I’m Going To Die in the Desert Perrysburg, OH to Defiance, OH
Just to be clear, the title of this post is supposed to be read with a humorous tone. I wanted to get that out of the way before anyone started thinking there was going to be some gloomy tone to come. Perish the thought (pun intended).
On a cycling trip, sometimes you have to rough it a bit. Sometimes you’re in a real bed. And sometimes, it’s … well, THIS!
After showing Bob the route that Google was proposing for the 90 km ride to Defiance, he was quick to say that he wouldn’t go that way. Instead, he proposed a much simpler (and more enjoyable) route. A route that required about five turns (as opposed to, well … Google’s route of a LOT more than five turns). For some reason, Google wanted me to be zigzagging all over the place … and I can only guess as to how many gravel roads that would’ve included. Conversely, Bob’s route was a VERY cycle-friendly route. Minimal traffic and good shoulders. I don’t know what Google was thinking. Does anyone?
Oh, and one last thing about Bob and Colleen … they have a Miata so clearly they are good people (not that there was any doubt)!
… I’ve travelled each and every byway (well, I’ve travelled at least one byway now)
My ride along Bob’s route was mostly effortless. There was a bit of a wind but nothing that hindered my progress significantly. The road was lacking any sort of big climbs or descents so my average speed was pretty good – although, for the same reason my maximum speed was pretty limited. Things were going so well that I ended up going about 50 km before I stopped for lunch at a nice shaded area with a picnic table. Seriously, picnic tables are truly luxurious on a bike tour.
Thanks to this tree and picnic table (although, the tree seemed to be home to more than a few spiders)
Other than life being good, the other thing I couldn’t help but notice was the arrival of summer temperatures. I don’t know how hot today ACTUALLY was but there was definitely a notable increase in temperature on this day. The thing is, often when you’re riding you don’t really notice the heat because of the constant breeze that comes with a moving bike. However, when you STOP for whatever reason, well … that’s when your body really lets you know what you’re dealing with. And today I was dealing with very sweaty stops. VERY.
On the front lawn of Bob and Colleen’s place.
Anyway, I arrived in Defiance without incident (sweaty but that’s hardly an incident) and, not surprisingly, Sue was very welcoming and generous. There was an excellent dinner and lots of conversation before everyone called it a night … I think the sun may have taken a bit of a toll on me as I was pooped by the end of the evening. Or maybe I’m just getting old!
Side note: While I did a decent job of staying fed and hydrated today, I didn’t do quite so well with the application of sunscreen. Sigh. It’s always something! But hey, it’s only Day Six … I’m still getting back into the swing of things.
Today’s totals:
Distance: 89.90 km
Ride time: 3:42:56
Average speed: 24.19 km/h
Maximum speed: 38.70 km/h
Minimal Drivel Ann Arbor, MI to Perrysburg, OH
So, in the interest of getting caught up, I’m going to try to keep this one short. I know, I know … I’ve said that before and then proceeded to write copious amounts of what many would consider to be drivel. I will attempt to keep the drivel to a minimum.
Mike, Kelly, and Fergus (the dog)
With my direction of travel determined, I loaded up my bike and prepared to head south towards Ohio … but not before breakfast and more great chats with Mike and Kelly. There was also a short review of some of Mike’s photos from trips gone by. I could’ve easily stayed longer as the photos and stories were great. However, the road was calling … even if I still hadn’t determined a specific destination. I figured the direction was the main thing.
Yesterday’s trust in Google was replaced today with a return to an utter lack of trust in Google. Unless I was trusting Google to find gravel roads, in which case it excelled. As such, my day was a continuous struggle as to whether to follow my Garmin or Google. In the end, it was a bit of both.
Welcome to …
I ended up meeting my hosts shortly after I arrived at which point beer, conversation, dinner, more conversation, and local strawberries and ice cream filled the remainder of the afternoon and evening. As is frequently the case, we were able to solve most of the world’s problems during our conversations. And, as is also frequently the case, no one else was listening.
Today’s totals:
Distance: 97.67 km
Ride time: 4:23:12
Average speed: 22.26 km/h
Maximum speed: 40.17 km/h
Which Way To Go? Roseville, MI to Ann Arbor, MI
Trail to Ann Arbor
My morning began with the discovery that the rain that had thoroughly soaked me the previous day had since moved on, leaving a sunny day in its wake. For that I was truly grateful. I was also truly grateful to wake to a Warm Showers response confirming that I would have a place to stay this evening – assuming I made it to Ann Arbor. Spoiler Alert: I did.
Ann Arbor was a little under 100 km away so I was reasonably confident I could handle that – especially considering the previous day was almost 130 km in the rain. The biggest challenge on this day was routing since the city sprawl of Detroit was the main obstacle between my trusted Red Roof Inn and Ann Arbor.
The more I pedal in big cities the more I dislike pedalling in big cities. There are lights. There’s traffic. And frequently there are a lot of turns to navigate which typically leaves me with no real bearing as to where I am. Putting my trust in Google is not something I particularly relish. But, on this day, that’s what I did.
Surprisingly, my cautious trust in Google (and the Google lady that was telling me when and where to turn) was rewarded with a mostly efficient route through and around Detroit. That said, it wasn’t a particularly pleasant ride as there were a lot of red lights, potholes, and other distractions … all of which tend to take the fun out of a ride. However, sometimes days like this are necessary. My goal, of course, is to keep them to a minimize as much as possible.
One of the day’s “other distractions”
The second driver caught my attention by slowing down beside me. When I looked over (still pedalling), he asked, “Are those weights?” I said, “Well, they’re heavy but its all my gear. I’m heading to the Grand Canyon.” He laughed in response before saying, “D@mn! You’ve got a LONG way to go!!” All I could do was laugh and agree. He wished me well and also continued on his way.
Going around this was a LOT muddier than I anticipated.
I arrived at my hosts (Mike and Kelly) in time for a pre-dinner beer. And whiskey. As luck would have it, I had arrived on a day that was both their anniversary (33 years, if I remember correctly) and their daughter had stopped by for a short visit – the result was joining them for a ridiculously great lamb dinner. Actually, feast would probably be more accurate. Either way, it was delicious.
Post-dinner, Mike led me on a cycle tour of the area including a stop at the Ann Arbor Music Festival which runs daily for a month. It was fun and impressive to see both the number of people in attendance and the fact that the festival is supported for so many days.
Ann Arbor Music Festival
The photo really doesn’t do it justice
Today’s totals:
Distance: 98.66 km
Ride time: 4:39:49
Average speed: 21.15 km/h
Maximum speed: 38.31 km/h
End of Rehearsals Camlachie, ON to Roseville, MI
Nice views from Ned and Cary’s place.
My morning began with a not-entirely gentle wind coming off Lake Huron. It also began with a few drops of rain. And that was before a full feast of a breakfast prepared by Ned. I was not going to be malnourished to start my ride on this day.
My goal of hitting the road by 10:00 AM didn’t quite happen because, well … breakfast with Ned and Cary turned into a wide range of enjoyable conversations (and the making of a couple peanut butter and jam sandwiches for the road) and so, the delay took care of itself. By 10:30 AM though, I knew I really needed to hit the road … and by 10:40 AM, I did so.
For much of the previous evening I was trying to determine what my plan would be. In the end, I let the weather dictate my route. Essentially my options were to continue west and go across Michigan or head south and cross into the US near Detroit. With a strong north wind in the forecast, I opted to take advantage of that wind and officially targeted Detroit (just north of Detroit, actually) as my destination. A destination that was about 130 km from my starting point. Clearly, the most ambitious day so far.
Gratuitous freighter photo.
As I made my way towards the St. Clair river, the rain’s intensity picked up. Never a downpour. But certainly more than a drizzle. And that more-than-a-drizzle stayed with me for much of my way along the river. Despite the rain, it was still a pleasant ride. There was a good bike path for most of it and the wind continued to help my progress. Excuse Alert: It’s pretty much common knowledge that I struggle with hydration … well, those struggles are certainly not aided by riding in the rain. I mean, when every inch of you is soaked the last thing one tends to think about is having a drink of water. Or maybe that’s just me. Either way, on days like this I prefer to hydrate through osmosis.
I finally made my first stop about 68 km into my ride. Probably further along than ideal, but it only took a little over 2.5 hours to cover that distance. Thank you tailwind! The main reason I waited so long was that I was hoping to find some source of shelter. Did I mention it was raining? I passed a small park with a gazebo at one point but for some reason that wasn’t good enough and I continued on. Had I known it would be another 18 km before another shelter appeared I would’ve stopped. Oops.
This isn’t the ferry terminal you’re looking for.
Well, my passage into the US was to be by ferry. According to Google, the ferry of choice was from Sombra, ON to Marine City, MI. Apparently no one has informed Google that the ferry has been out of commission for a couple of years. Fortunately, Ned and Cary informed me of that vital information so I wasn’t surprised when I passed the closed ferry terminal. The alternate ferry was a bit less than ideal as it added a couple of extra detours – on both sides of the crossing. But that was my future held.
My main concern (detours notwithstanding) with the Walpole Island-Algonac ferry was that there didn’t seem to be a clear schedule as to its departure times. I aimed to get there as soon as possible and hope the best.
Goodbye, Canada.
After being welcomed to the United States, I had a 50 km ride remaining. Part of that ride was heading back north as I needed to pedal around Anchor Bay. The tailwind that had pushed me along for much of my ride to the ferry was now very much working against me. However, given that the northerly portion of my ride was minimal, I just focused on the task at hand (or foot) and pedalled.
Once I worked my way around Anchor Bay, the ride again headed south (okay, there was also a bit of west). While the tailwind was still there for the southerly portions, there was also traffic. A lot of traffic. A few cars were enthusiastic enough about my presence on the road that they felt the need to shout out to me. Yes, that was sarcasm. And no, they were not shouts of encouragement. However, given the number of cars that passed me on the day, I really couldn’t worry about those three drivers. I’m sure they shout at a lot of people (and not just on bikes).
Is this the happiest I’ve ever been to be at a Red Roof Inn?
It might be … of course, it’s not like I’ve stayed at many.
Yup, all things considered, it was another good day.
Today’s totals:
Distance: 128.93 km
Ride time: 5:19:33
Average speed: 24.20 km/h
Maximum speed: 36.45 km/h
The Funny Thing About Conditioning London, ON to Camlachie, ON
Yes, I was tempted to get a Yukon bar. No, I didn’t. Ice cream is reserved for the end of a day’s ride.
The day started off well. Legs felt good. Wind was non-existent. And navigation consisted of about five roads – well, initially anyway. I even took a break for some food and water after only 28 km. However, it wasn’t long after that break that it became clear that my legs didn’t quite have the energy of the day before. But I pedalled on. After about another 12 km, the energy in my legs did not improve. They were still pedalling but they weren’t happy about it. It was as if this was the first time in 642 days that I had done back to back days of riding a loaded bic …. ohhhh, right. Sigh.
With my legs feeling less than enthusiastic about the day’s mission, I did the only thing that made sense. I decided the day needed a drone shot! I’m not saying it was a logical decision … it was a decision based strictly on distraction. And perhaps a little bit of fun! The more I was focused on not crashing the drone, the less I was focused on my legs. Plus, the scenery with the wind turbines in the background was just calling for the drone.
Between setting up, flying, and packing up the drone, my stalling technique filled about ten minutes. But a fun ten minutes. However, it was time to get my legs moving. Like it or not, I still had 50 km to go.
I don’t know what my Garmin was thinking but clearly it was confused.
All things considered though, it was a successful day. Not my best day in terms of hydration and eating but FAR from my worst. I arrived at my Warm Showers host earlier than anticipated and my hosts, Ned and Cary, have been fantastic.
My planned route for the next few days is more than a little up in the air (no, that’s not a drone reference). Much of my long term route will be dictated by what I do tomorrow. At the moment, it looks like I’ll be going through Detroit … not sure where I’ll be staying though. I’d rather not head deep into the city because, well … pedalling in big cities is typically unpleasant. If I can find accommodation along the water, that would be ideal. However, as yet I haven’t been able to find a place that isn’t too far from my current locale – I’m not quite ready for a 150 km day. Give me another week for that. As such, I might have to settle for a motel … and it’s only Day Three!
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- My niece (and host) Janet. Thanks Janet!
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- The next best thing to a tailwind is NO wind.
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- Canadian alpaca
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- Thanks Google.
Today’s totals:
Distance: 88.38 km
Ride time: 3:47:38
Average speed: 23.29 km/h
Maximum speed: 43.32 km/h