Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by BalloonBiker on March 16, 2011 at 4:16am

For me, 2011 is going to be the year of the bike tour.  I'm quitting my job in May and giving up my apartment and am setting out to be full-time, itinerant bike touring balloon twister.

 

After taking a trip to Washington State and Alaska in May, I'm going to be back in the Midwest in June and July doing balloons on the weekends and training for RAGBRAI and a distance tour during the week.  Right now my plans are to take the Amtrak downstate and tour around southern Illinois, Kentucky and Tennesse for a bit.

 

I also definitely want to hit up some other camping sites as well, and definitely make it to Starved Rock.

 

After RAGBRAI, I'm going to be heading East on August 6.  If anyone wants to join me and bike either to New York or to Maine, let me know.

 

I'm certainly not the fastest rider and will be carrying quite a bit of extra balloon gear...let me know if you're interested in joining me for any portion.  I'll be blogging about my trip at www.balloonbiker.com/blog

 

 

 

Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on March 16, 2011 at 6:28am

This year I'd like to do more quick overnighter's at local state parks.

 

My big plan is still in the works. I really want to tour the west coast, and am thinking about a Portland to LA tandem tour with amtrack connecting us to Chicago.

Permalink Reply by Annette on April 4, 2011 at 3:59pm

I'm starting to plan a July trip through Ontario - but first I have to figure out how to get to Toronto :) From there, my bf and I will bike around Lake Huron and back to the US through Michigan's UP. Has anyone had any experience biking Lower Ontario? The topography looks a little more rolling just north and east of the Lake. Anyways, I think I enjoy the planning and mapping just as much as the actual tour!

Jami - it sounds like you've got quite a summer of touring, and year for that matter! Look forward to hearing more about your U.S. wide tour!

Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on April 4, 2011 at 5:03pm

Annette: Be sure you talk to the locals to avoid Black Fly season.

 

Permalink Reply by Annette on April 6, 2011 at 5:59pm

Oh no! I'll have to look more into their patterns but yeah, I'm sure July is the "high season"! I had a bad experience a few years ago on the Sugar River Trail from New Glarus with large mosquitos. The second you stopped riding, there were instantly 20-30 of them on you... and biting! The conditions were ripe though: it was hot and there were major rainstorms the week before. I'm twitching right now just recalling this. Horrible.

Kelvin Mulcky said:

Annette: Be sure you talk to the locals to avoid Black Fly season.

 

Permalink Reply by 2wheels4eyes on April 26, 2011 at 7:45am

I'm planning my first multi-day trip from Chicago to Kitchener, Ontario and back again in late June/early July. I can't take much time off myself so I was thinking of starting in Kalamazoo and going as far as Algonac or maybe London and relying on friends/family to pick me up/drop me off for the first and last bits; cuts about 100 miles off each way. I might go solo or I might go with my partner if she can get enough time off work. If solo I'm not sure if I'll camp or not--it's the trade-off of time/money/pannier weight and I don't know if it's worth carrying all the gear just for myself.

 

Annette--if you decide you want to ride to Toronto, let me know. I will never forget my encounter with black fly season one summer in Muskoka. The black flies descended on us one late afternoon like a plague of locusts. Literally black swarms covering the beach. Everybody hustled us kids into the water and had us walk/swim according to ability with just our eyes and noses poking out while the bravest of the adults lugged all the coolers and chairs as fast as they could back to the road.

Permalink Reply by Annette on May 1, 2011 at 5:02pm

Great news if you're planning a tour through Michigan! Cross post from the general forum... MI will allow bikes to be rolled on all three lines starting in the spring!

 

http://www.thechainlink.org/forum/topics/rollon-train-service-to

 

Permalink Reply by Peter on June 5, 2011 at 5:07am

hey kevin,

 

i've also been thinking about a bike trip from Portland to Los Angeles but for summer, 2012. for what month were you thinking of the west coast trip this year? if you're looking for a band of bikers to join, maybe now is better than later for me. let me!

peter

 

Kelvin Mulcky said:

This year I'd like to do more quick overnighter's at local state parks.

 

My big plan is still in the works. I really want to tour the west coast, and am thinking about a Portland to LA tandem tour with amtrack connecting us to Chicago.