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Mackinaw bridge

ramble

ohbeemer
I rode it up on the pegs all the way and as slow as I could go, just to enjoy the view as long as I could. It's a wonderful ride
 
It is a beautiful view from up there. I've done it both by bicycle and on motorcyle and have always enjoyed it thanks to the beautiful view, and the ships you can usually see down below. The bicycle crossings were with an organized tour the day before Labor Day. They put down plywood over the expansion joints, which are wide and long enough to swallow a 27" bicycle wheel up to the axle! :usa
 
Options to Bridge

Like a few of the riders have said..the only time the bridge can be "nerve racking" is high winds or when they close the outer lanes, then you need to handle 2 miles of grating.

I see your from Buffalo area..an option would be to go north to Barrie & Sault Ste Marie Ontario and cross over to "da U.P." at the Soo....the bridge is high but short.

Then you can head across the U.P. to Wisconsin from there.

Bob Alexander
#7892
 
The Bridge....by Gay Telese

One of the guys that works at the tollbooths will ride your bike across for you,I met him once. Call ahead,if he's still there he'll ride your bike across for you.
If I'm in the area I'll take it across,I'm sure you'll get someone,no problem....
 
Did it on a clear, still day on the K75S with a pair of friends on their K-bikes, it was grand!
What a view and what an experience, I would recommend it.
 
I like driving on the grating. Good to hone skills. When we left Midland, MI to go home, the girl I was riding with said she didn't want to go over the bridge again. I said that was fine and to be careful riding through Chicago. She went over the bridge (again).
 
I rode the big bridge up and back last fall on the way to and from Duluth (a friend wanted to buy a 'Stich). I stayed on the concrete portion and it wasn't a big deal. I could have ridden on the grating, but was glad that I didn't have to as the wind was picking up on the way back.

As a youngster I used to ride back and forth at least twice a day across the bridge spanning the Cape Fear River into Wilmington, NC. This bridge is much shorter than the big Mak bridge, but there was no option but to ride over the grating.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Fear_Memorial_Bridge
http://www.city-data.com/picfilesc/picc3482.php

I can recall a couple of times when it was raining and the wind was blowing. My bike (a Honda CB350) would be blown from the windward to the leeward lanes. It took some advance planning to ensure that a car or truck wasn't coming up fast in the leeward lane (I'd start in the windward lane).

On a bike the rotating wheels provide a helpful gyroscopic effect which will keep the bike in a path resisting a change. Recall Newton's law of motion - bodies in motion will tend to remain so unless acted on by a force. So, don't make any sudden directional changes, slam on the brakes, etc. and the ride across the bridge will be ok.
 
Crossing the Mackinac Bridge

We cross the bridge several times each year. It's not really as bad as everyone envisions! One lane is paved and one is grated over the middle section of the bridge -- I've ridden both. Both lanes are paved on the approach on both sides.

A couple of thing to watch out for:

On the paved section in the middle, do keep toward the innermost part of the lane and travel single file (not 2 abeast in the lane). You WILL encounter some cross-winds in the middle, even if it doesn't seem windy as you approach the bridge.

Also, if you're crossing in the rain, or early in the morning, take special care on the large metal expansion joints near each tower. These can be slippery when wet.

Keep your eyes on the road 1/2 mile or so ahead of you if you're uncomfortable with heights -- otherwise enjoy the fantastic view! My hubby hates heights, but he makes it across just fine.

If you have to ride on the grated section (sometimes necessary if bridge maintenance is in progress), keep a nice relaxed grip on the handle bars. The bike will wiggle around a little, but the tighter your grip, the more you'll feel it.

If you have time, stop in Mackinaw City and check out the museum (just above the pizza joint on the main street). They have interesting bridge artifacts and a little video about the building of the bridge.
 
Last update on this bridge

I rode the bridge in May 3,2007.
The grated lanes where in construction and concrete lanes where in excelent condition. No problems for this summer.
Have a great trip.
 
I have crossed the bridge many times on a motorcycle. A lot of what folks have said above is true. Really not so bad.

The worst feeling is if you're trying to lock up and fight the weave the steel grating induces. It's a lot like rain grooves in pavement. Ease up and let it wiggle. It'll still track straight and you'll be fine.

There was that time I did part of it one handed and took pix down through the grating. The camera managed to autofocus on the grating in a couple and on the water below in a couple. That bike was especially stable. :) With two hands anyone should be ok.
 
One of my all time best motorcycling memories involves the Mackinaw Bridge. In 1982 four of us circumnavigated Lake Michigan. We parked the bikes and ferried over to Mackinaw Island to spend the night. The morning dawned clear, warm and sunny, and we decided a swim in the crystal clear, placid waters of Lake Michigan would be a great way to start the day. In and out was the best I could do in that chilly water. Toweling off I stopped to absorb the scene around me. The sun was still low. A boundary layer of fog rested on the glassy surface of the lake. Ducks muttered as they paddled by. The thumping of a big ship's propeller beat the air, the freighter hidden by the mist as it plied the Straits of Mackinaw. And poking above the fog, shining golden in the early morning light, were the twin towers of the Mackinaw Bridge. It was a peaceful, beautious moment that I relish still 25 years later. The long ride over the open grating kept us from truly enjoying the view from the bridge span.
 
R26

Going to the National in Escanaba I rode over the Big Mac on my 57 R26. I had a full load of campimg gear. The outer cement lane was out of service because there were air compressors on it. Any time it is warm enough to paint - the outer lane is out of service. Riding on the inner lane on the steel decking,on the skinney little rib tires; was no fun.
With the latest Metzlers on my K75, the steel decking will be easy.:brow
 
Have her ride the bridge w her eyes closed. That should solve all your problems.
 
Like the other's have said it's not too bad, it can be under certain conditions but slow down and you will be ok.

Two words about the wife's crossing. Blindfold and rope. Put the blindfold over her eyes and tie her hands to the bike frame. If she freaks on the grating you could have a memorable ride.

Footnote. I have been over the bridge many time because of family in the UP and everytime I have crossed on a bike the right lane has been closed for painting, or some type of construction. That puts you on the grating, now all the joints don't match up exactly so the front tire will wonder in the groove, don't fight it cause you can't beat it, just let it flow and relax. ENJOY THE RIDE
 
Just one other thought, give it some careful consideration if its raining. That steel gets real entertaining when wet.
 
I live in NW Michigan and have crossed the bridge many times. While spectacular, it's really not difficult for an experienced rider.

The right lane is paved except for the steel expansion joints which are several feet wide. Assume these are slick and cross them in a straight line at steady speed, etc., as you would a railroad grade crossing. There is a long section of steel grating in the middle mile or so of the left lane which is quite slippery and which also has the steel expansion joints. I have walked across the bridge and noted that the edges of the grating were polished and rounded in profile, so ride like you are riding on a slick surface. It seems to me that there is at least a fifty fifty chance that you will have to ride on the grating due to construction of one kind or another, so anyone planning on sticking to the right lane should have a plan B. When I ride the grating, I try to keep my speed down and drive in a straight line, with no sudden inputs and a light touch on the handlebars. If you must use the brakes, be very careful as the surface does not provide a lot of traction.

While crossing the Mackinaw Bridge IS a rite of passage for many motorcylists, and can be stimulating, I haven't heard of any accidents on the bridge involving bikes, so it must not be that difficult.
 
Mighty Mac

I just crossed on my R100 3 weeks ago. It was a cool and windy day (a wind advisory was in effect). I hadn't crossed in a few years on a bike so I was quite nervous.
You just can't count on being able to EVER go all the way across on the concrete outboard lanes. Constant bridge work forces you to go from lane to lane.
The type of tires you have makes a dramatic difference. I ride old airheads and have found that the Metzlers are a crappy tire for a lot of reasons but on rain grooves and bridge grates are just plain uneasy. I went to Dunlop 491 years ago and have found them to be super stable in all conditions. New tires of any make will be more unstable on the Mac than tires with several thousand miles on them.
If you have a draw bridge or an area of similar grate-type surface in your area I suggest giving a few practice runs across. I find a heavy loaded bike is also more stable.
Long story-short, the bridge speed limit is 45, I shot across the Mac much above that when not fumbling for a camera. I rode on the grates and concrete, due to construction, and found that my worn out Dunlops caused very little cycling or wobble.


<img src="http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/9125/dscf3291he3.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>

It does give that "Look what I just conquered" type of feeling that will last a life time.
Those that are going through the U.P. should get together somehow and meet and cross at the same time in case someone needs a temporary pilot and a shuttle back.
-dan in michigan
 
Bridge Crossing

About 5 years ago I was on a loner ride around Lake Michigan, it was a dream of mine while living in Chicago as a kid, I came up on the bridge right before sunset and it was windy. The toll-booth agent advised that it was good that the wind had died down because they were not letting bikes across just a couple of hours earlier due to the wind. He advised to watch my speed and since I was going north to south that I should get into the left lane (grated lane) due to the wind blowing from the east. That is when the "pucker meter" went up. As I began my aproach to the grated lane I did as instructed, traffic was light so I had no worries about being "pushed". The first thing that I noticed is that there is no "guardrail" as we landridders would expect, there is a support cable-chase that serves as a rail, but I would not describe it as a rail. Within 100 feet of being on the grate I looked down and first saw a tanker waaaayyyyy down there (wow!), then all of a sudden I noticed a Sea Gull/Lake Gull flying below me; that was wild because I've never seen the top of a Gull in flight.
By the time I got to the other side I was soooooo pumped I wanted to go back and forth.
Anyway for those that go across the first time it is exceptional, and I encourage the experience.
As for the ridding technique; agree with all that have advised; keep a light hold on the handle bars to keep it straight, sit back and enjoy.
Hope to meet some of you at the National.
Fernando
Madison, IN
 
Stuck on the Bridge....what a hoot.

On the way back from the MOA in Spokane my buddy and I got caught at the very highest point of the bridge in a full-stop construction (probably the endless re-painting) - caused traffic jam...and as usual only the inside grated lane was open. Aspects included...no bike stand use cuz of the grate, straight down views of toy boats and larger toy freighters and the tops of soaring gulls with the sun glinting off the Lake hundreds (?) of feet below, lasted at least 15 minutes after I thought to time it (for details for my many future biographers.)

What a hoot...no real problem actually...just a great memory.

The Bridge rocks !! (sometimes literally.)
 
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