Saturday, 9/10/2011 – Handlebars for the Homeless

This year the NSO Detroit 5K River run and walk includes a “non-competitive 13-15 mile bike tour” at 8am. This fundraising event is being led by Detroit tour veteran Tom Page and will include Belle Isle, Indian Village and the Heidelberg Project. You can register at the event. More details are on their web site.

Saturday, 9/12/2011 – Full Moon Bike Ride

Fender Bender is hosting this second annual ride that meets at 9pm and starts 30 minutes later. The ride begins in front of the abandoned trail station on Michigan Avenue at 14th. The Fender Bender web site has more information.

Saturday, 9/17/2011 – Celebration of Cycling

This PEAC hosted ride begin in Hines Park and offers a 12, 35, 50, or 100-mile route options. This event is a fundraiser for PEAC amazing programs that help the physically challenged gain greater mobility through bicycling. For more details, visit the PEAC web site. [Yeah, this ride isn't in Detroit but it's real close and for a great cause, so we included it.]

Sunday, 9/18/2011 – Tour de Ford

The?Henry Ford Emergency Departments is hosting a fundraiser bike ride for the?Tom Groth Patient Medical Needs Fund. There are 10, 35, and 70 mile options. A custom jersey is available as well. Visit the Tour de Ford web site for all the details.

Sunday, 9/18/2011 – Great Southwest Detroit Industrial Bicycle Tour II

This Detroit Synergy ride begins at 9am at the Rivard Plaza on the RiverWalk. It 18 miles and there is no charge. Here’s the intriguing ride description:

This isn’t your typical suburban ride through pretty neighborhoods with picket fences bordered by flower beds. Rather, this route takes us through much of the industrial underbelly of southwest Detroit. Poetically, residences are sprinkled throughout the heavy industry complexes. When I tested the route last year the imagery of “little houses on the prairie” kept popping into my head. I am confident that you, like me, will ride away from this tour with a new appreciation of the heavy industry that is an integral part of our area’s history and our shared culture.

Got questions? Contact Tom Page at pagete@gmail.com or 313-473-7118.

Sunday, 9/18/2011 – Back Alley Bikes Progressive Dinner

This is a fundraising event for the invaluable Back Alley Bikes program. According to a Detroit News article, “Scheduled for 3 p.m. Sept. 18, the 11-mile route will offer a five-course meal made by Suddenly Sauer, Organaman, Neighborhood Noodle and the Pie-Sci pizza guys at Woodbridge Pub.” REGISTRATION CLOSES SEPTEMBER 11th!

Friday, 9/23/2011 – New Center Bike Tour

This is presented by Bikes and Murder, but don’t be scared off by their name. This ride begins at 7pm.

Friday, 9/23/2011 – UDM Midnight Bike Tour

Yes, this is the 23rd annual University of Detroit-Mercy bike ride, which likely makes this the oldest bike ride tradition in the Motor City. ?This 25-mile casual ride begins at 8pm on the UDM campus and does a tour of the city. ?We agree with Alec Whitfield, assistant director of student life. “This is an excellent opportunity for new students to see Detroit and even native Detroiters to see our city from an entirely different perspective, at night.”

Saturday, 9/24/2011 – Tour de Troit

The 10th year of this ride will be the largest yet with 5,000 cyclists expected. Given the size, it’s more of a bike parade than just a bike ride. Some changes have been made in order to accommodate such a large group. This event raises funds that helped get those new bike lanes and bike routes added to Corktown and Mexicantown. Register at www.tour-de-troit.org

Friday, 9/30/2011 – Detroit Critical Mass

The group meets at 6:30pm at the corner of Trumbull and Warren. It starts at 7pm. There’s additional information on Facebook

Every Monday – Slow Roll to Slow Jams

This 2.5 hour ride meets at the Woodbridge Pub every Monday at 7pm and leaves 30 minutes later. Details are on their Facebook page.

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From Detroit Synergy:

August 20th at 9 AM: Pedal Cruise

It’s almost time for that annual north Woodward Avenue pagan festival, the Woodward Dream Cruise! That means it’s also time for the Third Annual Detroit Bikes! Pedal Cruise Bicycle Ride! We’re not anti-car; we’re just pro-bicycles! Many of us firmly believe that the best way to experience our City is on a self-propelled vehicle!

The primary aim of the Pedal Cruise is to bike from our City’s birthplace, the Detroit Riverfront, to the world-famous (thanks to Eminem) 8 Mile Rd. (why isn’t it called 8 Miles Road?) and back. We will parallel as well as cross Woodward Avenue, though only a modest part of the ride will take place on Woodward itself.

More details

From the Hub/Back Alley Bikes:

August 20th at Noon: 3rd Annual Safe Streets Youth Ride

Hey everyone! It is time to get energized for our big annual ride. There are many more people riding in Detroit now than have in recent memory. There are also many more groups doing rides together. On August 20th we will be gathering in our back alley at noon for our big annual ride. What makes our ride different? Well, the primary focus is our youth. We are inviting all our Youth that have completed the Earn-a-Bike program in the past year to bring those bikes out and ride with us. We hope they bring their families with them so they can all ride together. This will be a slow ride so people of all ages can keep up. Afterwards we will have a parent appreciation BBQ.

So what if you didn’t participate in Earn-a-Bike? Well, that is the other part that makes our ride unique – it is a fund-raiser to continue the programming that we provide here in the Cass Corridor. If you would like to ride with our youth, please register at our Wepay.com site. Registration is $25, but if you register before August 13th – registration is only $10. Again, Youth Earn-a-Bike participants and their families ride free.

More details and registration

From the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan:

August 21st at 8 AM: J-Cycle

Hop on! The Jewish Historical Society of Michigan, the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue and the Reconstructionist Synagogue of Detroit are leading the way through the streets of Detroit for a fun-filled morning of cycling, learning and bonding. Our tour travels from the beautiful, new Milliken State Park on the Detroit River, along the Riverwalk and through the Dequindre Cut, a landscaped bike path once the Grand Trunk Railroad line and through the city to see such sites as the Hank Greenberg statue at Comerica Park, numerous former synagogues and buildings built between 1902 and the 1920s such as the United Hebrew School building built in 1922 and the new Moishe House on Ferry Street and the Oakland Avenue Schvitz. Don’t miss this first-time event!

More details and registration

From Bike Tech:

August 28th:Third Annual Bicycle Show & Swap Meet

BIKE TECH (@ Balduck Park) 18401 E.Warren, Detroit, Michigan 48236
From 8am – 2pm

Bring out those Vintage, Classics, Road & Track Bicycles and Parts.
Food & Refreshments Available.
Vendor Space Available

$25. – Early Registration
$30. – Day of Show
Table Rental $5.00 additional

For Additional Information…313-884-2453

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Among them, it seems only Click on Detroit’s video coverage is on-line. Our favorite part is the reporter’s surprise in hearing how bike friendly the city of Detroit is.

And they’re telling me that Detroit, believe it or not, is a very bike friendly city. You would think that a city that produces cars would shy away from that. No, no, no. Detroit has wide streets. There’s not a lot of traffic. They do have to dodge some glass here and there, but for the most part, Detroit is a bike friendly city.

It wasn’t me who told them that, but thanks to whomever did.

And did you notice in the video coverage that the DDOT bus had a bike rack? DDOT’s newest buses came equipped with bike racks.

Their web site also had a poll asking, “Friday is Bike to Work day. Did you participate?” The results as of this writing were:

• 64 (3%) Yes, I rode my bike to work.
• 476 (22%) No, but I wanted to.
• 1585 (75%) No, and I won’t.

It would be interesting to know why 22% wanted to but couldn’t. Is it because there’s no safe and convenient route? Too long?

The Metro Times also reported on the event with reporter Sandra Svoboda participating in the ride.

Altogether the three rides organized by Detroit Synergy drew sixty riders. While the morning temperature was warmer than typical, the forecasted rain showers may have dampened the turnout. The longest commuter meeting the group at Campus Maritus was Mike Darga from Northville (a 29-mile ride). Mike works for Giffels-Webster, one of the Detroit bike to work day sponsors. Giffels-Webster was the led firm that developed the city of Detroit’s non-motorized master pan.

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• Woodward Ave ride (Royal Oak/Ferndale/Midtown) to Campus Martius
• Jefferson (Grosse Pointe/East Side/Rivertown) to Campus Martius
• Michigan Ave ride (Dearborn/Mexicantown) to Campus Martius

All of the ride information, including the stops along each route, are included on the Detroit Synergy web site.

Information on volunteering for this event is also on the web site.

There’s are also bike-to-work events scheduled across Michigan. The Michigan Municipal League’s Let’s Save Michigan site has a good listing of those rides. You can also sign their pledge, though it’s unclear just what that does for you.

And, this Saturday is a Henry Ford bike to work day. As you may know, Ford was an active cyclist. In fact, he was the first bicyclist in Detroit to Share the Road with a motorist — Charles B. King. He often rode his bike to work as his house in the Boston-Edison neighborhood was conveniently located near both his Highland Park and Piquette factories.

This Saturday ride — as the flyer wisely notes was a work day back then — starts from Ford’s house and ends at the Piquette plant where the Model T was invented.

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There are two organized Bike to Work rides to Detroit this year. They are a combination of last year’s rides hosted by Detroit Synergy and American Cycle and Fitness.

If you need another excuse, Armadillo Printwear is cooking up some cool T-shirts for participants.

Here are the Friday itineraries with the estimated times:

Woodward Avenue Route

• 6:15AM Start: American Cycle & Fitness in Royal Oak
  29428 Woodward Ave. (just north of 12 Mile Rd)
• 6:25AM Royal Oak Farmers Market, West Entrance
• 6:40AM Ferndale, Southbound Woodward Ave. @ 9 Mile Rd
• 7:35AM Cultural Center/Midtown, WSU
• Welcome Center – Woodward Ave. @ Warren Ave.
• 8:00AM Finish: Downtown, Campus Martius Park
• Afternoon ride leaves Campus Martius @ 5:30pm. Arrive in Royal Oak @ 7pm

Grosse Pointe Route

• 6:15AM Start: American Cycle & Fitness Grosse Pointe, 20343 Mack Ave. (6 blocks south of Vernier Rd)
• 6:35AM City of Grosse Pointe Village, Kercheval @ St. Clair. Parking at Trader Joe’s Parking Garage
• 6:50AM Grosse Pointe Park/Detroit, East Jefferson Ave @ Lakepointe – Grosse Pointe Park Public Library
• 7:30AM Rivertown/Indian Village, 6533 East Jefferson Ave @ Bellevue ?Parking on Bellevue Street
• 8:00AM Finish: Downtown, Campus Martius
• Afternoon ride leaves Campus Martius @ 5:30pm. Arrive in Grosse Pointe @ 7pm

For more information on these rides, visit the Detroit Synergy and American Cycle and Fitness web sites.

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Nonetheless, we had a great ride straight down Michigan Avenue.  Channel 7 came out and covered the ride. Thanks to Alex, Detroit Synergy, Michael Boettcher (East Dearborn Downtown Development Authority), the Dearborn Police, and the Mercury Coffee Shop.

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One of the riders today was going out of his way to ride with us.  His normal bike commute is from Royal Oak to Wixom.

Also, congrats to fellow bike commuter and Friend of the Clinton River Trail, Mark Pompetski.  He got some much deserved ink describing his bike commuting in the Hometown Life:

Three years ago, when Michigan’s perennial orange barrels sprouted along his route to work, Mark Pompetzki’s daily commute became even more of a grind than usual.

But prompted by a co-worker, Pompetzki found a way to take some of the pressure off the drive between Rochester and Southfield. He started riding his bike to work when the weather and his schedule permitted. He’s still doing it today, averaging one day a week.

Read the complete article

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And a special thanks to Lila for noting how great it would be if Woodward Avenue had bike lanes.

Tomorrow is Detroit Synergy’s ride from the Royal Oak Farmers’ Market to Campus Martius. More ride details

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• May 14th, Wednesday, 7pm, REI’s free Bike Commuting workshop at their Troy store.
• May 15th, Thursday, 6:30am, American Cycle & Fitness, Royal Oak to Campus Martius.
• May 15th, Thursday, 6:30am, American Cycle & Fitness, Grosse Pointe to Campus Martius.
• May 16th, Friday, Detroit Synergy
  • 6:25am Royal Oak Farmer’s Market
  • 6:40am Ferndale Post Office
  • 6:55am Palmer Park, Woodward at Merrill Plaisance
  • 7:20am New Center/Techtown at Java Exchange
  • 7:35am Cultural Center/Midtown at Wayne State Welcome Center
  • 8:00am Campus Martius
  • 5:30pm Campus Martius back to Royal Oak
• May 23rd, Friday, Detroit Synergy
  • 6:45am Dearborn City Hall
  • 7:30am Corktown/Southwest Detroit at 14th Street/Mercury Coffee Bar
  • 8:00am Campus Martius
  • 5:30pm Campus Martius back to Dearborn

You can still register to win a commuter bike from American Cycle and Fitness.

If you still need motivation, the AP recently ran a story on bike commuting’s growing popularity.

Bicycle shops across the country are reporting strong sales so far this year, and more people are bringing in bikes that have been idled for years, he said.

“People are riding bicycles a lot more often, and it’s due to a mixture of things but escalating gas prices is one of them,” said Bill Nesper, spokesman for the Washington. D.C.-based League of American Bicyclists.

“We’re seeing a spike in the number of calls we’re getting from people wanting tips on bicycle commuting,” he said.

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