There are two Wheelhouse Detroit bicycle tours this weekend in Detroit which are both fundraisers for MTGA.

The first is Saturday, July 9th at 1pm and its theme is the early cycling history in Detroit.

Detroit’s automotive history was made possible by its deep roots in the world of bicycles! Visit the home of Horatio “Good Roads” Earle, the site of both Detroit Wheelmen clubhouses, the Metzger bicycle shop, the Morgan & Wright tire company, the Bicycle Pavilion on Belle Isle and the home of Fords Quadricycle. Tour will be led by Todd Scott, the Detroit Greenways Coordinator for the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance. Community Partner: Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance.

The second is on Sunday, July 10th at 1pm and will tour Detroit’s Underground Railroad historic sites.

Detroit was an important station on the Underground Railroad, and the final American stop prior to freedom across the River in Canada for many escaped slaves. We will visit the Underground Railroad memorial sculpture on the Detroit RiverWalk, historic Second Baptist Church, and the Underground Railroad Living Museum at the First Congregational Church.

For more information on these tours and many others, visit the Wheelhouse Detroit web site.

Dodge Brother's bicycle ball bearing patent of 1896

At 4pm on June 3rd, I will be presenting at TechTown’s First Friday networking event on the connection between entrepreneurs, greenways, and bicycling. The event will be held at NextEnergy, 461 Burroughs in Detroit.

As currently planned, the presentation will begin by recognizing Detroit’s early bicycle entrepreneurs such as William Metzger, Henry Ford, Horatio Earle, and the Dodge Brothers .Though not from Detroit, the Wright Brothers will get mentioned as well.

The bicycle is to be given credit, not only as the pioneer of the good roads movement but also as the parent of the automobile; for whoever heard of ball bearings and pneumatic tires until they were used in bicycles? Where did the expert mechanics come from, if not the bicycle industry? So, this is the rightful order of the origin of modern means of transportation: first, the young American; second, bicycles; third, good roads; fourth, automobiles; fifth, airplanes.

While early bicycle entrepreneurs were integral to Detroit becoming the Motor City, there are many examples today of entrepreneurs lessening Detroit’s car dependence and making it more green — the primary focus of this presentation.

There is a $5 fee payable at the door.

So often m-bike has focused on Detroit bike history prior to 1900.  However, much history was made after that, especially through the Wolverine Sports Club.

Last year the Wolverines’ Clair Young passed. He was a ten time Michigan State Champion during the 1940s and 1950s. That’s dominant.

His daughter Sheila Young went on to a very distinguished racing career in both cycling and speed skating — winning some Olympic medals along the way.

Endless Road Media produced this excellent mini-documentary on Clair Young.

Of course Detroit has a strong automotive history. The first gasoline-powered car was driven in Detroit 115 years ago today — with Henry Ford biking behind it.

But we also have a strong beer brewing heritage, which is perhaps largely a result of Detroit, especially the eastside, being a major destination for German immigrants.

In fact by 1880, 28% of all Detroit households were headed by a German immigrant. At the same time, 62% of the workers in Detroit’s bars and saloons were German immigrants, which proves you don’t need to speak English to pour beers.

Last Fall as part of Detroit Beer Week,  Bil Lusa led a bike tour called BIKE-toberfest – Detroit Brewing, Past & Present. It included Detroit’s current breweries along with the historical sites such as Stroh’s, Pfeiffer, E & B, and Goebel.

Now the Motor City Bike and Brew Tours are offering something similar once a month from April through October.

Learn about Detroit’s brewing history from your own two wheels. Motor City Bike and Brew Tours presents a guided bike tour of Detroit breweries. Discover why the Motor City is a great bike and beer city!

There is a $24.99 fee but the tour includes lunch and drink vouchers.

As always, bike safely.

John Dodge's fixie cruiser from 1898

Detroit has some amazing bicycling history. Those early cyclists led the Good Roads movement, founded MDOT, and were instrumental in creating the automotive industry and motorspots.

We’re fortunate that we have the opportunity to see some of this history up close.

Detroit Historic Museum

We’ve mentioned in the past how the Museum has a replica of the famous Huber and Metzger Bicycle Shop in the basement.

But, there’s more bike history in their collection according to their curator:

We try to get everything out from time to time. We have the medals and Wheelman trophy in our Velocity exhibit now through August. There also is a 1899 F.J. Martz & Co., Detroit-made bicycle in the exhibit. I had hoped to use the Whipple, but not enough room – the perennial problem.

Some of the medals and trophy were won by Ernest Moross. Moross raced on the velodrome, was a “longtime associate of the first American auto racing superstar, Barney Oldfield… [and] obtained distinction as the first Contest Director for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway“.

The “Whipple” being referred to is a “watercolor promoting the League of American Wheelmen. Shows a woman cycle riders on good road contrasted with wagon on poor road.” It was painted by Detroit artist Seth Whipple (1855-1901), who is perhaps more famous for his maritime paintings.

But perhaps what we’d like to see most is their Evans and Dodge Bicycle. It was John Dodge’s bike from when his company built it in 1898 until 1905. It’s an aluminum frame fixie with some chrome/nickel plated parts, and black wheels with a “large gold stripe around the center.” It looks like he pushed a big gear too. Unfortunately it’s not currently on display.

The Henry Ford

The League of American Bicyclists sent the following request out to its members:

Today we had an interesting request that we thought that you all would be able to help answer. The Henry Ford museum is researching images for a new exhibit on the automobile in American life for the Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, Mich. Part of their story describes alternative choices to the automobile, past and present. They are looking for a portrait of Horatio Earle, who was instrumental in the early League of American Wheelmen, as well as a force in the Good Roads Movement in the early 20^th century. If you have one the archive could use, they prefer a 300 dpi tiff digital file. Please e-mail Brynn Raupagh at brynnr@sbcglobal.net.

We contacted Brynn about contributing. He said he was “buried with responses!” and got a photo from MDOT — which Horatio Earle founded.

We’re looking forward to seeing this new exhibit.

And if you decide to go, don’t forgot to visit Orville and Wilbur’s original Wright Cycle Shop just next door in Greenfield Village. Henry Ford moved their bike shop from Dayton to Greenfield Village in 1937.