– Tom Shevory published a book about his bike tour across the Great Lakes

– The book touches on all aspects of his journey, including the areas’ history

– Shevory also experienced the cities that surround the Great Lakes

Four summers. 4,000 miles. 65 days.

This is how long it took Tom Shevory to bike across the Great Lakes.

In his recently published book, “The Great Lakes At Ten Miles An Hour: One Cyclists Journey Along The Shores of the Inland Seas,” the Ithaca College professor of politics shares his journey and the life lessons he’s learned from completing it.

On His Journey

After trekking through countries like Iceland, Belize, Thailand and Norway by bicycle, Shevory returned to his roots for this journey. He said he chose the Great Lakes because he wanted to learn more about the area in which he grew up.

“I just thought that it would be fairly interesting to go to a place that’s fairly close to where I’m from, but that I didn’t know a lot about,” Shevory said. “The Great Lakes are kind of an amazing geological phenomenon. There’s nothing like them anywhere else in the world.”

On His Book

Shevory said he didn’t set out to write a book, but started taking notes while he was on his journey, and eventually decided to publish. His book touches on a variety of aspects of the Great Lakes, including its lengthy history, which was an area of great interest for Shevory.

“One of the things I try to do in the book is to look at the historical aspect,” Shevory said. “It’s not just about me riding a bike, but it’s about the places I went to. Some of the first settled places in America were on the Great Lakes. I think, in some ways, the Great Lakes haven’t been recognized for their significance and how important they were for American historical development.”

Regardless of the high level of commitment a tour like Shevory’s requires, he said anyone who knows how to ride a bike can do it. He said prior to leaving for his tour, preparation involved riding his bike around town for about 30 or 40 miles each day. This, he said, allowed certain parts of his body – like the hands and feet – to get used to the bike.

On Biking

On his tour, Shevory said he spent nights at inexpensive motels and camping in state parks. It’s spontaneous moments like these that Shevory said he enjoys most about biking.

“It’s just nice to be out in the world on your own, open to things that happen and the serendipity of travel,” he said. “It’s the same thing that I think people like about any travel, but I think there’s a quality about doing it on a bicycle that’s different from other kinds. You’re more vulnerable to the world.”

On his trek around the Great Lakes in particular, Shevory said he also enjoyed the variety of atmosphere he was able to experience being so close to the cities surrounding the Great Lakes, like Detroit and Chicago.

“The contrast between the natural splendor and the urban activity is one of the things that’s really interesting about the Great Lakes,” he said. “You get both. You get these huge cities, and sometimes they’re in really bad shape. Then you get spectacular natural vistas that are incomparable.”

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