  Irvine_laird Member Username: Irvine_laird Post Number: 73 Registered: 02-2007 |
I am considering taking up biking for exercise, fun, and for getting to and from work. Two questions: Where should a beginner go to learn about biking? What clubs exist? Where are the best places to go biking in metro Detroit? | ||
Jjw Member Username: Jjw Post Number: 385 Registered: 10-2005 |
I loved biking along Edward Hines Drive. Early morning weekends are great in the downtown and outlying areas near it. Belle Isle of course. | ||
Gravitymachine Member Username: Gravitymachine Post Number: 1729 Registered: 05-2005 |
if your looking to mountain bike, look no further than www.mmba.org ...trail guides, message board, etc | ||
Crystal Member Username: Crystal Post Number: 10 Registered: 05-2007 |
MMBA is a great group. Our family has been members for years. Also check out the League of Michigan Bicyclists and the Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society. http://www.lmb.org http://www.aabts.org | ||
Cambrian Member Username: Cambrian Post Number: 1306 Registered: 08-2006 |
Check out Detroit Bikes! We have lots of fun: http://www.detroitsynergy.org/ projects/detroitbikes/folder.2 007-01-23.2968646402/folder.20 07-03-27.0784451522/folder.200 7-07-05.4825309854/news_item.2 007-07-05.2832217846 | ||
Crystal Member Username: Crystal Post Number: 11 Registered: 05-2007 |
Hi, Cambrian. Our family wants to attend the Detroit Bikes! Cruise in Detroit ride this Saturday 7/21 at 10 AM. Do you know the length of the route? Is it about 20 miles, as indicated on gmaps-pedometer? Emails to detroitbikes@detroitsynergy.or g have not been returned. Thanks! | ||
Cambrian Member Username: Cambrian Post Number: 1307 Registered: 08-2006 |
Yes that or a little less Crystal. They usually get a large turnout for the rides, the pace is pretty easy going. It's more about sight seein' then getting your burn on. What sux is I have to miss it. I'm taking classes this Saturday. | ||
Sharmaal Member Username: Sharmaal Post Number: 1177 Registered: 09-2004 |
Cambrian is correct. It's at a real easy pace and welcomes everyone. About 20 miles depending on the route. Bike Helmets are mandatory. Detroit Bikes!, like all Detroit Synergy Projects are 100% volunteer organized and run, so it may take a few days to get a response back. | ||
Fishtoes2000 Member Username: Fishtoes2000 Post Number: 248 Registered: 06-2005 |
I plan on being at the ride, at least for the start. I'll be the guy on a gray/blue Kona with a yellow helmet. | ||
Ramcharger Member Username: Ramcharger Post Number: 375 Registered: 05-2006 |
https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/mes sages/5/107551.html?1184627873 | ||
Crystal Member Username: Crystal Post Number: 12 Registered: 05-2007 |
Excellent, thank you. Sightseeing by bicycle is great fun. At the starting point of the ride (East Grand Circus Park), will nearby, secure parking be easy to find? | ||
Cambrian Member Username: Cambrian Post Number: 1308 Registered: 08-2006 |
Yes, if you are concerned, you can stick your car in the opera house parking garage. I've parked my cars on the street though and have not had any problems yet. | ||
Dannaroo Member Username: Dannaroo Post Number: 95 Registered: 05-2006 |
I too will be at the Detroit Bikes! event this Saturday. Look for me on the grey/blue trek covered in dust and dirt! | ||
Rokk_krinn Member Username: Rokk_krinn Post Number: 53 Registered: 10-2003 |
The Clinton River Trail isn't so bad. You can get on at Opdyke, north of Square Lake. It goes through downtown Rochester, past Bloomer (I think that is the name) Park, which has some good trails, and continues into Macomb County, I believe all the way to 29 Mile Road, eventually to Romeo. You can also access Paint Creek, which will take you to Lake Orion. Paint Creek Trail seems to be more crowded though. If you google Clinton River Trail, a map should be available. | ||
Irvine_laird Member Username: Irvine_laird Post Number: 74 Registered: 02-2007 |
Thank you, comrades in cardiovascular competence. I will see you on the trail. | ||
Ordinary Member Username: Ordinary Post Number: 239 Registered: 06-2006 |
St. Clair Shores is a good place to bicycle. Almost all the sidewalks are ramped and Jefferson is nice to bicycle along. | ||
Fishtoes2000 Member Username: Fishtoes2000 Post Number: 249 Registered: 06-2005 |
[Note that according to a recent study, you are 180% more likely to be in an accident when cycling on sidewalks. It's 350% more if you're traveling opposite the direction of traffic. Most cycling accidents occur at intersections and most drivers don't stop at sidewalk intersections.] | ||
Rjlj Member Username: Rjlj Post Number: 370 Registered: 11-2003 |
They had a race downtown last Wednesday night. www.myspace.com/alleycatdetroi t | ||
Tkangas_23 Member Username: Tkangas_23 Post Number: 21 Registered: 09-2006 |
stoney creek metro park has a 6 mile path around a lake | ||
Professorscott Member Username: Professorscott Post Number: 544 Registered: 12-2006 |
Amen, Fishtoes. Bicyclists should be on the road, traveling legally which means in the same direction as traffic, as far to the right as practical, and obeying traffic laws. If you don't like that, you can choose a path that was designed for bicycles and pedestrians, such as the Clinton River Trail. Sidewalks are for pedestrians, not bicyclists. | ||
Professorscott Member Username: Professorscott Post Number: 545 Registered: 12-2006 |
Incidentally, some of the major regional trails have advocacy groups with web sites. I believe www.orchardtrail.org and www.clintonrivertrail.org both have maps and info about those two trails (which are actually continuations of the same trail). There's also one for the Paint Creek Trail, and others. Michigan Trails and Greenways, www.michigantrails.org, is a good source of general info. | ||
Crystal Member Username: Crystal Post Number: 13 Registered: 05-2007 |
Our family from South Lyon and some friends will be at the Millennium Bell at 10 AM tomorrow 7/21 for the Detroit Bikes! Cruise in Detroit ride. Weather forecast is great, and hopefully there will be a great turnout! http://detroitsynergy.org/proj ects/detroitbikes/folder.2007- 01-23.2968646402/folder.2007-0 3-27.0784451522/folder.2007-07 -05.4825309854/ | ||
Pete Member Username: Pete Post Number: 77 Registered: 10-2003 |
I just discovered this nice little paved trail a couple of weeks ago: There is a relatively new trail that winds its way from Michigan Ave. (just east of Andiamo's in West Dearborn), across the Rouge River, through the U-M Dearborn and Henry Ford CC campuses, back across the Rouge, and finally feeds right into the start of the Hines Drive bike path at Ford Road. There are no road crossings except for a couple of minor campus streets. It's about three miles, but once on Hines Drive, you can bike all the way to Northville with only three or four road crossings. (There is a parking lot at the trail head.) If you're doing some serious road biking, though, there is no need to use the Hines paved path because the shoulder is so wide. That's why I love Hines. Doing this route on a Saturday is even better because Hines is closed to motorized traffic between Outer Drive and Ann Arbor Trail (between 9:30am and 3:30pm, I believe). If you start at Michigan Ave. and go all the way to Northville Downs and back, it's somewhere between 30 and 40 miles. | ||
Crystal Member Username: Crystal Post Number: 14 Registered: 05-2007 |
It looks like there is a Detroit Bikes! ride on August 4 in Dearborn: http://detroitsynergy.org/proj ects/detroitbikes/folder.2007- 01-23.2968646402/folder.2007-0 3-27.0784451522/folder.2007-05 -06.3658974258/ | ||
Jme1405 Member Username: Jme1405 Post Number: 10 Registered: 12-2004 |
I'm associated with an organization called Urban Trails and Waterways of SE Michigan. We are trying to create a Greenway in the City of Detroit which would utilize the right of way of the old (and now formally abandoned)Detroit Terminal Railroad. We have been soliciting signatures for a Community Policy Statement favoring this. Is it ok to post the statement and ask if others would like to sign? Not too sure about the etiquette of this. Perhaps others could advise me. Also, is one required to remain anonymous? I'd just as soon use my own name but I don't want to do the wrong thing. | ||
Sharmaal Member Username: Sharmaal Post Number: 1182 Registered: 09-2004 |
jme1405 - please drop me an email. my handle at msu dot edu | ||
659 Member Username: 659 Post Number: 9 Registered: 08-2006 |
Pete -- where's a good place to park when you do your Hines Dr from Michigan to Northville Downs and back route? |
