Has anyone ridden their bike across the Mackinaw Bridge? I have no problem with the distance, it's the 'steep incline' and 'wind factor' they warn against on the enrollment document that have me worried. The photos of the bridge don't give me a clue and it's been years since I've been on the bridge.
Do I have to be a jock to attempt this trip?
BIKE RIDE ACROSS THE MACKINAC BRIDGE
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Please see:
http://www.mackinacbridge.org/faq-17/Bridge+services/
According to the bridge site, bicycles are not allowed to cross the bridge on their own. They will transport you and your bike across for $2.00 per bike in their vehicles. If a yugo blew off the bridge I don't think they want to chance someone on a bike!
The Mackinac City Chamber of Commerce sponsors two group bridge rides (spring and fall) where you can ride your bike across. You must participate in the Saturday Scenic ride to be eligible for the Sunday bridge ride and sign all of their waivers. Only 400 bikes are permitted and the event can be cancelled at any time due to weather/wind. i believe the spring one already took place. The fall event is Sept 11-12. You only have to be 13 to be allowed to ride, so I would suppose if you could ride the 25 miles on Saturday you should be fit enought to ride the 5 mile bridge the next day.
The fall ride is what I am considering. I am not worried about the distance, I wonder about the steepness of the bridge and the strength of the wind. Can a recreational rider be successful or does this ride require you to be an athlete?
I rode across the bridge and had no trouble. I was in my late 40s and overweight, but was riding quite a bit at that time.
If it is very windy, the ride will be canceled. The second time I did the Big Mac Shorline Tour that happened.
For a ride organized by people that aren't really riders, I thought that Mackinaw City did a great job with their two day Shoreline Tour. The food was particularly good. Home baked cookies and fresh fruit at the SAG stops and frsh grilled burgers and dogs near the end.
It was much better organized and supported than the larger Zoo-de-Mackinac ride and they have a neat T-shirt. If I have a chance, I will do it again some say.
Keith!!! This is exactly the information I was looking for. Think I"m gonna do it!!!!!!!!!
thanks!
cj
Hope you have a ball!
Keith
BTW: I think that the stretch along M-119 south of Cross Village is the most spectacular part of the ride. It is a winding road through a tunnel of trees, along a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan.
Unless you are doing the longest option of the ride, you will miss it. But if you have someone with you that is not doing the bike ride, they could drop you off on M-119, just north of Harbor Springs (avoiding that long hill up out of town) and have a beautiful 44 mile ride with most of the ride being along the Shoreline Tour route. That is the ride I made on the second year. Start a little later, so that other riders have come that far and you aren't totally alone.
If that is a little long, they could drop you off a few miles farther north.
Keith