Michigan is a magnet for cyclists, thanks to its gently rolling hills and thousands of miles of quiet secondary roads, many of which run through the state’s 19 million acres of forest. There are scores of weekend group rides throughout the state; maps and other resources are on the Web site of the League of Michigan Bicyclists, lmb.org. The annual Michigander mountain bike tour features three rides of varying distances, starting July 15; see michigantrails.org for more info.
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The shop is headquarters for the Three Oaks Spokes Bicycle Club, whose president, former mayor Bryan Volstorf, founded the popular Apple Cider Century ride (applecidercentury.com), which takes place in October this year. And it’s the starting point for a dozen self-guided “Backroads Bikeway” tours, ranging in length from 5 to 60 miles. Maps are available for a quarter each at the store, or online for free at applecidercentury.com. (Maps for six more “Outback Trails” designed for mountain bikes are online only.)
We started with the 20-mile Union Pier trail, which took us toward the lakeshore via rough and narrow but quiet roads. Turns were marked with green “Backroads Bikeway” signs, but because different trails often intersect we occasionally had to stop to check our map. Along the way we marveled at a cast-iron dinosaur skeleton on somebody’s front lawn; just behind it was a scary face carved into a tree stump that looked like it was straight out of H.R. Pufnstuf. A few miles further along we stopped to gawk at a herd of shaggy Scottish Highlands cattle.
I’m a vegetarian, so I didn’t venture into Drier’s Meat Market (14 S. Elm St., 888-521-3999 or driers.com), a National Historic Site that has specialized in smoked meat since 1875. Across the street is Belle Via Market & Cafe (11 S. Elm St., 269-756-3978 or bellevia.com), which has a juice bar and organic grocery.
