2019: By the Numbers

2019 is officially a wrap, so it's time to run down the numbers. My final tally was 5,009 road miles logged on 256 rides.  My total ride count was down a bit since I didn't have has many 2-a-days from commuting.  This was my 25th year to ride over 5,000 miles.

Miles by Bike:
Assenmacher: 294 (Almost 50,000 miles on this bike!)
Santana Sovereign: 578 (retired with 34,000 miles, for now, in September)
Santana Spirit: 280 (Our new tandem!)
Trek 850: 18  (Still comes out for the 4th of July Parade!)
Trek 920: 2162 (my go to bike for much of this year)
Trek Domane 2.3: 1677 (All 4 of this years centuries were on this bike!

There was also 550 indoor miles on my trainer bike, a Trek 1200, but that is not in the road miles total.

Here the highlights:

4 Centuries (all over 100 miles this year, just for you purists).

Logged miles riding in 4 states: Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Illinois.  Missouri was on the list, but our planned routed was underwater in June.  Also disappointed we didn’t make it to Michigan this year, and will fix that in 2020.

Commuting:  30 days/60 trips.  I had fewer bikes to work due to changing work roles; however, I have kept my string of consecutive months alive, now at 51 (months with at least one bike to work).

April: My 14th Annual Tour de Mulberry was officially a CIBA Gran Sport Ride.   Still a lot of work on to create a new ride class for CIBA

TOSRV 2019- Riding into the mural in Portstmouth

May:  I rode my 20th TOSRV in 40 years. My first TOSRV was in 1979, and I have now ridden 9 times on a tandem, and 11 times on a single.  And yes, every year has been a GOLD sticker.  (I may be back on the tandem for #21 in 2020.)

June:   I again rode the Adventure Cycling Bicycle Travel Weekend, hosted by CIBA, however another chance to ride overnight (or nights) eluded me (see July!)

July: Our oldest son’s wedding.  Cycling took a back seat!

August: The WRCC’s Wabash River Ride was my 157th century.  Always fun to ride the roads in the Lafayette, and on an event I ran for a number of years in the mid-80’s

Linda with our new Santana Spirit

September: While attending our 5th Midwest Tandem Rally (We have made at least 1 every decade since 1986!) our venerable (maintained, not restored!) 1985 Sovereign was replaced by a new Santana Spirit.  It was dialed in very quickly for some amazing fall riding, and Linda and I are looking forward to more miles in 2020.

Finishing the day at 200,000 miles.

September: I rolled over 200,000 road miles; I didn’t ride it on a set a date, I just sort of celebrated the entire month. How does it feel to ride 200,000 miles?  I feel fortunate that have so many thousands of hours of memories of riding with my family and some amazing friends.  My next goal comes from brother, Jeff - a Lunar!

Each of these could be story in their own right (and a few already are).   Look for a few more in the weeks ahead!

Follow the Ride So Far on Facebook

2019 - Bicycle Travel Weekend - a group camping ride

The Adventure Bicycling Association has sponsored Bicycle Travel Weekend on the first weekend of June since 2016 and this was the third year Nathan and Kristen Dinges have organized CIBA’s participation.   The goal of Bicycle Travel Weekend is to expose more riders to bicycle travel, and Nathan and Kristen have done this for dozens’s of CIBA members.  A first this year, along with 8 riders starting from Beech Grove, 4 riders started from the Columbus (Indiana) area and joined us at the campground in St. Paul.

Picture perfect passing Red Mills

The touring experience of this year’s riders ranged from 40 plus years and thousand of miles to first timers riding with borrowed gear.  This also meant that some of the riders were on purpose built touring bikes, including some of the latest features like disc brakes, gravel-ready wheels and full touring bits; while the first timers were just on a road bike with a rack added.  This lead to lot of experience sharing, with each rider relating their trips and gear selection.

A short portage across some construction

After a 10 am start on Saturday, we rode under dry and sunny skies along a route that followed the back roads from Beech Grove to Shelbyville, with a few short detours and a portage over railroad crossing construction.   In Shelbyville, we stopped for lunch at the Bear Drive-in, and we all welcomed the cold mugs of root beer.  After lunch, it was another  15 miles of riding to the Paradise Campground on the Flat Rock River.

In bike camping, just like bicycling, it’s all about the weight you save, and what keeps you comfortable. A wide selection of backpacking tents went up in our riverside campsite, and out came a variety of light weight chairs.  After the tents were up, most of us hopped on our now emptied bikes, and rode the mile back to St. Paul for additional groceries and refreshments the night and morning.  Back in camp, and after showers,  the cookstoves came out, and we prepared our own meals, comparing notes and favorites.  Dinner was finished a few shared deserts came out as the sun went down.

Dinner time - the table cloth was a small touch of elegance

After dinner, it was relaxing and storytelling around the campfire till almost 11, before we all retreated to our tents.  It only took a few minutes for a pair of visitors, 4 legged and masked, to come out and investigate the remains of our dinner.   There were just a few scraps left, and I did learn that raccoons don’t like strobing, 800 lumen headlights, and they moved on for the night.

Our night was otherwise quiet, and the threatened storms never came south of I-70. In the morning,  the stoves fired up again for a mix of hot breakfasts and coffee, along with the juice and fruit we had picked up the night before.   We then broke camp, and after a group picture, including the poster that Nathan and Kristen had carried, we were all on our way.  Our Columbus contingent now had the tailwind, and we had the headwind for ride back to Beech Grove.   The ride home included a second breakfast stop in Shelbyville, and then a final ice cream stop, before finishing back in Beech Grove.

Group shot before we were on the way home.

Thanks again to Nathan and Kristen for organizing the ride, and I look forward to joining them again for next year’s Bicycle Travel Weekend Ride, the first weekend of June.

2019 - The Tour de Mulberry Century - CIBA Gran Sport Ride

A version of this Ride Report appears in the June, 2019 edition of CIBA News, the newsletter of the Central Indian Bicycling Association – CIBAride.org.

A total of 7 riders participated in the first CIBA Gran Sport ride of 2019 (and the first under the new adopted guidelines), on Sunday April 27, 2019.  Starting from the north side of Carmel, the Tour de Mulberry century has been a spring tradition for a circle of north side riders (and my family) since 2005.   Why ride a century in April? To prepare for the annual TOSRV ride in Columbus Ohio in May, which includes TWO centuries when you do the full ride.  And why ride to Mulberry? Well, it just happens to be 50ish miles to Mulberry from the end of my driveway; riding 50 miles from home and then turning back is a simple way to get in a 100 miles!

Finishing up brisk miles.

Another aspect of this route is the option for riders to join along the way.  The route passes through Sheridan, Kirklin, Frankfort (Indiana), and over the years, riders not ready the full 100 would join in along the way, and this year’s was no exception. Three riders started from my driveway, another joined us heading north on Monon Trail, and another tandem couple met us for lunch in Frankfort on the return leg. Gran Sport rides are self-supporting, so we “sagged local” in the small towns along the way. This included our 60-mile lunch stop at Arni’s in Frankfort.

Gran Sport ride are based on speed groups, and the Tour De Mulberry goal was for 15 mph – or 7.5 hour century (riding time).  And while we were all ready for that pace, the challenge is always presented by Indiana’s spring winds.  The course is North/Northwest going out, and South/Southeast for the return, and this year we were dealt a steady 10-15 mph wind out of the Northeast.  So while we had some favoring winds for much of  the 50 miles out, and managed a little faster, our return ride required good team work, and some tandem help, to maintain our pace heading in.

Thanks to everyone who came out for the inaugural CIBA version of this annual ride!

Lunch in Frankfort at 65 miles.

Follow the Ride So Far on Facebook

2019: The Simple Truths of Group Riding

Unless you are riding on a closed course or other controlled route,  bicyclists riding in a group must follow the rules of the road, including the requirement to ride no more than 2 abreast and obey traffic signals and signage.

Speed is an ability, group riding is a skill.

Safe group riding requires Teamwork and Trust, Communication and Compromise; the larger the group, the faster the pace, the more critical those requirements become.

Safe riding can be encouraged in a pre-ride announcement, but that cannot take the place of training to ride safely, an understanding of the requirements of safe group riding, or the attitude of the participants toward safe riding practices.

Every cyclist is solely responsible for their safety, and for the situations they choose to participate in.

When riding in a group, your skills, experience and decisions impacts the safety of every rider in the group.  If you are not willing to accept that responsibility, you should not be riding in a group.

2018: What is #10weeksto100

What is #10Weeksto100?  At its heart, it's a 10-week training framework to help the novice (or experienced) bicyclist prepare for bicycle rides of 3 hours or longer. However, it is more than just a calendar and mileage chart.

Whatever your interest or goal, the #10weeksto100 series will help you prepare for a fun and comfortable ride through a progressive, weekly riding plan. While this series is focused on a 100-mile ride, (also referred to as a century), this program can be used for preparing for rides of 50 miles (roughly 3 hours of saddle time) or more. In general, riding for 3-4 hours or more can be considered endurance riding. This series can also help you prepare for a multi-day bicycle tour or fund-raiser, such as a Tour De Cure or an MS 150.

It is important to understand that endurance training in cycling is preparing your body in three different ways:

• Cardio Conditioning: Training your heart and lungs for long, steady workouts
• Muscular Conditioning: Legs, back, shoulders, neck and arms all play a role in endurance riding
• Mental Conditioning: This is developing the habits of training, nutrition, pacing and most of all, confidence. Your mental conditioning may also be in making the shift from shorter running or gym workouts to an “all-day” activity like a century or multi-day tour.

During the course of the series, I will also share advice on bike maintenance, clothing, gear and nutrition. I am going to assume you have the bicycle basics covered; a bike you are comfortable riding, a basic understanding of riding safely, and basic cycling skills like shifting. It is also important that you have a bike computer for tracking your speed and miles. You will learn more as you progress, and I am available to answer questions and give advice on all the related aspects.

Full Intro: #10weeksto100 - Preparing for Your First Long Ride or Century
Week 1:  Three Questions to Ask
Week 2:  The Training Plan
Week 3:  Faster is as Important as Farther
Week 4: Your Bike is Your Training Partner
Week 5: Getting Your Bike Gear in Order
Week 6: Training Aches and Pains
Week 7: How To Find the Time
Week 8: Drink, Eat, Repeat
Week 9: Be Visible, Be Predictable, Be Aware
Week 10: Ten Tips from Experience

Coaching vs. Mentoring: #10weeksto100 is intended as mentoring, rather than athlete specific coaching. That being the case, these are broad, general guidelines of a riding style and philosophy.

Medical Advisory: PLEASE consult your physician if you have a chronic condition requiring medication. Endurance riding and training, and the hydration and nutrition changes they bring about, may all have an impact on your medication’s effectiveness and daily needs.

Questions?  Contact me at thinktandem@gmail.com, or message me via my Facebook page: The Ride So Far

Jay Hardcastle, May, 2018

Follow the Ride So Far on Facebook

2017: DALMAC - Wrapping Up

The final afternoon of my sixth DALMAC (Dick Allen Lansing Mackinac) ride this summer. 

With the bridge behind us, we ride over a hill and drop down into St. Ignace.  The small bay is on our right, with a row of waterfront businesses and hotels between the road and the water.  We

Life is good in camp.

are riding with dozens of bikes, and Sunday morning tourist traffic.  St. Ignace is expecting 60,000 for the famous Bridge walk, and there is a Labor Day weekend street fair in progress. The main road is blocked down to just 2 lanes, and pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles are now working there way along the crowded thoroughfare.

We find our regular breakfast spot, Bentley’s BML Cafe, a local landmark, and it appears little has changed in the 8 years since Steve, my son and I last ate here. (In fact, it probably hasn’t changed since before the bridge was built!)  The dining room is long and narrow, with a service counter the length of one wall, with tables and seating for about twice what you think the room could hold.  We are lucky to be seated right away in a booth, and place our order for second breakfast/first lunch.

Positive Mental Outlook!

The ride has been everything I expected, and more.  The weather, while cloudy and cool, has been dry and without challenging winds.   Even though the route had only minor changes from my last two rides, each day of riding felt fresh and added more to my mental album of DALMAC memories.

I can’t say enough about the being able to ride with a friend that I can share so many laughs with after almost 40 years.  And the experience of riding with my brother for an afternoon, and sharing M119 with him,  will always make this one special.

I had wondered about touring without two of my regular companions, an Eclipse handlebar bag and a ready camera.  I know it meant a lighter, faster bike, but I traded that for fewer pictures.    While an iPhone has a pretty good camera, it is not a camera in my sense of the word. I have taken some good pictures with it, but even with the latest feature changes, it does not offer the same readiness. And when I pull a camera up to my face and use a viewfinder, I just take better pictures, most of the time.

It's nice to know I still enjoy sleeping in a tent.  Maybe worse weather would have changed my thoughts on that, but I was always comfortable and rested in the morning. I hope I can look forward to many more nights of camping.

Did I mention the food?

It was also fun to tour with a GPS (the Wahoo Elemnt Bolt).  I like having navigation and the extra data is fun too.  I don’t feel I obsess to much on it, and looking back on the route, elevation and temperature data has been fun while writing this.   And besides, Steve always had his mapbook out if I had any questions; (I had mine packed, I just never pulled it out).

I was very happy with my bike; no flats, no mechanicals, it was a joy to ride.  The same for my riding clothing; everything worked and packed nicely.  I have come a long way from the days of relying on a wool sweater and a garbage bag because nothing was available or worked.  And no more suspenders, but I do prefer bib shorts.

We wrap-up a breakfast of shared stories and laughs and head back out to our bikes.  We have a few miles of riding to a St. Ignace school campus where we rejoin our baggage.   From there, the first leg or our journey home is back across the bridge to the Mackinac City. After a shower at the local high school, we help load our bags and bikes into one the rented sag cars, and a the driver is going to drop us off before he heads back to Lansing.

We are dropped off a mile west of the bridge at the Mackinac City high school, which is buzzing with DALMAC activity. Baggage for almost 500 riders is now scattered across a grassy lot near a picnic shelter behind the school. A couple of hundred bikes and riders are already checked in  The now empty baggage trucks are lined up, and riders are walking the bikes their bikes to the crew of loaders, who hang each bikes upright, securing the the wheels with zip ties the the steel frame of the box trucks.

Inside the school, we are able to buy a simple lunch from a band booster mom, and then we relax at picnic table.  It is early afternoon, and we will be hanging out for a couple of hours, since some of the last riders or doing a long day to finish either the 5 Day west route. It has turned into a beautiful sunny afternoon, and I am down to just a T-shirt.

The bike loading crew hangs my Domane.

I will riding back to Lansing in the cab of a baggage truck, but not as the driver, only riding shotgun to keep the driver company. This is my second time to take the baggage truck option, in `79, Steve grabbed me as a last minute baggage truck driver, and I recruited my own shotgun companion.

While waiting, Steve and I are chatting with the ride director, Joel Wickham, and a couple of committee chairs. One is in charge of meals, and interested in comments on the highs, (Central Lake’s barbeque) and the lows, (Pellston overcooked oatmeal).  We also hear from some ambitious riders, who having raced up to cross the bridge, took the St. Ignace ferry across to Mackinac Island, rode around the island, and then got on the Mackinac City ferry.

I can see the wheels turning in the Joel's head on hearing this.  I have to admit, it would be nice to have a few more Mackinaw City experiences once up here, and I file possibility that away for my next time.

At one point, Steve and I get tagged for errand, as the bike check in crew needs some more zip ties.   After a quick drive to the downtown tourist strip, we find a full hardware store above one of the tourist shops.  It is kind of a surprise, but when you realize this on the edge of huge outdoor area and just off a small harbor, it alls makes sense.

It looks square from here.

Back at the school, our next task is handing out the box dinners for the riders returning by charter bus. There are 5 busses, 70 riders per bus. It is noticed that some baggage isn’t claimed, and another riders is unable to find his baggage.  It turns out there is some confusion with his family as to which of the end points his bag was supposed to go to.  Meanwhile the unclaimed bags to in the directors truck.

By 5 pm, things are winding down and ready roll out  We distribute the last of the box lunches on the buses, and finish loading the tables and administrative supplies from check-in into the baggage trucks and the directors van.  Steve is riding back with Joel, and we will catch up back at MSU. I climb into the cab with my driver.  He has been doing this same task, driving back a baggage truck, for almost 20 years.   With a last check with the director, we hit the road.

It is a half mile back to I-75, and then we are on interstate almost all the way back.  We are on the road less than an hour, and we are passed by each of the tour busses; but then pass them again when they pull over for the big rest stop at Claire.  The sun finally sets south of Claire, and we then pass through another string of towns before finally hitting Lansing.  My five days of riding north, is now all rewound by 5 hours of driving, in this case non-stop.  

We pull into the parking lot, the fourth baggage truck to arrive. Three loads of bikes are now laid out on the grassing medians of the parking lot, and a crew of about a dozen volunteers is waiting to unload this truck.  Working under a pair of portable flood lights rented just for this, the door is rolled up, the ramp is pulled, and using side cutters, the the bikes are methodically cut down, and handed to volunteers at the top of a ramp, and we form a human conveyor belt. It took over an hour to load truck with 70 plus bikes, but we have them unloaded in less than 15 minutes.  I was asked if I had ever handled this many bikes before, and I have to explain, yes (besides DALMAC), twice a year for 5 years, working bike sales for a shop in Indianapolis.

Thanks to Steve and Maria, many more miles ahead!

I find Steve, and we gather our baggage from the directors van I thank the event director, and end up with a crew hat; it’s nice to considered part of the team.  We are able to quickly find bikes and load up my van for the drive back to Steve's house.   We finally pull into his driveway about 11 PM.  It has been almost 18 hours since we broke camp in Pellston.   We head inside, and it does not take long to fall asleep.

The three of us enjoy a light breakfast in their kitchen.  Maria is pleased to hear we had safe and dry ride.  Steve is going to rest his ankle for a few days. (It turns out to be fine after some rest, a little bit of overuse, go figure!)

At breakfast, Maria mentions riding DALMAC next year; It would be fun to ride with the 2 of them again, but I will probably skip a year at least, but know I will be back sooner than 8 years.   I would like to end up with at least 4 more, since 10 is nice round number.  I especially want to make DALMAC 2024, and I also want to try the ride around the island after crossing the bridge. It’s fun to look ahead, and recall riding a few days ago with that couple in their mid-70’; I have a lot riding to look forward to.

We finish our breakfast and I am soon on my way home, another 4 hours in the car ahead of me.  I have an early start, and get a call from Linda checking on my progress.  If I am home by 1 PM, she asks, would I like to get the tandem out for ride to lunch? But only, she says, if I am interested in getting back on a bike.

I make the drive non-stop.  We had a fun ride to lunch.

Not all those who wander are lost.

Follow the Ride So Far on Facebook

2017: DALMAC Day 5 - It's All About the Bridge

The fifth day of my sixth DALMAC (Dick Allen Lansing Mackinac) ride this summer. 

Today is all about Big Mac!

There were a few more brief showers during the night, but none that persisted. It was slightly warmer in the morning, and the overcast was going to continue, but rather than tights, I pulled out the knickers, a long sleeve jersey and a wind jacket. As I finish dressing, I am packing everything for the last day.  I have one full 5-gallon Zip-Loc of dirty clothes, and I shuffle things around to have my clothes for the return trip to Lansing easy to find at the end of the ride.  My tent will to be packed wet until I get home on Monday.  With my packing almost complete, I look for Steve and then we head into the school for breakfast.

Checking your baggage.

I get some bad news from Steve at breakfast.  His ankle is still very sore from his fall yesterday, and he doesn’t want to ride north of St. Ignace to Rudyard.  This will cut about 30 miles from the planned day.  I have to admit, it is very disappointing news.  I am feeling great and was looking to forward to riding inland on some roads I hadn’t ridden since a UP trip in 1979.  But I had committed to riding with my friend, and I settle into the change of plans.  We need to make sure we put our bags on the right truck for St. Ignace, and we still have to make the bridge crossing before the cut off.

We move quickly along with breakfast, as is everyone else.  Once outside, we gather our bags and load them on the baggage truck, and then we are the on the road again.  The normal route from Pellston has been to go straight north on US31, but due to construction, this years route adds an extra 10 miles before we reach the bridge.  All the riders must be on the bridge by 10 am, otherwise you will not be allowed to cross.  Leaving town, we notice a few riders heading north on US31 and taking their chances on the construction zone. Not a choice I would make, and I wish them well.

Heading North, hoping for sun.

We start by backtracking, heading heading west for 5 miles before turning north. There is long uphill grade, the last hills from yesterday, and then a few miles of rollers, then we begin a long gradual down hill toward the shores of Lake Michigan.  Riding north, we a get few glimpses of the sun as it peeks between the surrounding hills and a layer of overcast.  Our long morning shadows are only with us briefly, as the sun soon bridges the gap, disappearing above the clouds.

We are riding through some open farmland, which soon give way to trees as we get closer to the shoreline.  It is mostly pines now, and with only random bursts of color from turned trees and brush.  We had been warned about some rough pavement, but the roads seem fine, and the miles are falling quickly behind us.  We finally break through the trees to the sound of water, and ride for a short way on small sheltered inlet of Lake Michigan.  It is a wide expanse of water looking north west, with just a shadow of the UP visible across the water.  We ride east along the shore briefly before we turn inland again. After cresting a low forested dune there is short view of the south tower of the Mackinac Bridge, still almost 5 miles distant.

More Bike Route Sign south of St. Ignace

The Mackinac Bridge is a unique and beautiful structure, set on the shores of the Straits of Mackinac, it connects Michigan's uppers and lower peninsulas, crossing over the Straits of Mackinac between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.  There are no large cities on either side, and the two 550 foot off-white towers, the graceful curves of the cable and roadway all unite the water, sky and shoreline as one.  It is vista I never tire of.

This brings another wave of recollections, draining any fatigue in my legs.  This will be my fifth time crossing the bridge by bike.  The first was in 1974, and was made under some very strange circumstances.  My then new bike had a poorly made rear wheel, which began breaking spokes during the 100 mile ride leading to the Mackinac City.  My wobbling rear wheel meant my rear brake was unusable as we started to cross the bridge.  I was able to finish the crossing, but then two more spokes “popped” as I rode down the span, and I limped into St. Ignace at 10 miles per hour, hoping to make the campground before the wheel collapsed completely.

For my second DALMAC in 1975, the crossing was washed out by wind and rain, and was made in the back of a baggage trucking, holding my bike upright as the truck swayed in the wind.  I did get a consolation prize, as the next morning we walked across the bridge, before starting the bike ride home with 3 friends from Jackson. (In all, my 1975 DALMAC was an 11-day, 1,000 mile trip.)

1979 Crossing: Beta Bikers, Suspenders,
Short Shorts and a Bell Biker Helmet

I was not back again until `79, and I was fully able to enjoy the crossing on a wonderful Sunday afternoon.  That DALMAC was part of my best year of riding to date, and the summer I met my soon to be wife.  On the bridge that afternoon, I had no idea it would be almost 30 years until circumstances allowed to return to DALMAC,  in `08, riding with Steve, and then in `09, on a tandem with my youngest son riding behind me.

We soon enter St. Ignace, and the traffic picks up as we approach the bridge.  Tomorrow is the annual bridge walk and thousands of tourists are arriving in town. We are also being joined by DALMAC riders coming in from the East route, who have been riding along the shoreline of Lake Huron from Cheboygan.  We pull into the staging area, and while Steve checks in with the event director, I ride across the parking lot to the bridge view park on the waterfront.  There is still a light overcast and the far side of the bridge is slightly obscured.  I should have asked someone to help with a picture, but I settle for a selfie, set my GoPro up on handlebars, ride back to connect with Steve, and we start across Big Mac.

Looking north, about to cross.

Probably the first coolest thing is the I75 sign; as you are now biking on the interstate highway system.   The actual suspension bridge is over a mile from shore, so we start riding a steel truss bridge taking us out to the the massive south cable anchorage.  We leave the south shore behind as we climb over the water of the straits.  It’s a gentle grade, and you are riding up hill for the next 2 ½ miles to the center span.  Looking down, the individual waves soon give way to endless water.

Unless you have driven or ridden a mountain side road, you won’t have a frame of reference for a bridge this high and this long. The impact of the shoreline and water falling away as you ascend is magnified from the the point view of a bicycle, especially when you consider most bikes are taller than the bridge’s guard rails.  Though they came after my first DALMAC’s, I am reminded of rides in the Cascades and along Chuckanut Drive in Washington state.

Just soaking it all in.

The view is spectacular.  Looking east over the straits, Mackinac Island is comes into view, with both the Grand Hotel and Fort Michilimackinac visible.  Farther east the larger Bois Blanc Island extends on the horizon.  While there are no great lakes freighters in sight, the wakes of island bound ferries and small craft criss-cross the waters below.

The right hand lane has been reserved for DALMAC riders. A light but steady flow of vehicles are traveling beside us in the left lane, along with two lanes of southbound traffic. Steve and I are riding among a group of about 100 riders, all with in about a 1/4 mile of roadway. We carefully pass a few them as the grade slowly steepens.

From my 1979 crossing, the stoker took my picture earlier.

On a bridge this size, expansion joints are unavoidable.  You ride over a few “normal” sized ones on the approach portion, and then you must cross some major one as you come to suspension portion of the bridge. These feature interlocking  2” wide, 3 feet long, “fingers and gaps” that are the width of the the entire roadway.  To allow a  bicycle to ride across these, large folding rubber matts have been placed over the joints in our lane of the bridge.  Another feature of Big Mac is that on the suspension portion of the bridge the two inner lanes are open steel grates, and the tires of the passing cars and trucks now give off a loud buzz as they pass.

From the anchorages, the massive 30” main cables that support the vertical stays begin their graceful climb to the to the top of the first tower,  still over a ¼ mile away.  As we are riding along, you can’t help but notice the low guard rails, just beyond the 6” curbs.  It tends to encourage riding away from the side of the road, especially as you glance down through the bridge to water now 150 feet below. It is soon difficult to see the entire south tower, and the we cross another mat covered expansion joint as we pass through the massive columns.

The south tower falls behind and we are now riding the ¾ of mile long center span.  The main cables are now curving down to meet the center of the span.  At 200 feet above the water, you can truly understand how great the Great Lake are. A this height, the horizon is over a dozen miles away, and you are overlooking almost 500 square miles of Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and the two peninsulas of Michigan.  The morning overcast is finally breaking up, and bands of sunlight can be seen flashing on the blue waters to the east.

As soon at the main cables begin to rise to the next tower, you can feel the road begin to drop, and you are now descending to the the north shore.  The pedaling is now easier, and for the first time on the bridge you are free to coast.  We pass through the north tower and over the third of set of covered expansion joints, and now the grade is even steeper, and you are almost touching the brakes, as you quickly roll down to the north anchorage and across final set of mats.  From that point, another section of truss bridge brings you down to almost a water level, and the final half-mile runs on solid ground, a causeway on the water that brings you to the north shore.

Steve and I reconnect, riding along side for the post crossing picture (unfortunately we have not heard from the photographer, yet?).  We ride together into the rest stop gathering area, taking our first real break after 35 quick miles.   We ask someone to take a picture, and and then head into town for breakfast.  Our riding will soon be done, but we still have a long day ahead of us.

Concludes in 2017: DALMAC - Wrapping Up


Day 5 by the numbers:
Start: Pellston
Finish: St. Ignace
Mileage:  39.3 (368 Total Miles)
Riding Time: 2 hours, 50 Minutes
Lunch:  St. Ignace
Elevation: + 1596 / - 1699 ft

Finishing with a friend, the best reward!

Follow the Ride So Far on Facebook