MANISTIQUE, Mich. (WZMQ) – On Friday, a group of cyclists set off on a 1,200-mile ride around the Upper Peninsula.
Early in the morning, the ninth annual Tour Da Yoop, Eh bike tour took off from Downtown Manistique. The tradition was started by James Studinger, who wanted to share the beauty of the U.P. with fellow cycling enthusiasts.
“I was doing some triathlons,” he said. “I’d come up here to my hometown with my bike, and I’d go for training rides. I wouldn’t see any cars, and I wouldn’t see any bikes. I thought if I do a big ride around the perimeter of the U.P., it would raise awareness to the incredible, remote biking that you can do up in the Upper Peninsula.”
The ten-day tour makes stops in cities like Escanaba, Marquette, Houghton, Grand Marais, and St. Ignace. At the end of their journey, riders will return to Manistique.
“Today is a short day, about 115 miles to Escanaba,” Studinger said. “We take the long way and dip down into peninsulas, down into Nahma. We’re going to go to a little lighthouse that most people in the U.P. have never seen before. “Eventually, we’ll hug our way around Little Bay de Noc, end up in the harbor, and jump in the Lake!”
Last week, the Upper Peninsula experienced poor air quality due to the Canadian wildfires. While those conditions did impact this year’s Tour Da Yoop, Eh, the event still drew cyclists from across the country.
“It was kind of difficult because, just recently, it cleared up again,” said Studinger. “I gave them the option of being able to defer to next year, so we had a number of people that ended up deferring. It’s just a tough call. Then today, it’s gorgeous! I know we’ve got Oklahoma people here today, some from Washington state, way over on the west side today.”
In addition to being a fun way to see the U.P., the tour has become a method of promoting bike safety.
“It’s been a tremendous advocate for all legal users of the road,” Studinger said. “Looking beyond just traditional vehicles to make sure that everybody has a safe way to get from point A to point B.”
It is also an opportunity for cyclists to support a good cause. Over the last five years, the bike tour has raised more than $500,000 for Upper Peninsula Lions Serve, which offers support to families facing childhood cancer.
“Unfortunately, sometimes kids get these diseases,” said Studinger, “but fortunately, there are some amazing people to help them out when it happens. A lot of these families didn’t know that this resource was available. We’ve been connecting with these families, and now the families are connecting with other families. The network of care and community has really been expanding.”
That’s what Studinger says the Tour Da Yoop, Eh bike tour is all about—building community and supporting neighbors.
“At the end of the day, what people remember most are the human connections and, really, just the humanity of this ride, to have this shared experience,” he said. “The care that we receive from people in the U.P. When you’re going through something kind of challenging and tough, it can create some tremendous bonds. The support that we have, it’s these further connections. That’s what I’m most excited about.”
To check out the full bike tour route or to see when the cyclists will be in your town, visit tourdayoopeh.com.
