Thoughts on Biking the Great Lakes

[Justine]

Hello,
I am both new to this site and new to lengthy bicycle adventures! A
couple friends and I are planning on biking from near Milwaukee,
Wisconsin to Madison, Wisconsin, and back the following day, which is
a little over 60 miles, and that will be the most I've ever done in a day.
That said, I would like to get into some more intense cycling. Next
spring/summer I would like to bike the entire Great Lakes system.
Does anyone have suggestions of trails that follow along a great length
of the Great Lakes? I'd like to take as few trails as possible so as not to
complicate things, but I also want to stick as close to the lakes as
possible rather than veer 50 miles "downward" into a state or
something. I know of the Great Lakes Circle Tour, but that is a road,
right? I'd rather have something with a little less car traffic. Thank you
for any and all suggestions!!!

Justine

[CMajernik]

Justine:
I don't know about trails along any of the Great Lakes - you'll have to use
roads almost all of the time, I suspect. Here is a website for Great Lakes
Bicycle Touring guidebooks: http://www.cyclotour.com/prod01.htm

 

[wildandcrazy]

My wife and I have done Lakes Huron, and most of Superior.  You will need to ride on the roads most of the time.  The busiest parts are in the populated areas naturally.  There is a guy from London, Ontario, Jamie Noble, who has done them all and posted journals on the Crazyguyonabike.com site.  His journals made us believe in the possibility.  Our postings are "Lake Huron - Clockwise" in 2007 and "Lake Superior - Clockwise" in 2008.  Good Luck, there is a lot to see if you take your time.

[paddleboy17]

I don't think the Michigan legs would be bad at all.  I have done along Lake Michigan and parts of Lakes Huron and Superior, as well as the St Clare River.  You can even get to Ontario, Canada via a ferry boat.