September 1-4, 2011
Prologue
According to my admittedly unreliable cyclomath, this is my 24th DALMAC. Over the years, I've done most of the routes offered. Some I've done are yearly offerings, some are offered only occasionally, and others are no longer around. This year I did the 4-Day West, which has been one of the longest-running routes and probably the one I've done most over the years. Stopover nights for the 4DW this year were Vestaburg, Lake City, and Boyne City. Although Lake City is an 'old friend,' I had no experience wtih the other two as stopovers; so was looking forward to the experience.
This year was a bit of an experiment. Since I've ridden recumbents, I've always used a triple chainring; but this year I took my M5, which was outfitted with a 39/53 double. Since I no longer take The Wall, and I figured none of the other hills would require it, I hoped I'd be okay without the 'safety net' the granny ring provided. Also, the M5 is a racing bike and can't carry much beyond a couple water bottles. By comparison, my NoCom is a pack-horse, able to store water, tools, and even clothing inside the frame. Chris, on the othe hand, had a new toy - a Quest velomobile. A velomobile is a fully-enclosed recumbent trike. His model is purpose-built, with 3-wheel suspension, full lighting, and built-in sound. Pretty fancy, but I would have preferred we be riding bikes of the same class. The quest is several steps beyond stock-class racing recumbents like my M5, and for good reason: the full body gives them a huge advantage on flat ground. As it turned out, Chris was easily able to cruise at 27-30 mph on flat ground, letting him leave me in the dust at will.
As usual of late, Chris and I started from my house on the first day, rather than drive in to the MSU Pavilion and then have to ride back out of town. That meant we dropped our baggage off the night before. Starting time was dictated by meeting the group at the designated assembly point in Dewitt, after which we would be riding as part of a larger group.
Thursday, 9/1/2011 - Start to Vestaburg
The plan for the morning was to meet a group from
the bike club at Dewitt; but we started a bit late and had to hustle. We made
our way down Clark Road to join the route, then followed it into Dewitt and
stopped at the church to wait for the others. I was afraid we’d be late, but it
turned out we were the first ones there.
Eventually, the others showed up and we got rolling. The wind wasn’t strong, but it
was in our faces. Due to a bridge out to the north of Dewitt, we followed a
detour, and came up into Maple Rapids from the southwest. After a brief stop at Maple
Rapids, we continued on. One of the group
promptly got a flat tire. I rode to
the top of the first rise and waited in the shade. I was tightening my seat bolts
when they suddenly appeared over the lip of the hill and went flying by. I had to
give chase on the ensuing grade past Rainbow Lake, but finally caught them just
before Perrinton. At Perrinton, we
turned west and rode to Middleton for lunch at the Middleton Diner. Most of the
others got the turkey sandwich, but Chris and I got the buffet: fried chicken,
bbq pork, ham, mashed potatoes, dressing, gravy, veggies, and bread pudding for
dessert!
North out of Middleton, I took
the lead. On my highracer, I was just tall enough to give a draft, so I
pulled everyone from there to Alma. I started pulling them at 21 mph, but toward the end I was
pulling them at 24-25 mph. Not too bad for a headwind! After a short stop at the
park in Alma, we continued down the Fred Meijer Hartland Trail. I don’t like
trails, and this one epitomized why. We had at least 20 stop signs, mostly to
cross gravel roads. Each one, plus many driveways and bridges, had bollards.
The surface, while smoothly-paved, was leaf- and stick-covered. That many crossings
dropped our average speed below 20 mph.
Finally we
got to Vestaburg and set up camp. It was very warm out, and no shade in the
field. So I cooled off in the school until dinner time.
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Chris is ready to roll
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Dewitt rest stop, ahead of most of the cyclists | |
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| My M5 Carbon Highracer, against the fence at the schoolyard\ |
Strange sky-shadow at sunset in Vestaburg
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Day's
Stats:
Miles =
82
Average speed =
19.6 mph
Top speed = 34 mph
Climbing = 1599
ft
Friday, 9/2/11 -
Vestaburg to Lake City
We had a
thunderstorm at about 4:00 am, but it was done by 6:00. I got up ten minutes
early and got my tent down in a hurry, then went to breakfast. Breakfast was
pancakes, sausage/creamy hash browns, and scrambled eggs, with oatmeal for
anyone brave enough.
We got on the road at about 8:00 and set a 23-24 mph pace with the nice tailwind. Roads were a bit wet, but the wind was drying them out. Soon enough the hills started, and I was feeling my legs, which was unfortunate because the hills would have been fun on fresher legs! I ended up riding alone for a few miles, until I caught up with Chris and a young whippersnapper who was enjoying the challenge to keep up with him.
Gradually the
wind shifted from the SW to the WNW, and it was
vicious – 15 to 25, with gusts over 35 mph. The fast stretch on M-61 wasn’t so
fast this year! I took it at 18-21, with the kid right on my tail, drafting
for dear life.
This year's route missed
the Lake George campground, and instead went right through Lake
George business district - such that is was. We stopped at the Swiss Inn,
which opened a half hour early for us. I got their DALMAC buffet – an assortment of
yummy pasta.
As we got closer to Lake City, it got really
warm and humid, and the wind continued to strengthen. The clouds built, and some
of the locals in their front yards started warning us about thunderstorms. We
had no choice and had to keep riding. Then we got our first sprinkes. That was
actually a good thing because it dropped the temps. But, inevitably, the rain
turned
into an unpleasant steady rain; the kind that might last a long time.
We arrived in camp with the worst of the rain, and accompanied by a few strokes
of lightning, but nothing severe. It was 1:30. Of course, once the tent was
up,the rain stopped and the skies cleared. Whew!
I set up my tent and got everything
under cover without too much ado. Then I got my shower (warm!) and took a
nap. After Chris took his shower, we went over to McDonalds for a snack, even
though it was only an hour before dinner.
Dinner was
Turkey loaf, mashed potatoes, and dressing, with salad and ice cream bars for
dessert. The snack didn’t ruin my supper, and still cleaned my
plate.
After dinner, I cleaned my chain, adjusted my derailleur, and shot the BS with the other riders.
One of many groups out on the road.
One good thing with a ride like this: you never have to ride alone;
there's always someone else doing about your speed. Here was our companion for the day. I think we got him
tired out! Some enterprising individuals put up a
refreshment stop out in the middle of nothing. They sold a lot of water
and soft drinks!
Yes, as the
(head)wind grew stronger, we had to dodge the occasional
tree.
Day’s
stats:
Miles = 89.9
miles
Av =
19.0
Top speed = 40.7
Climbing = 1504 ft
Saturday 9/3/1 -
Lake City to Boyne
City
It sprinkled
at about 6:00 AM; but by the time I’d eaten breakfast the skies were trying to
clear. We took it easy and rode at about 18 mph for a while. The route went up
M-66 to OLD M-66, where we had a nice climb. The downhill had a wide shoulder,
and since I didn’t see any cars
behind me I opted to ride the downhill in the traffic lane (which I normally
do.) A short way down the hill, I looked back and noticed a SUV had appeared behind me. The
driver was so impatient she was going to pass me in the shoulder! I managed to move
over before she did something stupid.
At about mile
11 or 12 it started raining. Chris stopped and put on his roof, but I kept
motoring. The rain gradually intensified, and when the skies finally opened up,
I was only about a mile from the rest stop at the East Boardman United Methodist
Church. I pulled in and got out of the rain,
and ended up staying there for about 45 minutes, waiting for the rain to stop.
Unfortunately, I’d abandoned my bike out in the grass, and my wallet was in
it. I was definitely NOT going back out there to retrieve it; so, no goodies for me!
I took off again as soon as the skies lightened up a bit and the rain
eased.
By the time I reached Kalkaska it had started
raining hard again. I could barely see, and road gunk getting in my eyes
was making it hard to see. I had to stop twice to wash my eyes from my water
bottles. At least it was fairly warm. On the far side of Kalkaska, the rain finally
tapered off and all we got from there on was a sprinkle or
two.
The ride over to Alden was uneventful, except
for noticing several private SAGs letting off bikes. I rode in the rain, so I'm
allowed to look down on
them! At Alden, I caught
up with Chris, who hadn't minded the rain at all – with his top on, his velomobile
kept him nice and dry.
Lunch was at the Alden Bar and Grill. I had a
burger!
After lunch, we
started down Torch Lake Rd. I eventually caught up with a small paceline doing
about 22 mph, which seemed like a good pace for me. They were behaving pretty
well, but I hung off the back a little more than usual. Then came the turn
to Bellaire. The lead tandem didn’t see the route marking until it was
too late, so they simply braked hard. Everyone behind them skidded and several
of us went down. My extra space wasn't large enough, and I ran into the
bike in front of me and went down, too. I got a huge bruise on my inner thigh
and a bloody scrape on my elbow. The bike seemed OK, though, so I
continued.
We rode out through Bellaire and onto old State
Rd. The roads were still mostly wet, so
I had to keep my speed down on the downhills. Too bad, because I love going
fast on the one big downhill there. When we got to East Jordan, I stopped at
the fire station/rest stop. A kindly EMT provided me some paper towel and a
cleaning pad so I could get my elbow cleaned and finally stopped bleeding. I
wrung out my socks and got something to eat there, too. From there we took the
‘alternate’ route around the Wall and rode into Boyne City. It was 4:30 pm,
which is as late as I can remember getting in from a day’s
ride.
Dinner was … hamburgers and a baked potato bar! I had a chili cheese potato with my burger. After dinner I attended the yearly raffle, at which I won a pair of reflective ankle bands. Then I cleaned up my bike and wrote up my report for the day.
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At the rest stop at the church, waiting for the rain to stop |
On the outskirts of Kalkaska
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This shows the terrain as we approach East Jordan. The roads are starting to dry out.
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Goodies for sale at the fire station in East Jordan.
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Day's Stats:
Miles
= 89
Max =
47.6
Average speed = 18.1
Climbing =
3705 ft
Sunday 9/4/2011 - Boyne City to Mackinaw
City
Everything was wet from dew this morning. I got
up and around, and was ready to leave at about 7:30. That was about
middle-of-the-pack; everyone was raring to go despite the 20-mile head start
we’d gotten compared to previous years. The plan was to get a short lunch at
Good Hart and then eat more when we got to Mackinaw City. Skies were mostly
cloudy, and the wind, of course
, was out of the
north.
The route to the downtown area was all
downhill. After a short flat stretch along the lake, we
headed up into the hills! This year we took the old way out of
town, up Wildwood Harbor Rd. Somehow, it wasn't as big or as steep as I remember it
from years past. Before we knew it, we were looking at Walloon Lake through the trees
on the left side of the road; a sign that Petosky is getting
closer!
We buzzed through Walloon
Lake and discovered that our route took the newly-paved River Road. I always
liked that stretch, but in recent years the pavement had gotten so bad that we’d
been routed elsewhere. The sweeping
curves and gentle hills of River Road gave way to the long straight grind up
McDougal Rd, then an exciting downhill before turning on Division and doing one
last climb before Petosky. Division Road actually goes around Petosky and comes
out on M-31 at Bayview.
It was too early
for food, so we kept going, following M-119 past Petosky State Park and then
down along Lake Michigan to Harbor Springs. After going through the downtown
district, we climbed the hill to follow M-119 toward Good Hart. A recumbent
rider on a long wheelbase something-or-other pulled out from Main St and
hit the hill in his lowest gear. He was flailing away at well over 100 rpm but
still wasn’t going fast enough to maintain his balance, and he was all over the
lane. I don’t have a lot of patience with anyone that wimpy; sure the hill can
be a challenge, but it’s not that bad. If I can climb the hill in my 39T
ring, NOBODY should need a 15 inch gear for it. I passed him as quickly as I
could.
Once up on Lakeshore Drive, we enjoyed the rolling hills.
Chris enjoyed them more than me, and took off, so that when I got to Lower
Shoreline Drive and took the turn-off, he was too busy chasing rabbits to notice. Lower
Shorline Drive was anything but flat, but it only had one big hill instead of
two; and by taking it, I came back out onto Shoreline Drive at the bottom of The
Chute. I've stopped doing The Chute because it's downright dangerous to take at recumbent
speeds. Sight lines are poor, a few curves near the bottom are tighter than I'd like for 50+
mph vehicles, and to make matters worse there are driveways and sidestreets. Just past the bottom, I
pulled over at a scenic overlook and waited for Chris. He was about ten minutes back.
Those hills take a while!
After The Chute, the Tunnel
of Trees starts in earnest. I always enjoy it, even when there’s a headwind,
like this year. From my short rest at the overlook, Good Hart was about six
miles of curvy, rolling road with trees coming right up to the pavement on both
sides. Very fun! At Good
Hart, we stopped, as planned, for food. The folks at the General Store had a
big BBQ going, with hamburgers, hot dogs, and brats, along with all the sides
you could think of. Prices were reasonable and I ate more than I’d originally
planned. Oh well!
Back on the bikes, there was
more of the Tunnel of Trees to ride through, finally passing through Cross Village
and then riding out into the jack pines and sand dunes. The road was a bit rough out
there, so we had to wend our way around the worst of the pot holes,
while trying to maintain our speed as we passed group after group of bikes. We
treated the small hills like rollers, and built up a nice speed.
Before we knew it, we were cruising past
the beach and turning onto Lakeview Rd. I got away from Chris and his heavy
velomobile on the long climb away from the lake, but when I turned north on
Cecil Bay Rd, I got the headwind again and Chris’ streamlining enabled him to catch back
up. I'd gotten a small windbreak from some trees and was doing about 26 mph when
he caught me, and I followed him the rest of the way into Mackinaw City. The
final mile into Mackinaw City is downhill, and we rode past the front of the high
school at 32 mph, with me tucked in tightly behind him. That was a great ending
for a great ride.
Rather than use the cold dirty showers at the high school, we piled into Chris’ private SAG and took showers at his motel room. Much better! And, we got food while we were on our excursion, too. I got back to the festivities at the high school, with plenty of time left to take a nice nap while I waited for the bus. It’s taken a few years, but I think I’m finally getting the details down!
River Road, near Clarion, MI. The Tunnel of Trees starts just outside Harbor Springs. Overlooking Lake Michigan Wilderness Golf Course. This stretch was headwind this year. Let's see... mine is the green army duffle and the black and blue nylon
bag! It's good to have a colorful bandana tied to the handle. The three
trucks in the background will be loaded with bicycles for the trip back to
East Lansing.
More River
Road
Lower
Shoreline Drive
Chris sets up for a
curve
Day's Stats:
Mi = 67.4 mph
Max = 43.5 mph
Avg = 18.2 mph
Climbing = 2297 ft
Postlogue
Overall, this year's weather was much better than last year's; which isn't saying a lot. I think last year's weather scared a lot of people away from this year's ride. It was still a tougher-than-average year, with rain on two days and lots of headwind. Personally, I wished an optional route had been marked to let us bypass the rail-trail between Alma and Vestaburg. I could have made better time on a road, and I really didn't care for all those crossings; especially the ones at gravel roads. Aside from that, the route committee did a great job. Food was great, as were the facilities. Although I always liked Central Lake, the new stops were at least as nice. And as nice as the facilities at CMU are, they always manage to make us feel like lepers; so I'm happy to be away from that place.
Bike-wise, my choice of the highracer worked out well in spite of the headwinds. A lowracer would have handled headwinds better, but the highracer certainly did well enough. I may not use the highracer every year; but proving my highracer with a double crankset is a viable DALMAC machine gives me more options in the future.
