Tour de Lake (Superior) — Seeking Advice

Just curious, but, why the mid-October start, your going to miss the peak Fall colors, and endure much colder temps.too!
An early to mid-September start would time-it better to see the peak Fall colors.

Dave,

There's some bicycle touring/commuting threads in Other Activities forum, as well as one in Make Your Own Gear forum (ultralight bicycle panniers).

Neil

Yikes, tht'll be some nippy weather coming your way.

I'm not a biker so can't comment much on clothing except to say that you best prepare for cold storms that time of year. Whatever is apropriate for biking in a storm. Since you'll be on bikes and exposed I'd consider putting ear in dry bags. I've a soft spot for the Pacific Outdoors Equipment Pnuemo LTW (think that's spelled right) bags though their are other lightweight bags available. I'm suggsting this because I suspect you won't have much cover.

I've used items like my Henry Shires Virga Tarptent in the north woods duirng this time and been happy. Pitched well it'll handle what you need.

Assume temperatures will go below freezing and do so often. Though I don't think you need to treat this like a winter trip it is shoulder season (snow can happen) and in some ways with lower temps floating around freezing you're actually worse off than if it would be colder.

By the way, from what little I recall of some reading of trips like this you had best expect people to be very few and far between especially on the Canadian side.

Oh, one last tidbit, if you're going with backroads and it does snow don't expect them to be plowed. Some roads may be, but some certainly not (H-58 which runs between Munisng and Grand Marais, MI coms to mind).

True, and I would much rather prefer to start this coming week; however, my employer has a much different idea. mid-October was the only time available when I could block of the necessary amount of time to complete the trip.

Although I have bike toured, I have no experience in an expedition like that. I have been to Lake Superior several times and it is wild and inspiring and beautiful. The lake can be scary at times, and it is at its most ferocious in Nov. I am curious where you are starting and the direction and how you plan to go around? The eastern section in Canada may be isolated and remote (particularly through Pukasaw). I would be worried about the section biking west (in Mich or Ont) and facing blasting head winds, so I don't know if makes sense to do that at the beginning or the end.

But I am otherwise not really any help, and would suggest you cross post on the bike touring forum where people have a lot of experience in extended bike trips:

http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?s=dd2d79fd09a50f6c58ee5b7ff33e6e36&f=47