Feb. 27 update on 2021 LMB tours:

LMB has decided to postpone our 2021 tours to next year. Our board and staff have shared many conversations and explored several scenarios. In the end, we came to the difficult decision that we are not confident we will be able to offer a safe and enjoyable experience to all of our riders this summer. Read more here.

A Weekend Adventure!

June 17 – June 20

Well, after last year, we here at League of Michigan Bicyclists (LMB) are looking forward to our weekend Sunrise Adventure! To celebrate the return of our tours, we’ve added a few things like gravel options, a BBQ, live music, e-bike charging at rest stops, and a few other fun things to experience the awesomeness of Michigan’s Lake Huron coast!


Take a minute to remember the first time you rode your bike. Grinning from ear to ear as you pedaled down the street or across the fields feeling the freedom, independence, and fun of being on your bike.

So let’s get on our bikes and recapture that feeling of simple freedom, independence, and fun!

No matter what you ride, why you ride, or where you ride, LMB works for all bicyclists to Make Michigan Bicycling Better. Educating new drivers, law enforcement, and children. Advocating to create and pass legislation concerning safe passing, distracted driving, and helping local bike shops last spring. Helping develop bicycling infrastructure across the state and supporting other bicycling events.

Did you know LMB works to provide education and training to Drivers and Bicyclists through our driver’s education program, our law enforcement training, and our bicycle skills training? Did you know LMB is instrumental in giving bicyclists a voice in government through legislation, like the 3-foot passing law? Did you know LMB’s Micro-Grant Program helps fund local advocacy work and community bicycling programs especially among underserved populations?

Your Sunrise Adventure registration helps to fund LMB’s work. Thank You! So enjoy an awesome tour while supporting LMB making Michigan bicycling better through your registration and purchases!

 


Sunrise Adventure Info

Alpena, Sanctuary of the Great Lakes where LMB’s Sunrise Adventure focuses on FUN. Enjoying bicycling along the relaxed Lake Huron shore while supporting the community of Alpena and enjoying the childlike joy of riding your bike. Unlike our other tours which are focused on camping and longer point to point riding distances, Sunrise is a relaxed hub and spoke hotel tour. With Alpena as our home base and shorter riding options, you can take the time to relax, explore, and enjoy this Father’s Day weekend.

Cycle your choice of routes down forested roads and past historic lighthouses. Enjoy a glass-bottom boat cruise to see some of the 200 shipwrecks lying just off the Lake Huron coast, learn their history at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, kayak the beautiful inland waters of Thunder Bay River, and leave your worries behind as you relax in Alpena’s peaceful downtown.

We’ve also set up a few opportunities to help you get to know your fellow participants, taste the local beer and wine, and explore Alpena’s food and entertainment. Check out the Meals section below for more information.

Wow – a weekend of great riding, exploring shipwrecks, breweries, wineries, lighthouses, Lake Huron, and a National Marine Sanctuary …… now that’s what you call an LMB tour! The whole family will enjoy cycling and sightseeing on LMB’s Sunrise Adventure.


REGISTER FOR SUNRISE NOW!


Sunrise Adventure Itinerary

To start, click each day below to expand the section and see details. Use the Sunrise Adventure Itinerary as a source for route maps, guides to local attractions, and an easy way to develop your sightseeing plans. Please note, routes and itineraries may change without notice due to road closures, construction or inclement weather.

Click each day below for daily details.

Thursday - Check-In and Reception.

  • Packet Pick Up (2:00 to 8:00 PM)
  • Pre-Tour Orientation (5:30 to 6:00 PM)
  • Rider’s Reception (6:30 to 9:00 PM)

Join us at the Greal Lakes Maritime Heritage Center between 2 – 8 pm for packet pick-up. Right next to the check-in table will be our service desk where you can get punch cards, merchandise, maps, and sign up for one of the excursions. Make sure to check out all the discounts and swag to help you plan the weekend. If you need some bike work, check out Harborside Cycle & Sport located in downtown Alpena and a great supporter of LMB. If your looking for a few miles to ride, try exploring the town riding along the Alpena Bi-Path.

5:30 – 6 pm: Pre-Tour Orientation in the auditorium of the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center.

At 6:30 PM,  in the museum, we’ll enjoy a private reception with complimentary beer, wine, and cheese.  Make sure to wear your wristband as it’s your admission ticket! The wine is from Alpena’s Thunder Bay Winery, the sausage is from Nowicki’s Sausage Shop in Alpena, even the beer is from Alpena! We’re sure you’ll enjoy this time to meet your fellow riders and enjoy the offerings of Michigan vintners, brewers and merchants!

Friday - Lake Huron, Amish Country and Watermelon.

  • Packet Pick Up (7:30 – 9:00 AM)
  • Shotgun Start 8:30 AM
  • Riders Alley Reception (5:00 – 6:30 PM)
  • View Route Options (61 Miles, 46 Miles, 32 Miles)

If you missed Packet Pick Up yesterday, today it will be located downtown just outside of Harborside Cycle & Sport from 7:30 – 9 am near the starting line.

Sunrise Adventure begins, of course, with spectacular views of the sunrise over Lake Huron! After a hearty breakfast, head downtown where we’ll have a shotgun start at 8:30 AM. Of course, feel free to start earlier or later, SAG support today begins at 8:30 AM and continues until 4:30 PM. Our Sunrise Scavenger Hunt begins today so make sure to pick up the list at the starting line, or anytime at the service desk!

Today, cycle out to Hubbard Lake the 12th largest inland lake in Michigan. At the top of Mt. Mariah (Watermelon Hill), soak in the spectacular views of the lake and celebrate reaching the top with some delicious treats!!  Then meander through Amish country on the way to Ossineke, a quaint village with sandy beaches along Lake Huron. Make sure to stop and get your picture with Paul Bunyon and Babe! Afterward, as you pedal along the coast of Lake Huron, stop and get a photo crossing the 45th Parallel placing you halfway between the Equator and the North Pole. You’re just a little off-center! As 322 miles due west in Poniatowski, Wisconsin lies the exact center of the northern half of the western hemisphere, phew that was complicated!  After freshening up, come downtown and enjoy the Riders Alley Reception and Alpena’s nightlife.

Saturday - Wooden Boats on the water..., Lighthouses, Shipwrecks and BBQ

  • Alpena Farmers Market
  • Presque Isle Harbor Wooden Boat Show
  • Maplewood Tavern
  • VIP Shipwreck Tour
  • Bikes, Bacon, & Beer BBQ
  • Route Options – 56 miles, 39 miles, 21 miles.

All the routes for today are out and back so the miles you ride depends on your starting point. This is a great way to choose a comfortable distance and be supported by the outstanding LMB Volunteers along the entire route! There is a lot going on in Alpena today so you may want to adjust your miles accordingly. SAG support begins at 8:30 AM and continues until 4:30 PM.

The Alpena Farmers Market is open 8 AM to 1 PM and just a few blocks from the start/finish so you may want to stop by to pick up a few locally fresh items. All three routes today will take you to Presque Isle Harbor on Lake Huron. The Presque Isle Harbor Wooden Boat Show is open today from 10 AM until 4 PM. I can hear Simon and Garfunkel now. Stop by and support these local festivities!

Just a short ride from Presque Isle Harbor you will find the Old and New Presque Isle Lighthouses and have an opportunity to tour the light keeper’s cabin and climb the old light tower. It has a reputation for being haunted…so they say. There is plenty of maritime history here to keep those aficionados interested, and the picnic area is an ideal setting to stop and have a snack.

The 56 and 39-mile routes pass the Maplewood Tavern. This will be a great spot to stop and get a bite or just rehydrate. It’s a SAG stop and the start/finish point for those who want to ride the 39-mile route. Unfortunately, the 21-mile loop does not pass the tavern.

If you’ve purchased VIP Shipwreck Cruise tickets, come enjoy an afternoon on the water with our 2-4 PM cruise. You’ll spend 2 hours in a glass-bottomed boat touring Lake Huron shipwrecks in Thunder Bay, capturing their images and afterward enjoy a lovely rooftop deck reception with beer, wine, non-alcoholic beverages and hors d’oeuvres. Don’t get full because tonight is our farewell BBQ dinner.

From 6 – 8 pm, everyone is invited to join us for an incredible confluence of goodness – Bikes, Bacon & Beer BBQ down by the water at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center. The BBQ and two drink tickets are included for all registered participants. BBQ tickets are available for prepurchase online and at the door for friends and family of registered participants. . The beer is from Alpena’s Austin Brothers Beer Company, the wine is from Thunder Bay Winery, the Bacon is from Nowicki’s Sausage Shop in Alpena, and the BBQ is from LMB. During the BBQ we’ll announce the Sunrise Scavenger Hunt winners. Spend your last evening enjoying the last sunset and night air with friends in Alpena!

Sunday - Go Your Own Way

The last tour sunrise is upon us! We have four route options to finish out this awesome weekend You can venture along more paved roads or take the peaceful trail routes!

Trail Routes – The out and back rail trail routes can be customized from a 1 mile warm-up all the way to the 38.5 mile long route. The 18-mile short route along the North Eastern State Trail (NEST) is a flat ride on fine crushed limestone. For those who want a few more miles, keep pedaling to Posen for a total of 38.5 miles. Posen is a sleepy little village and the “Potato Capital of Michigan”, its rich farmlands and rolling woods provide an excellent backdrop for a peaceful finale. SAG support begins at 8:30 AM and continues until 2:00 PM when Sunrise Adventure officially closes.

If you want to make another stop at the Maplewood Tavern, chose the road option along quiet country roads. 35 miles riding west along the Thunder Bay River and Lake Winyah and then east out to Long Lake before turning south past the Maplewood Inn and back to Alpena.

With Sunrise Adventure in our rearview mirror, it’s time to say goodbye to both old friends and new ones made this weekend. As you pack up your gear and head home you’ll understand why Sunrise Adventure is a wonderful, relaxing experience year after year!

Please note that the itinerary and route are subject to change.


Bicycles on Sunrise Adventure

CLICK HERE FOR BICYCLE INFO

You can ride any human-powered cycle in good mechanical condition on Sunrise Adventure. This includes trikes, recumbents, tandems, unicycles, and of course e-bikes. The standard route is designed to accommodate road bikes. Mountain, hybrid, cyclocross, and gravel bikes will have a blast on the routes. If you are using a standard road bike or touring bike, consider fitting wider tires for comfort.

LMB provides a professional mechanic for the entire tour. Minor adjustments are free. Any repairs, parts, assembly, disassembly, and shipping will incur a fee. Each SAG Stop and SAG wagon carry basic tools, a floor pump, and spare tubes. Our daily Super SAG Stop will have a generator available to provide charging for E-bikes. Our SAG service is designed to transport all the above-named cycles!

To create a safe and scenic tour, Sunrise Adventure will at times travel along crushed limestone trails and unpaved country roads. To best traverse the route on a road bike or touring bike, we recommend fitting the widest possible tires. Road bikes with 23c-28c tires will do fine on the route but may have to work a little harder on unpaved sections. Any optional routes or loops labeled “Gravel” can have sandy sections and are best attempted with a 37c or wider tire that has a tread or knobby surface.


SAG on Sunrise Adventure

CLICK HERE FOR SAG INFO

LMB thinks of SAG as the “Support Assistance Group.” SAG service includes mobile SAG wagons, stationary SAG stops, SAG shuttles, and Sweep. SAG vehicles are marked with LMB flags and magnetic LMB signs

SAG stops are stationed along the primary route. During the Riders Meeting as we review the next day’s route, we’ll provide the approximate location of these SAG stops. They are spaced on an average about 15 miles apart, but this will vary depending on route conditions. SAG Stops are rest stops located on route and identified with LMB signage. They are stocked with water, electrolytes, light snacks, basic tools, floor pumps, and close to restrooms or porta-potties. Our daily Super SAG Stop will also have a generator to provide e-bike charging

SAG wagons will provide assistance to riders experiencing physical or mechanical issues along the primary route and gravel route. SAG wagons will transport riders and their bikes to a SAG stop or to seek medical treatment. Please be aware that SAG wagons do not go to Alpena, they stay on the route to provide the fastest possible service in emergency situations.

SAG shuttles will periodically travel along the route picking up riders at SAG stops and transport them to the start/finish in Alpena.

Each SAG Stop and SAG wagon carry basic tools and a floor pump. They also carry spare tubes for sale. Our SAG service is designed to transport all supported cycles! Please note, SAG support is not available off route or after hours.

LMB provides a professional mechanic for the entire tour. Minor adjustments are free. Any repairs, parts, assembly, disassembly, and shipping will incur a fee. The mechanic will be posted on the route each day and also in camp each afternoon. If your bike requires repair beyond the capacity of our mechanic, you will be referred to the nearest bike shop.

Private SAG’s are allowed.  A private SAG is a person or group of people who are on the tour to provide support to their rider. We simply ask for vehicle and rider information, and to use alternate routes to intersect with the tour route which helps keep riders safe. If private SAG wants to use overnight facilities, meals and tour resources then we ask that they register as Private SAG/Non-Riders.


Meals

CLICK HERE FOR MEALS INFO

LMB wants our events to be opportunities to meet old friends and make new ones. Typically folks get acquainted at breakfast and dinner, but we wanted something more fun! Instead of providing you with breakfast and dinner, we’ve set up a couple of receptions and a big BBQ bash so we can come together and also enjoy Alpena’s food scene.

Thursday and Friday night we’ll gather at the Riders Alley Reception to enjoy a few cold beverages, share our ride stories and get an update on the next day’s route. Appetizers are provided and registered participants will receive two drink tickets for each Rider’s Reception. Stay sharp because they move each night! If you can’t remember, check the service desk.

Saturday night we’ll gather for the Bikes, Bacon, Beer & BBQ Bash to break bread together, feast on local foods, and strengthen relationships with new and old friends. The BBQ and two drink tickets are included for all registered participants. BBQ tickets are available for prepurchase online and at the door for friends and family of registered participants. Don’t worry, you don’t have to decide now, you can add it later by going to the LMB Store.


Lodging

CLICK HERE FOR LODGING INFO

LMB has reserved a block of rooms at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in downtown Alpena. Please call them directly at (989) 340-1800 for special Sunrise Adventure rates.

Visit the Alpena Area Convention & Visitors Bureau for other great lodging options, including camping. We recommend staying close, so you can enjoy all that Alpena has to offer.

Please remember, lodging is not included with your registration and you are responsible for making any lodging arrangements for this tour.


Sunrise Adventure VIP Shipwreck Cruise

CLICK HERE FOR VIP BOAT TOUR INFO

What makes this a VIP tour? Well, glad you asked! We begin with lunch at the Maplewood Tavern between 11 am – 12:30. Then make your way over to the dock where you’ll receive a lovely gift bag filled with all kinds of local and LMB goodies. Enjoy an afternoon on the water in a glass-bottomed boat viewing Lake Huron shipwrecks off the coast of Alpena. One of the items in your gift bag is an LMB pint glass which allows you free refills during our Bikes, Bacon & Beer BBQ. A great value at $75 per person. Tickets are limited. Don’t worry, you don’t have to decide now, you can add it later by going to the LMB Store.

Order VIP Cruise!


Transportation Options

CLICK HERE FOR INFO

All Riders

Since Sunrise Adventure starts and ends at your lodging in Alpena, you only have to get yourself, gear and bike to the start/finish line.

PACKING LIST

Sunrise Adventure does not provide lodging. If you are not camping, you’ll want to edit that portion of the packing list. Required rider gear remains for all events. A list of required and recommended items can be found –  HERE.

Sunrise Adventure Merch

CLICK HERE FOR MERCH INFO

We’re still designing the 2021 Jersey so stay tuned to your email for the big reveal of our 2021 Jersey.

You can still order the 2019 Jersey along with our other LMB Gear (note sizes limited on some styles):

 

Order Sunrise Adventure Gear

 


T-Shirt Upgrades

A standard cotton T-shirt is included with all registrations. Upgrade to a moisture management performance fabric T-shirt for $20. We’re still designing the 2020 t-shirt so stay tuned to your email for the big reveal!

order t-shirt upgrade


Ride Safe, Ride Smart

  • Helmets are required whenever a rider is on a bicycle.
  • Riders must be able to complete the daily route. Please train.
  • Riders must be equipped and able to change a flat tire.
  • Riders must carry at least one water bottle or equivalent for hydration.
  • Riders must have a rear reflector or red blinking light mounted on their bicycle.
  • Be ready to have FUN!

LEARN ABOUT OUR CANCELLATION POLICY


Registration Dates and Fees

Members enjoy exclusive members-only access in January and discounted pricing through May 31. We welcome all to join the League of Michigan Bicyclists to make Michigan bicycling better. Prior to registering, please take a moment to review and understand our Cancellation and Refund Policy.

Members, please make sure to log in when you register to access member rates. Need to Join or Renew? Do it before you register and save!

Registration dates are as follows:

  • Members Only Access – January 1 thru January 14
  • Early-Bird Registration – January 15 thru February 28
  • Regular Registration – March 1 thru May 31, 2021
  • Late Registration – June 1 thru June 17

Registration Fee Schedule

  • Members Only Access – January 1 – January 14
    • LMB Ambassador: $100 + $300 Fundraising Commitment
    • LMB Members $250
    • Child (12 & under) accompanying a Member $55
    • Non-Riders/Private SAG accompanying a Member $125
  • Early-Bird Registration – January 15 thru February 28, 2021
    • LMB Ambassador: $100 + $300 Fundraising Commitment
    • LMB Members $250
    • Non-Members $295
    • Child (12 & under) $55
    • Non-Riders/Private SAG accompanying a Rider $125
  • Regular Registration – March 1 thru May 31, 2021
    • LMB Ambassador: $100 + $300 Fundraising Commitment
    • LMB Members $275
    • Non-Members $325
    • Child (12 & under) $55
    • Non-Riders/Private SAG accompanying a Rider $125
  • Late Registration – June 1 – June 17, 2021
    • LMB Ambassador: $100 + $300 Fundraising Commitment
    • LMB Members $450
    • Non-Members $450
    • Child (12 & under) $55
    • Non-Riders/Private SAG accompanying a Rider $125

Thank You Sunrise Adventure Partners and Sponsors!

 

Location

665 Johnson St
Alpena, MI 49707

Alpena Community College

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