MI Cruzbike retreat 2020 - August 6-9, 2020 Benton Harbor Michigan
- Thread starter benphyr
- Start date
3bs
whereabouts unknown
@benphyr i might have everyone over to my house for some drinks in the backyard, but no camping....and the water is too high right now to camp on the beach, because i have no beach.
ok so if you want a traditional hotel in st joe, there are two down town that are very nice, but not cheap.
https://www.theboulevardinn.com/ this is a suites hotel. right on the bluff right downtown right next to beach. near places we will ride north county. good bar and restaraunt.
https://www.harborshoresresort.com/the-inn on the harbor. near places we will ride. good bar and restaraunt.
https://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/st-joseph/stjmi/hoteldetail a little south of our riding routes but not all the way south. next to good place to eat.
http://www.stjoesilverbeachhotel.com/ also downtown. when i was a kid it was a Holiday inn. it is great location but a tired building. that said, a lot of people stay here and don't complain.
there are also a lot of new motor lodges at the numerous exit off of I-94 from Benton harbor all the way south to new buffallo.
there is also a great hotel and casino in new buffalo. pokagon band https://www.fourwindscasino.com/
there are cabins at the coloma KOA
there are also cabins at the south haven jellystone
the are also cabins down by warren dunes park, i cant remember the name of the resort.
there are also several B & B's in st joseph.
there are zillions of VRBO and the like.
there are also some great old fashioned places in south county such as https://www.gordonbeachinn.com/ this is south county, but they are closer to our sunday rides.
there are also all kinds of similar places in south haven. since the kal haven and the van buren run right thru town. all of those places will be near good eats and drinks and riding.
ok so if you want a traditional hotel in st joe, there are two down town that are very nice, but not cheap.
https://www.theboulevardinn.com/ this is a suites hotel. right on the bluff right downtown right next to beach. near places we will ride north county. good bar and restaraunt.
https://www.harborshoresresort.com/the-inn on the harbor. near places we will ride. good bar and restaraunt.
https://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/st-joseph/stjmi/hoteldetail a little south of our riding routes but not all the way south. next to good place to eat.
http://www.stjoesilverbeachhotel.com/ also downtown. when i was a kid it was a Holiday inn. it is great location but a tired building. that said, a lot of people stay here and don't complain.
there are also a lot of new motor lodges at the numerous exit off of I-94 from Benton harbor all the way south to new buffallo.
there is also a great hotel and casino in new buffalo. pokagon band https://www.fourwindscasino.com/
there are cabins at the coloma KOA
there are also cabins at the south haven jellystone
the are also cabins down by warren dunes park, i cant remember the name of the resort.
there are also several B & B's in st joseph.
there are zillions of VRBO and the like.
there are also some great old fashioned places in south county such as https://www.gordonbeachinn.com/ this is south county, but they are closer to our sunday rides.
there are also all kinds of similar places in south haven. since the kal haven and the van buren run right thru town. all of those places will be near good eats and drinks and riding.
super slim
Zen MBB Master
I like the KOA at Riverside, as it has cabins and tents with good facilities .
benphyr
Guru-me-not
I agree @super slim Do you want to book one? I'm ok with whatever is available. I tend to be cheap though and the cheaper cabins look to be fine with room for 3 (or 4 if cuddly) in each @ $96 USD + linens. A couple of these + eating elsewhere seems like it could be pretty nice and they have tent sites for @velocio . Am I missing anything?
https://koa.com/campgrounds/coloma/...Jelu4qAR6zA9Z9Xj14VM7t54guXikWnHzQ-GIYLOP4m90
https://koa.com/campgrounds/coloma/...Jelu4qAR6zA9Z9Xj14VM7t54guXikWnHzQ-GIYLOP4m90
benphyr
Guru-me-not
3bs, MathewFy, benphyr, velocio, super slim, woodguy, That makes six of us so far. @Rods @cranky cyclist, @CruzLike are you fine Cruzbike-0 sapiens able to join us? Anyone else able to join now that we have a date and location set for Aug 6-9, 2020 Benton Harbor MI. [I have updated the title of this thread to include the date. -benphyr]
All who are aware that there may be a little bit of praising of the cruzbike excellence are welcome to join us for rides, tastings, tales, talk, etc.
All who are aware that there may be a little bit of praising of the cruzbike excellence are welcome to join us for rides, tastings, tales, talk, etc.
Mathew Fy
GRU
I grabbed one of the "Deluxe Cabins", can share with a couple CruzBikers who'd like to pitch-in (I got dibs on the Full Bed):
- 1 Bed-Bunk Bed Set
- 1 Bed-Full Bed
- 1 Bed-Full Futon/Sleeper Sofa
- Linens Available ($)
- Cable - Limited Channels
- Full Kitchen
- Full Bath with Shower
Seth Cooper
Well-Known Member
I should be able to attend this. Since I am local it is a smaller commitment.
3bs
whereabouts unknown
riverside koa is a good central place. i live a mile from there.
the old owners were epic. the new owners are doing a decent job. not perfect but still generally liked.
there is a great bar in riverside too.
the KOA is a mile off of m63 which is our route for the steelhead ride, and also the route to the van buren trail and as such the kal haven trail. so we can actually start from there for rides if you want. i also have a climbing loop that goes right by the koa. bessmer hill is in it. as well as the hills on kerlikowski.
@Seth Cooper the koa is right off exit 4 196,so easy for you to get there.
we can also head east on coloma road to get inland. i don't ride it that much because m63 shoulder is really wide, so i just ride it mostly. but, we can develop a winery ride and hit three wineries from the koa. karma vista contessa and 4 corners are all in a decent riding loop. also a great cider mill, and maybe one more winery.
for people that want to stay in motor lodges this is about 9 minutes by highway from the I94 pipestone exit
i don't have any problem with non cruzbikes coming too. all of the routes i have in mind are good routes for all types. i ride all of my bikes and trikes on all of them.
remember that kal haven is not pavement once it gets out of town in south haven. i usually ride my t50 on it rather than the v20. my neighbor rides his q on it no problem. you certainly can ride a v on it, you just have to be careful in the sand washes.
there are several well known bent riders that live in Michigan and Indiana and Illinois.
this is a pretty central location
indy is 3 hours from here.
detriot is 3 hours from here.
chicago is 90 miles
grand rapids is 80 miles.
if anyone is at seibring this weekend please talk it up. i know that there were at least two indiana cb guys going down.
@velocio jack if you are riding the kalhaven from kalamazoo. you will ride it west to the trailhead on the edge of town. you will then ride thru town and pick up the paved portion of the van buren. ride that till you get to where it crosses m63 just before it goes into van buren state park. ride south till you get to coloma road turn left ride in untill you go under 196 and across the street from the kayak ramp turn left and then the entrance winds back. its about 18-20 miles from the trail head to the KOA depending on what streets you take. so your full ride from the east trailhead in kalamazoo to the koa is about 50-52 miles.
so, if for example we used the koa as a starting point to ride the kalhaven and back it will be a century. jack will not want to ride it since he will have just ridden it.
the old owners were epic. the new owners are doing a decent job. not perfect but still generally liked.
there is a great bar in riverside too.
the KOA is a mile off of m63 which is our route for the steelhead ride, and also the route to the van buren trail and as such the kal haven trail. so we can actually start from there for rides if you want. i also have a climbing loop that goes right by the koa. bessmer hill is in it. as well as the hills on kerlikowski.
@Seth Cooper the koa is right off exit 4 196,so easy for you to get there.
we can also head east on coloma road to get inland. i don't ride it that much because m63 shoulder is really wide, so i just ride it mostly. but, we can develop a winery ride and hit three wineries from the koa. karma vista contessa and 4 corners are all in a decent riding loop. also a great cider mill, and maybe one more winery.
for people that want to stay in motor lodges this is about 9 minutes by highway from the I94 pipestone exit
i don't have any problem with non cruzbikes coming too. all of the routes i have in mind are good routes for all types. i ride all of my bikes and trikes on all of them.
remember that kal haven is not pavement once it gets out of town in south haven. i usually ride my t50 on it rather than the v20. my neighbor rides his q on it no problem. you certainly can ride a v on it, you just have to be careful in the sand washes.
there are several well known bent riders that live in Michigan and Indiana and Illinois.
this is a pretty central location
indy is 3 hours from here.
detriot is 3 hours from here.
chicago is 90 miles
grand rapids is 80 miles.
if anyone is at seibring this weekend please talk it up. i know that there were at least two indiana cb guys going down.
@velocio jack if you are riding the kalhaven from kalamazoo. you will ride it west to the trailhead on the edge of town. you will then ride thru town and pick up the paved portion of the van buren. ride that till you get to where it crosses m63 just before it goes into van buren state park. ride south till you get to coloma road turn left ride in untill you go under 196 and across the street from the kayak ramp turn left and then the entrance winds back. its about 18-20 miles from the trail head to the KOA depending on what streets you take. so your full ride from the east trailhead in kalamazoo to the koa is about 50-52 miles.
so, if for example we used the koa as a starting point to ride the kalhaven and back it will be a century. jack will not want to ride it since he will have just ridden it.
woodguy
Well-Known Member
benphyr
Guru-me-not
And I'll take the top bunk if that works @Mathew Fy
super slim
Zen MBB Master
I'll take the Futon!!!
Mathew Fy
GRU
You got it
Mathew Fy
GRU
You got it
Mathew Fy
GRU
You got it
3bs
whereabouts unknown
okay so lets start filling in the itinerary:
aug 6 thursday
when are people getting here?
should a do a full days worth of riding or an afternoon or an evening?
if we are not doing anything until the pm, i am thinking pedals to pints out of the watermark brewery in stevensville michigan. this is an established program with three or four distances and speeds. pachyderm peddlers puts it on.i suggest we drive there rather than bike, and ride from there, as it will be dark when we head home. watermark is a 15 mile ride from koa.
alternatively, i can do a winery,orchard pub crawl loop.
or we could do something really easy like ride down to st joe or up to south haven, or any of the local beaches or inland to paw paw lake for an early dinner out and back on coloma road or loop north to hagar shore and then back around. we could ride to any number of places to eat an early diner and then ride back. for example hawkshead golf course has a great restaraunt.
aug 7 friday
steelhead triathalon route. 56 miles. i pick this route for friday as the roads will be less busy. i pick the route because bents never got to do triathalons. so if anyone wants to do this for time to see how they would compare, they can.
for those staying at KOA you will ride from koa to klock park by going coloma road to m63 or riverside road to enterprise to 63. either way its about 8 miles.
this makes total ride round trip 72 miles if you do it all starting from KOA
from jean klock park in benton harbor and run the route which will bring you back to klock. this is also a loop with a lot of ways to shorten trip if you want.
if you want to extend this trip, i would then run back up and down on m63 or do another northern loop from klock.
you can look this route up on the steelhead website or it is also in ride with gps and it is also in strava and map my ride.
after this ride we could go to one of the several bars and restaraunts in st joe/benton harbor, such as planks, which has outdoor patio seating on the harbor. https://www.harborshoresresort.com/the-inn/planks-tavern
aug 8 saturday
out and back kalhaven trail
if we start this ride at the KOA,we head north on m63 and pick up van buren trail to kalhaven. if we ride it the whole way and back it is a century.
we can also start this at van buren state park from the van buren trail out and back whick knocks off about 27, making total ride 73.
or we can start in south haven at bailey ave trail head out and back is about 66 miles total for full ride to the 10th st n park in Kalamazoo and back.. but for those who want to ride less, just turn around wherever you want. the trail is limestone and hard pack, so i dont like riding small tires on it, but its doable and there are parallel paved roads nearby. i have done this ride on my t50 and my greenspeed trike. there is water and bathrooms and food and stuff along the way. south haven has bars and restaurants and stores and beaches for short distance riders to visit.
during or after the ride we can go to one of several bars/ restaraunts in south haven. such as taste http://www.tastesouthhaven.com/
Aug 9 sunday
i am thinking routes by choice leaving from the three oaks spokes bicycle museum. https://www.applecidercentury.com/backroad-bikeways
this will require us to drive south to three oaks rather than ride out of the koa, as it is about 33 miles by bike. this way for those that have to leave, they can pick a ride route that times properly with when they have to go. i would think that we could get agreement on a couple rides or all ride the same routes and those who want to keep riding can do so. south county has plenty of non bike attractions as well.
if we want to just ride out of KOA, i can put together a bike loop that hits several wineries orchards and that sort of stuff. just tell me the mileage.
if people want to go to church we can work the rides around or i can include a church.
as far as eating, depending on how many people, that will depend on what and where we eat. i have lots of places i frequent. many of the owners are friends of mine, and some ride DF''s so i may be able to get us a little private room or big table.
input please
aug 6 thursday
when are people getting here?
should a do a full days worth of riding or an afternoon or an evening?
if we are not doing anything until the pm, i am thinking pedals to pints out of the watermark brewery in stevensville michigan. this is an established program with three or four distances and speeds. pachyderm peddlers puts it on.i suggest we drive there rather than bike, and ride from there, as it will be dark when we head home. watermark is a 15 mile ride from koa.
alternatively, i can do a winery,orchard pub crawl loop.
or we could do something really easy like ride down to st joe or up to south haven, or any of the local beaches or inland to paw paw lake for an early dinner out and back on coloma road or loop north to hagar shore and then back around. we could ride to any number of places to eat an early diner and then ride back. for example hawkshead golf course has a great restaraunt.
aug 7 friday
steelhead triathalon route. 56 miles. i pick this route for friday as the roads will be less busy. i pick the route because bents never got to do triathalons. so if anyone wants to do this for time to see how they would compare, they can.
for those staying at KOA you will ride from koa to klock park by going coloma road to m63 or riverside road to enterprise to 63. either way its about 8 miles.
this makes total ride round trip 72 miles if you do it all starting from KOA
from jean klock park in benton harbor and run the route which will bring you back to klock. this is also a loop with a lot of ways to shorten trip if you want.
if you want to extend this trip, i would then run back up and down on m63 or do another northern loop from klock.
you can look this route up on the steelhead website or it is also in ride with gps and it is also in strava and map my ride.
after this ride we could go to one of the several bars and restaraunts in st joe/benton harbor, such as planks, which has outdoor patio seating on the harbor. https://www.harborshoresresort.com/the-inn/planks-tavern
aug 8 saturday
out and back kalhaven trail
if we start this ride at the KOA,we head north on m63 and pick up van buren trail to kalhaven. if we ride it the whole way and back it is a century.
we can also start this at van buren state park from the van buren trail out and back whick knocks off about 27, making total ride 73.
or we can start in south haven at bailey ave trail head out and back is about 66 miles total for full ride to the 10th st n park in Kalamazoo and back.. but for those who want to ride less, just turn around wherever you want. the trail is limestone and hard pack, so i dont like riding small tires on it, but its doable and there are parallel paved roads nearby. i have done this ride on my t50 and my greenspeed trike. there is water and bathrooms and food and stuff along the way. south haven has bars and restaurants and stores and beaches for short distance riders to visit.
during or after the ride we can go to one of several bars/ restaraunts in south haven. such as taste http://www.tastesouthhaven.com/
Aug 9 sunday
i am thinking routes by choice leaving from the three oaks spokes bicycle museum. https://www.applecidercentury.com/backroad-bikeways
this will require us to drive south to three oaks rather than ride out of the koa, as it is about 33 miles by bike. this way for those that have to leave, they can pick a ride route that times properly with when they have to go. i would think that we could get agreement on a couple rides or all ride the same routes and those who want to keep riding can do so. south county has plenty of non bike attractions as well.
if we want to just ride out of KOA, i can put together a bike loop that hits several wineries orchards and that sort of stuff. just tell me the mileage.
if people want to go to church we can work the rides around or i can include a church.
as far as eating, depending on how many people, that will depend on what and where we eat. i have lots of places i frequent. many of the owners are friends of mine, and some ride DF''s so i may be able to get us a little private room or big table.
input please
super slim
Zen MBB Master
I was going to do a ride into Canada from Albany NY, but it would require train/bus travel, so I would need to FULLY disassemble the Silvio to fit into a 26"*26"*10" box.
I am now looking at cycling from Albany NY, to NY, then Philadelphia, to do the ACA Mid Atlantic route, self supported, through Civil war battle fields, then on to Washington, hire a Ford Fusion car, so the bike fits inside across the rear seat, and drive to MI, so anytime on Thursday for me!!!!
The MI route planning sounds good!
I am now looking at cycling from Albany NY, to NY, then Philadelphia, to do the ACA Mid Atlantic route, self supported, through Civil war battle fields, then on to Washington, hire a Ford Fusion car, so the bike fits inside across the rear seat, and drive to MI, so anytime on Thursday for me!!!!
The MI route planning sounds good!
3bs
whereabouts unknown
Here is another ride option less than 25 mile loop 6 local wineries.
https://goo.gl/maps/fhMGbuJ8dAarM9ru9
now we could do the same or add more stops for microbreweries, cider houses, chocolates. orchards. you name it.
https://goo.gl/maps/fhMGbuJ8dAarM9ru9
now we could do the same or add more stops for microbreweries, cider houses, chocolates. orchards. you name it.
velocio
Austrian roadside steckerlfisch (fish on a stick)
Sheessh, no artisanal foie gras stop?
I mostly want to ride my bike along the lakeshore, but I'll have ample opportunity to do that on my own. I lived most of my life in MI, but haven't seen Lake MI in 15+ years. It's an impressive puddle, really looking forward to getting reacquainted.
-Jack
super slim
Zen MBB Master
Could we do bike site seeing, and winery tasting,(like the 4 wineries on your latest map!) Thursday PM, then drive to the pub to have a show of force of good recumbents, to take on the Watermark Brewery DF's!!!, then have dinner/drinks there.
What Cruzbikes has everyone got, to show the range of Cruzbikes to the DF riders!
I have a Silvio S30 with dual suspension, and 26" *42mm Marathon Supremes!
The Steelhead Triathlon from KAO, sounds good for Friday, with food + drinks at Benton Harbour!!
Karl-Haven Trail, from KAO on Saturday, with food + drinks at South Haven!
What is the Min. tyre width recommended?
Is there a church on the way to Three Oaks, so we are in civvies, and NOT Lycra?
I am a non practising Church of England, so happy either way!
I am happy with any ride .distance.
What Cruzbikes has everyone got, to show the range of Cruzbikes to the DF riders!
I have a Silvio S30 with dual suspension, and 26" *42mm Marathon Supremes!
The Steelhead Triathlon from KAO, sounds good for Friday, with food + drinks at Benton Harbour!!
Karl-Haven Trail, from KAO on Saturday, with food + drinks at South Haven!
What is the Min. tyre width recommended?
Is there a church on the way to Three Oaks, so we are in civvies, and NOT Lycra?
I am a non practising Church of England, so happy either way!
I am happy with any ride .distance.
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