If you are a cyclist and have never biked around Michigan before, you should take advantage of this amazing opportunity to see the most scenic parts of Lower Peninsula from a bike. I am talking about 2017 Michigander Bicycle Tour. The tour will roll through scenic “Up North” towns of Traverse City, Leland and Frankfort. The ride will go along Lake Michigan shore following picturesque trails, passing by some beautiful beaches, lighthouses and vineyards. It will go through Sleeping Bear Dunes Nat’l Lakeshore, called the “Most beautiful place in America” by thousands of viewers of Good Morning America show.
The 26th Annual Michigander Bicycle Tour will take place from July 15-22, 2017. It offers three options: 2-day, 6-day and 8-day tours. Routes are mostly paved or crushed limestone. The 2-day ride is setup to be easy with rides up to 30 miles. The longer tours will have rides up to 60 miles a day.
There are choices for overnight stays. You can camp, but you can also stay in a hotel. Breakfasts and dinners are included.
I had a chance to ride in one of the previous Michiganders in the same area and can vouch that you will be in for a treat. This is definitely the most beautiful part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, and seeing it from a relatively slow bicycle, you can really notice many more details than from a fast moving car. It would be a memorable trip.
So if you are a cyclist, get ready to sign up. Registration opens in mid January.
And if you are not a cyclist, but the info got you excited and you would like to do it, get on the bike and start riding. There is still enough time to get in shape to ride 60 miles. If that would be too much for you, sign up for the 2-day tour and ride 20 to 30 miles.
The word of warning though – don’t think that just because the Lower Peninsula doesn’t have any mountains, the trails will be flat. There are some serious hills in the area, that are not easy to climb, so take that into consideration while preparing for the tour.
Find out the details at: http://michigantrails.org/events/michigander-bike-tour/
In February 2018, I wrote an article about the 2018 Michigander. If you would like to read it, you can find it here: https://greatlakesexplorer.com/2018-michigander-bicycle-tour
In 2022, League of Michigan Bicyclists took over organization of Michigander Bike Tour. You can find more info here.
Thank you for writing this, we really appreciate it. We had a great ride this year!!!