Ferry never did run today for Michiganders because of the thunderstorms.

Biggest disappointment was Friday in Saugatuck where the chain ferry wasn’t operational because of the thunderstorms. Claimed to be the only remaining chain driven ferry in the US, it has been in use since 1838. Three pullieys keep it in line as it is being pulled across the Kalamazoo River. Just not today. Riders lined up and patiently waited, and waited until word came that there would be no ferry crossing. We ended up taking an bridg eover the river.

Here’s some more pictures, followed by a video recap and the Garmin route download. Up at the top menubar, I’ll be adding all my still photos over the next few days. To obtain one, just right click it and save it to your disk.

Sunset Thursday night in Holland

As we were riding around Spring Lake Thursday, a huge tree fell right across the road. It happened right in front of a group of riders. We came by soon afterwards. Gary decided to show what could have happened.

Here’s today’s video of the ride to the finish:

Here’s today’s Garmin route download:

Michigander 2011: Ravenna to Holland, MI

July 22, 2011 in Bicycle News with Comments Off

Like the Zac Brown band says, Life is good today.

Thursday was the day that made all the heat and hills worth it.

For the more than usual who dropped out of the Michigander earlier this week because of the stifling, energy-draining heat, Thursday was the kind of day that would have made them regret leaving.

Jack Lande of Ann Arbor takes his chiwawa-terrier mix, "KC," in a trailer on the back of his recumbent

It was a stunningly beautiful day, with Lake Michigan breezes that cooled the heat index to the manageable upper 80′s, with gorgeous scenery and relatively flat roads and trails.

We even made the Grand Rapids Press. Ron Campbell, a reporter covering the race, interviewed me. Anne Apking, one of the riders in my group, made it, too, with a big photo of her as we all went swimming in Lake Michigan at Grand Haven. Click here to see the story.

Pictures, video and the route is below.

 

My wife Jennifer, who volunteers on the Michigander, and I check out the view of Spring Lake from the Fruitport SAG stop.

Anne welcomes Lake Michigan

Here’s the video:

Here’s the Garmin map route download:


Michigander 2011: Nashville to Lowell, MI

July 20, 2011 in Bicycle News with Comments Off

My ride buddies: Pat, Anne, Gary and Tim

The heat took it’s time coming today, hidden behind a cloud cover during the morning, but burning through to bake those still on the road after noon.

In all 20 years of this bike tour, nobody can recall a hotter one.

Today was yet another 60 mile day, mostly on roads with only occasional stretches of trails or gravel.

We crossed and crisscrossed the Grand River as we made our ways mostly northwest, five of us now after one of our regulars dropped out yesterday because of the heat. The roads were bordered by corn, wheat and bean fields much of the way, some of it obviously wilting in the sun. Just like many riders.

The heat saps energy. Sweat drips into your eyes. When the sun is out, it’s like being in an oven Two more friends left the tour today for the same reason… it’s just too hot and unpleasant.

And those are only the riders I know. There were others who packed up and went home, blaming the heat.

The forst SAG spot, in a farmer's field. Despie the sign, he gave us permission to rest there a bit.

Diane's mobile bike repair does on-the-spot fixes along the route

Can’t blame them. It shimmers like waves and hits you hard as it bounces off the asphalt. Today was another six bottle day – six, 24-ounce water bottles.

We left camp about 7:15 AM and had – despite the heat – a great ride, with no incidents.

Below is my helmet cam video followed by the Garmin route download.

Here’s the route:


Rails to trails: Lakeshore, Laketon, Berry Junction trails connecting West Michigan

July 19, 2011 in Bicycle News with Comments Off

If the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance had chosen to include Muskegon on its list of stops for the Michigander Bicycle Tour, riders would have seen what the city built without the benefit of an existing railroad bed. • Lakeshore Trail takes the scenic route along Muskegon Lake

Go here to read the rest:
Rails to trails: Lakeshore, Laketon, Berry Junction trails connecting West Michigan

Michigander 2011: Plainwell to Nashville, MI

July 19, 2011 in Bicycle News with Comments Off

Hot hot hot.

Very hot.

Hydration was the key to finishing today. I went through six 24 ounce bottles today.

Brutally hot.

I know of several riders who have tossed in the sweat towel and have packed up and abandoned the ride. It’s that hot. The eat index neared 100 today. It’s suppossed to be even hotter tomorrow and Wednesday. And both days will be 60-plus miles.

That’s about what we did today, following 60 yesterday from South haven to Plainwell. Today we moved east under a hazy sun from Plainwell to Nashville, following mostly roads. Many of the roads had no shoulders and the heat blasted up from the cooked pavement like a furnace.

There was a great stretch for a few miles in Middleville along the Thornapple Trail. It was one of the prettiest, greenest stretched of Michigan trailways I’ve seen. But it was only for few miles.

The Hawaiian theme at the Middleville SAG stop took our minds off the heat. For a while.

The Middleville SAG stop was a happening, themes as an Hawaiian luau. Nancy Kruplarz, Executive Director of the sponsoring Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance, even did the hula.

Nancy Kruplarz

But there was no getting past the heat. On the bikes, we at least generated our own breeze. But by the time we rolled into the high school just east of Nashville, the hours in the heat were taking their toll on many riders. Tents were ovens.

Here’s a video recap of today’s ride, followed by my Garmin route download.

Here’s the video:

Here’s the route download:

Michigander 2011: Grand Haven to Plainwell

July 17, 2011 in Bicycle News with Comments Off

Me and some of my ride buds in South Haven

Thank goodness for shade.

The trees along the Kal Haven Trail, and later the Kalamazoo River Trail, provided blessed relief from today’s blustering 90-degree plus heat.

My helmet-mounted Go Pro did an HD video of the ride

The near 60-mile route was pretty flat, though a slight uphill all the way to Kalamazoo made for a bit of resistance. And once we headed north out of downtown Kalamazoo towards Plainwell, there were a couple of good good challenges.

I rode with Pat, Gary, Ann, Doug and Tim, a new guy from suburban Chicago who joined us about mid-way.

Oh Oh. We still had 20 miles to go when we stopped at Bell's. We behaved.

We took advantage of every SAG stop for water and pulled off at the mecca of Michigan beer, the esteemed Bell’s Brewry in downtown Kalamazoo.

The video of today’s ride follows, followed by the Garmin route download. Up to date realtime tweets from me and other riders can be followed at http://ridestreaming.com.

Here’s the video:

Here’s the map route download:

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