Michigan is a natural for biking. Roadways and off-road trails in the state run through heavily-wooded areas, small towns and urban landscapes. The topography can be gentle or challenging, the scenery serene or spectacular. Cycling tours in Michigan often begin or end near a beach somewhere. The state also has numerous inland lakes you can ride to or circle, and, of course, a border on four of the five Great Lakes. With so many bicycling opportunities, the tour calendar is packed.
Begin Early
The League of Michigan Bicyclists maintains a statewide calendar of tours and bike events, including rides that begin in January. Winter rides include the Worst Day of the Year Ride in Ann Arbor, with routes from 6 to 40 miles--if you can get through the snow. However, cycling tours in the state really kick off in May with rides of 12 to 60 miles at Willow Metro Park, along the Huron River southwest of Detroit, and the Kal-Haven Trailway Trailblazer. The Trailblazer started in the mid-1980s when the Kal-Haven Trail opened. The Kal-Haven is a converted railway to trail with a crushed stone surface that runs for 35 miles from Kalamazoo to the Lake Michigan port of South Haven. The Trailblazer also includes a 5-mile extension to downtown Kalamazoo as part of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail. Trail and road paths for the Trailblazer are 25 to 100 miles.
Shoreline Tours
The League of Michigan Bicyclists also sponsors its own series of Shoreline Bicycle Tours. Multi-day tours have included the Pedal and Paddle Tour, a combination bicycle and canoe or kayak weekend in June. The Sunrise Adventure is a three-day tour along Lake Huron in northern Lower Michigan. The Michigan Upper Peninsula Tour, or MUP, is a seven-day journey past any or all parts of three Great Lakes--Michigan, Huron and Superior--and through the forests of northern Michigan. The Shoreline West Tour celebrates its 25th year in 2011, with an option to ride the entire Michigan portion of the Lake Michigan coastline.
The Michigander
The Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance sponsors the annual Michigander in July, with the option to ride two, six or seven days. Billed as a family-friendly ride, Michigander routes follow traffic-free trails. The trails are usually best suited for hybrid and mountain bikes, but routes for road bikes are also included. Other cycling tours in Michigan continue into the fall.
Michigan Trails
The Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance reports that Michigan has more than 2,000 miles of converted rails to trails and non-railway trails, ranking it second in the nation for the most trailway mileage. Most trails are in rural settings, but urban trails are growing, including the Dequindre Cut, a greenway trail that follows a below- street-level abandoned railway route through the heart of Detroit. Tours that follow established trails have relatively gentle inclines, but not all are paved. Crushed stone trails, like the Kal-Haven, are best suited for hybrid or mountain bikes, though road bikes can manage the routes. Tours that take to the roads can be more challenging due to rolling terrain. Riders looking to take longer tours need to begin training in early spring.
What to Bring
Many multi-day tours will transport gear for bike riders, but gear may be limited to one or two duffel bags. For the ride itself, all tours require helmets. Some tours, such as those sponsored by LMB, require riders to carry spare tubes and be able to change a flat. Riders must have at least one water bottle, preferably two. Weather changes rapidly near shorelines of the Great Lakes, so rain gear is highly advisable on multi-day tours.
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