This morning Ken and I got up at 6:00 a.m. and we were on the road 45 minutes later. Ken was the tour guide up to Port Washington. That was very helpful because the Google maps are so confusing. From there, the route was much easier to follow and I was in Manitowoc shortly after noon, ready for the trip across the lake.
The clean bike, fresh legs, and a slight tailwind gave me an average speed of 13.5 mph. That's better than my typical day. However, when I see the riders in the Tour de France running 40+ mph, I can't do too much chest pounding.
The Badger is a coal-fired steam engine auto transport ferry. Cost for the bike was just $6, but the cost for me was about $70. So, this wasn't a bargain, but I figured it was a one-time event for me. It is due to be retired in 2014 due to the environmental impact of the coal fired engine, so if I didn't do it now...
Here's the view as we leave WI..
and the view coming in to Ludington:
On the crossing I talked to another tourer. Dave rode his road bike from San Francisco to Michigan. He has a compact double crank with STI shifters. Everything went well from a mechanical standpoint up until a couple of days ago. For reasons unknown, his rear derailleur broke and the rear wheel locked up. He was fortunate to be able to come to a safe stop and lucky to be close to a bike shop that could make the repairs. Once again, I think the components on my bike are working very well. I'm glad we went with the bar end shifters and the mountain bike drivetrain.
The crossing took about 3 1/2 hours and with the time change and disembarking, it was nearly 7 p.m. by the time I got back on the bike. So Ludington is my overnight home.
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Location:Ludington, MI
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