The hotel provided breakfast and I enjoyed making two waffles.  I prepared the bags the night before and I took a bagel with peanut butter and jelly for lunch. The trail left right from the parking lot of the motel.  It looked like it might rain so I brought my poncho.

I experienced great shade through the ride. The beginning temperatures were in the upper 60s and the threat of rain raised the humidity to 91%.  I appreciate the shade that grows along the old train lines in Michigan.  On the other side of the tree and brush lines would be flat farm fields.

The description of the trail mentioned going through potato country.  Michigan is #8 in the country in the production of potatoes gathering 1.9 billion pounds.  Do you like chips and fries?  Americans eat about 124 pounds of potatoes per year.

Part of the fun of visiting these towns is discovering interesting facts: 1.) This is where the first Meijer grocery opened in 1934 2.) In 1892 a refrigerator company opened and this town was known for many years as the "Refrigerator Capitol of the World." 3.) During World War II the refrigerator company made the gliders for carrying infantrymen that were used in the Normandy Invasion. 4.) The town attracted many Danish and each August there is a festival.  I ran out of time and could not find a replicate statue of "The Little Mermaid." which resembles the one in Copenhagen. 

Now I better understand how these trails carry the Fred Meijer name.  I am so happy that they were created.  You should check them out. You will enjoy the ride.

 My usual rides go for about two hours and I do these everyday.  Every year I enter summer in good shape,but I have self-doubt of my ability to go longer everyday during the tour. Deep down I knew that I was still capable riding multiple days of 50 to 70 mile days.  The Shoreline tour coming up and has one day of over 70 miles.

Before a tour you want to make sure that the bicycle is ready too.  I have consistently ridden this bike and just had it tuned.  Due to long riding days with elevation gains, I decided to purchase a second battery. This battery would easily fit in my trunk bag. I wanted to be sure that it would ride well and not be too bouncy.  I also did not want the heat of the day too high.

I selected some rail trails in the center of the Lower Peninsula that would provide out and back days.  The plan was to go  50-60 mile days.

The trunk bag held the extra bike battery, pump  and locks.  The frame bag held snacks.  The bottle was my hydration drink. The gas tank bag held the phone, battery bank. The top tube bag had my poncho, tools, and meds. The tool roll had the repair items. I also carry a 1.5 L hydration bladder in my waist bag.

I began my ride in Alma and headed west.   This section of the trail was paved with asphalt.  It was not in the best condition but I would rate it above average.  I was pleased with the ride because I had the route to myself and I was out in woodlands.

Alma is the largest city in Gratiot County with a population of around 9500.  I was able to use a parking lot on the campus of Alma College and the trail was right there.  I wondered about the Scottish connection and I guess that it comes from the college was founded by the Presbyterian Church and that this demonination was originally founded in Scotland.  

 The sides of the trails remained wooded until we came to a small town.  The cross roads were not busy, but I look anyway to be sure to be safe. Today was Sunday and the museum was open for a few hours.  Stopping is worth the time and these volunteers do such a great job sharing the story of their community.  I could hear a live band down the road at the tavern, but I needed to move along since I got a late start.

This village began during the logging era of Michigan.  I did not see any logging trucks, but I did see farmland.  I hope they can open this building some day.

In Edmore I stopped to snack and I turnaround to see the Edmore Inn. That will be  good hub spot to explore the other trails.

Edmore was founded in the 1870s by a developer Ed Moore. The state road 46  which essentially bisects the Lower Peninsula runs through this area.

I really must consider myself very lucky to have traveled over 62,000 miles in 14 years and not have to take time off over multiple days due to an injury.

Since January 2024, 178 days, Strava notes 208 rides taking 368 hours 24 minutes that covered 3,130 miles.

Sunday morning when getting out of bed I noted stiffness in my right ankle.  I thought that I had just slept in an awkward position.  After lunch I announced that the ankle was stiff enough that I would not ride in the afternoon.

I could not determine a specific incident that caused such stiffness and decided to Google the phrase "stiff ankle."  It did not appear as a typical sprained ankle because it was not swollen greatly.  It was tender to the touch the area above the right of the ankle bone down the top of the foot. Moving my foot up and down caused pain. I needed to walk stiff legged and it was difficult to pivot or push off from the toes.

I found comfort in the reclining deck chair on my porch which elevated my ankle.  Ice was applied on and off through the afternoon.  It was a good time reading and I enjoyed the shade with a comfortable breeze.

I discovered that stiff ankles are pretty common in the morning and I can particularly understand that at my age.  The causes usually are arthritis or tendonitis.  The query response went on to say overuse was also a common cause, especially after long periods of strenuous exercise. 

I concluded that my injury was from the last ride.  Riding the country roads for two and a half hours had probably caused the strain from overuse.  

I am anxious to get on the road of recovery.  When I am used to riding 1 or 2 hours each day, it is hard to stop. But I must take a break.  Injuries do not go away.  Riding and ignoring physical pain is not a remedy.  Rest and ice can work wonders.  

RULE #1   LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.

Through the second day there was considerable limping and discomfort.   I spent the afternoon in bed with the foot elevated. By the third day the discomfort had almost disappeared and the ankle is feeling noticeably better. My spirits were lifting.  This leads me to say, "Good, I can ride soon."  If I push it too quickly, I may aggravate the injury.

RULE #2    DON'T PUSH TOO HARD TOO QUICKLY

I will see how it feels tomorrow.  It may be good to do the inside trainer first. A half hour easy ride will probably be enough and it is easy to cut shorter. Going  outside will put me further from home and harder to cut the ride shorter. Taking it day by day is the best plan.

RULE #3   WHAT CAUSED THIS INJURY

It is important to determine why the event happened, so you are less likely to make the same mistake.    

MY CONCLUSION
A couple of weeks ago on a similar ride, I was wearing my hiking shoes instead of cycle shoes. After the ride the muscle along the side of my right calf ached. The pedals are old style metal pedals (rat traps) that came with the bike. I decided to use my cycling shoes this time. I think my pedals need to be a larger platform surface to provide more support. My foot was probably slipping off the pedal platform and put undo stress on a calf muscle.  On my tours I have always used pedals with clips and I should use those on this bike too.

The diagram helped me to understand what muscle was the problem.

Each season I take some rides to explore different parts of Ann Arbor.  The painting of bike lanes on roads has been happening over the last four years.  There are many cyclists in the city and drivers are aware and courteous toward riders and pedestrians.  

The campus is much quieter during the summer.  Today is a Sunday and I think those days have less traffic.  Sunday also has more leisure riders and those doing their long rides for the week.

I have done some seat of my pants exploring, but today I was looking for a direct route to the north end of town.  

Ann Arbor has parks throughout the city and elementary schools have play fields.  It is common to find these in use.

I am glad that they kept this out.  There are still two freight lines through Ann Arbor.  The Amtrak comes through several times a day .  The route goes between Detroit suburbs and downtown Chicago. I had a very enjoyable bike ride today.

At the end of March I saw this on Facebook and I had never been to one of these.  It interested me since I love bikes.  I just wanted to check the place out.  It was only a short drive to get there and I decided to get there about a half hour after it opened.

The setting was the county fairgrounds and there was plenty of space for people to set up.  Numbers identified the spots to organize vendors, but for us there was no map.  

At the first stop I saw this black Schwinn Racer.  This is very similar to my second bike. This was a three speed.  Some readers may not remember such bike, but they were very popular in the 50's and 60's.  Some called them an English three speed.  Wow! When I do a search there are still a variety of 3 speed bikes available.  For me they would be good as a flat commuter bike.  I usually rode mine in the second gear. The low gear for going up a hill and the 3rd gear for adding speed down the hill.

This bike is very similar to the bike that I first had.  It was red and a 24" bike. I eventually removed the fenders and bought a drop (racing) handlebar. I used this one until I was in the 6th grade when I got the 26" Schwinn Racer.  

If I would have left now my day was complete.  These two bikes had such wonderful memories of riding around the neighborhood and town.

I would see the ad and dream of getting the 10 speed.  I was like Ralphie dreaming of his BB gun:)

Schwinns were popular bikes when I was growing up.  We considered them to be the top of the line.  It was definitely the top of our line.  This show had many Schwinn bikes in various conditions.  There were some ready to ride and other would need some hard work.  There were many components out.  Do you need some parts for your old bike?  I would not be surprised that you would find it here.

There were many interesting items and shape looking renovated classic bikes.  I would have liked to see the steam bike work.  Several other buildings had vendor displays.  I spent close to  four hours exploring.

This event was worth the $6 entry fee. They even had a food trailer open.  I was happy to see that.

This is my plan for rainy days, ride inside.  I look at the weather prediction for the day and decide what I feel like doing.        Our thunderstorms went through last night, but today there was on and off rain. This time of the year the temperature in a big deciding point.  Today it was in the 60s and it is 69 degrees, so the temperature is perfect.  I was in the mood to be inside and ride on the trainer.  Yesterday was a wonderful day and I spent 3.5 hours on the country roads southeast of my home.
      While on the trainer I will watch bike riders adventures on YouTube. Please enjoy the places that I saw during the two hours in the saddle.  I like to see places that I will never get a chance to ride. I go in 30 minute segments. It helps my body recover the static position by walking around. Between these two practices the two hours went fast.

On a tour I will ride in the rain.  I always carry a poncho and I do not mind getting caught in the rain. I enjoy the selections on YouTube and this allowed me also to consistently train during the cold days.