2021 - DALMAC This Time

I was originally signed up for the 50th DALMAC in January of 2020, and in fact, I almost didn’t make it in.  There was a lot of buzz for the 50th, and registration sold out in 48 hours of opening; it was good to have a friend who could help out, since even he was surprised by the response.

And then came COVID, and all the insanity that followed.  By early April it was apparent two weeks were not going to flatten the curve, and DALMAC 2020 had canceled by the first week of June, along with the rest of my calendar of events for the year.  What was supposed to be my 3-year gap from 2017 became 4 years, and the 50th DALMAC turned out to be 50 years after the first, rather than the 50th Anniversary.  And that happened a lot, with events skipping 1 and sometimes 2 years. (I did manage a make-up ride, and complete a bucket list item, with a 5-day self-supported tour from my home in Indiana to my parent’s farm in south east Michigan.)

My 2020 registration rolled over, and thankfully, with a few restrictions, by the spring of 2021, DALMAC was on.  It could still be canceled; talking to the event director Steve Leiby, (a good friend and cycling companion), only one school canceling overnight access would have been enough to collapse the entire event.  Thankfully, that did not occur.  The full event lost some riders to cancelations for a variety of reason, including COVID, but not above normal.

5 days, 5 kits, ready to pack,

This year I would be riding my Trek 920, having decided that rather than riding a light sport bike, I would be in full touring (with camera) mode.  The only change for the trip would be downsizing the tires from 700x42 Continental TourRides, my regular touring tire, 700x35 versions of the same tire.  That is the smallest size recommended for the Bontrager rims on the 920.  I changed the tires out in mid-August, and after a couple of rides over 30 miles, and they seemed fine.  I would also have my Eclipse handlebar bag (circa 1985) for my Nikon D5600, and an Arkel Tailrider on the rear rack.  I also had small Arkel Pannier packed, just in case.  

The focus of this DALMAC, my seventh, was riding with my friends Steve and Maria Leiby.  Originally, in 2020, 3 of Maria’s siblings would have been riding, but their plans changed when it was canceled. Maria, who recently turned 70, would be riding DALMAC after almost a decade break.  Steve and I had ridden 3 prior DALMACs since 2008. This ride was also a reprise of sorts of a ride 41 years before.

I had met Steve and Maria through bicycling, just after moving to Lansing in the fall of 1978. The three of us were all on DALMAC ‘79, though Steve was the volunteer event director and not actually riding.   Maria and I ended up riding together much of the time, and the three of us dined together. That DALMAC really anchored our friendship, which would soon include my wife (to be) Linda, who I also met on a TCBA club ride that same summer.  For me, 1979 was an amazing year of riding and life changing events.  And while we all kept in touch through the years that followed, it was hard to believe would be 41 years between the three of starting out the on the road to Mackinac again.

Time for your wrist band!

While the original `70’s DALMACs I rode were only 4 days, I really enjoy the full vacation feel of the current five days on the west route.  I had ridden the 5-West 3 times since 2008, and each had included a bridge crossing, and some miles north of St. Ignace in Michigan’s upper peninsula.  However, the bicycle bridge crossing were halted by the Mackinac Bridge Authority after 2017, so DALMAC now concludes in Mackinac City, and this meant I stayed overnight in 3 new towns on the slightly modified route.

So after 18 months, on the first day of September, I was finally driving north to Lansing with a bike, 5 days of gear, and a tent.  From lessons learned that last time, I was packed a little different.  Rather than rely on my single oversize the roller duffle for everything, I had second duffle bag for camping gear: Tent, Sleeping bag and pad.  The the under packed roller duffle was more manageable, and my likely to be damp tent would not be mixed in with with my clothing.  This also meant my gear duffle would be packed and sealed while I finished up my camping gear.

I had few other things updated since my last trip, including a better headlamp, a new camp pillow, and a Luci lantern for inside the tent.  My daily kits and after ride gear were kept organized in the mesh bag and ultralight packing cubes I had started using for touring, and those we packed inside heavy duty jumbo Zip lock storage bags.

I arrived mid-afternoon at Steve & Maria’s house on the south side of Lansing, and spent some time catching up with them before heading over to the MSU campus to work the first evening of registration with them.  My job this year was pulling merchandise orders for riders checking in, and taking a few pictures as time allowed.  

While the usual pre-ride excitement was there, the requirement for mask in the building changed the air.  You assumed everyone was smiling, but it just felt different, the mask giving everyone an anonymous look and hiding their unique identity. It was still nice to connect with friends and acquaintances on both sides of the table, riders from across the Midwest, and volunteers who knew me through TCBA. Another absence noticed by many was that of Dick Allen, the originator or DALMAC.

Once registration closed, we headed back to the house for the night  As I double checked my packing, I was a little more careful this year to not leave half my after-ride clothes in their guest bedroom as I had in 2017, though I still managed to leave a lens cap behind.  Then it was down for the night, ready for an early alarm. 

Ready for DALMAC, with my good friend Speedy!

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