2009 Tour de Troit

**danofcamden** · September-21-09, 12:20 PM

What is the date for next year or is there an email list for information?

**JBMcB** · September-21-09, 01:06 PM

We were, maybe, in the back of the first half of the 30-mile pack. During the first stop in Mexicantown the police came through on motorcycles and told everyone to keep the left lane open on multi-lane roads, for ambulances and buses. They said the same thing for the second stop just before Indian Village, but they let the riders who wanted to go faster than the bulk of the pack go ahead of the escort/pace-setting vehicle.

It was very fun, especially when the police broke the pack up on Woodward at I-75 and we got semi-lost downtown. Now I know where Henry the Hatter is!

The only complaint I could have was the awful Vitamin Water and Cliff stuff they had to drink. The warm, plastic-flavored water from my bike bottle tasted better than either.

**buzzman0077** · September-21-09, 02:16 PM

I think maybe they should consider trying to do three seperate rides for the different levels of riders. I can handle a solid 15-18 mph but thought the 60 would be too tough. I think the problem with the short route was that there were too many people who really don't ride often that were dragging down the pace. If they added in a shorter 15 mile loop for the people that just want to have fun and ride all over the road then that would be the right one for them. That way those of us who enjoy a reasonably paced ride but can't hang with the big boys can have the middle distance.
Otherwise next year I'm just going to bring my cruiser out for the short loop then <10 mph will feel like a good time.

Toolbox · September-21-09, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by buzzman0077

I think maybe they should consider trying to do three seperate rides for the different levels of riders. I can handle a solid 15-18 mph but thought the 60 would be too tough. I think the problem with the short route was that there were too many people who really don't ride often that were dragging down the pace. If they added in a shorter 15 mile loop for the people that just want to have fun and ride all over the road then that would be the right one for them. That way those of us who enjoy a reasonably paced ride but can't hang with the big boys can have the middle distance.
Otherwise next year I'm just going to bring my cruiser out for the short loop then <10 mph will feel like a good time.

This is a valid point but someone will be along shortly to say it is not a good idea but the ride was too fast for them. The rubberband effect is in full force on a ride of that size. Just think of it as a 30 mile bike handling skills course and enjoy the reflex building ride.

The DPD does a stellar job with their limited resources on this event.

Originally Posted by JBMcB

The only complaint I could have was the awful Vitamin Water and Cliff stuff they had to drink. The warm, plastic-flavored water from my bike bottle tasted better than either.

Stop your sourpuss complaining and bring your own stuff next time or find a sponsor willing to donate stuff for 2000 people. Next you will complain that the beer at the end was not to your likeing. Some people!

Bring Kelli a better/different/additional sponsor or stuff it.

**thefishwrap** · September-21-09, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by gravitymachine

the stops were meant to let the group bunch back up, things were getting very strung out.

Makes sense. Just a crazy large group. Detroit police were great. we had figured it was something like that, but weren't sure if there were problems with accidents, etc. We saw a few people on the pavement on the second leg of the ride. Hope everyone made it out with just minor injuries.

Originally Posted by gravitymachine

your suggestion of starting earlier is not the first and it will be noted.

thanks! the food at the end was fantastic. so glad some of detroit's best eateries participated.

**edgar_rhode** · September-21-09, 09:33 PM

todd_scott :: no complaints / no problem. i knew what i was getting into and when my lower quads started to scream i just took it at my own pace. thats the real pleasure in "touring" versus "racing". maybe next year i'll be able to muster whatever the group average MPH was. i ended up at 13.9 which i attribute partially to my legs and partially to the starting and stopping nature of an urban ride. all that said - i still think it was a great experience,

**JBMcB** · September-22-09, 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by buzzman0077

I think the problem with the short route was that there were too many people who really don't ride often that were dragging down the pace.

There were people riding a bit slower than others, but with 2000 bicyclists, you're going to get a pretty big spread no matter how fast they go. There's just not enough street for everybody to ride together safely.

I think one big course is the least disruptive - you only need one crew of police, you aren't shutting down big chunks of the city at a time, etc... They could probably mitigate the spreading out by having more choke points where they let everyone regroup, like they did in Mexicantown, Indian Village, and on Warren.

detroitjim · September-22-09, 07:25 PM

So, 2000 riders @ $30[[avg) each $60,000

That's a nice little piece of change!

Is there some way of tracking where all that dough went?

**RealityCheck** · September-23-09, 02:59 PM

Took a few days, but Time's Detroit Blog today gives a shout to the Tour . . . as well as the Cut, other paths and plans for about 400 miles [[?!) of bike lanes. Post here is by ex-News biz writer Karen Dybis.

If Detroit wants to become the next Portland, it needs to be more feet friendly...

There is hope at the grassroots level. Over the past weekend, an estimated 2,000 cyclists came to the city for the 8th annual Tour De Troit – nearly double the number that showed up last year. Its goal is in part is to raise funds for the Corktown-Mexicantown Greenlink, which could link these key communities to the Detroit riverfront.

I like this post by an ex-colleague, so I shouldn't snipe . . .

. . . but it is DY, after all:

* "Came to the city" may be just a figure of speech [[as in 'came downtown'), or may reflect the Grosse Pointe writer's reflexive perspective. A blog reader named Cecile, who commuted from her Detroit apartment, yanks Karen's chain on that in a comment.

* Who started this "wants to become the next Portland" thing, anyhow . . . and why? More rain? Streetcars? Creative class magnet? Writer's vivid imagination?

* 400 miles? Within city, or into inner-ring 'burbs?

**Todd_Scott** · September-23-09, 05:41 PM

The 400 miles of on-road bike lanes are just within the city of Detroit.

**RealityCheck** · September-23-09, 07:13 PM

Thanks, Todd. Impressive . . . and smart. Hope it happens.

**Todd_Scott** · September-23-09, 11:59 PM

RC,

The implementation of the non-moto plan is underway. The city has formed an internal task force across all relevant departments to move this forward. The city planning commission staff has been integral to that. DPW has named a program manager to oversee the implementation and he's really enthused and engaged in this. The city is also updating their street design specs to include bike facilities such as bike lanes.

Last Friday I worked with MDOT to bring in Chicago's bike program manager and an expert on bicycle facilities design. A synopsis of that MDOT training class is on my blog.

I've also been working with the city planning commission and the Green Task Force to tackle issues such as bike parking.

*If* things go as planned, we should be getting around 20 miles of new bike lanes next year along with bike racks on DDOT buses and the first half of the Midtown Loop. [[Yes, the latter's still hung up due to contract legalities the last I knew.)

**Tig3rzhark** · September-24-09, 05:43 AM

Originally Posted by Todd_Scott

RC,

The implementation of the non-moto plan is underway. The city has formed an internal task force across all relevant departments to move this forward. The city planning commission staff has been integral to that. DPW has named a program manager to oversee the implementation and he's really enthused and engaged in this. The city is also updating their street design specs to include bike facilities such as bike lanes.

Last Friday I worked with MDOT to bring in Chicago's bike program manager and an expert on bicycle facilities design. A synopsis of that MDOT training class is on my blog.

I've also been working with the city planning commission and the Green Task Force to tackle issues such as bike parking.

*If* things go as planned, we should be getting around 20 miles of new bike lanes next year along with bike racks on DDOT buses and the first half of the Midtown Loop. [[Yes, the latter's still hung up due to contract legalities the last I knew.)

I'm very optimistic about this plan coming to fruition. However, I'm also a realist so the city of Detroit will have to be held to the fire in order to get this done.

Last I checked, there has been a delay on the bike racks because of finances. This of course coming from a DDOT official during a Customer Information meeting. I will continue to go to the meetings to make sure that they get it done.

I would only have assurance if there was updated news on the status of the non-motorized plan.

**RealityCheck** · September-24-09, 07:32 AM

He's everywhere, our forum-mate Todd Scott is. Check out today's metromode guest blog post here.

Compared with bicycling and walking, [the Prius] flag is a very light shade of green. Local-buying cyclists and pedestrians get their fuel from Michigan farmers – and that's the gold standard for green.

. . . Unfortunately for many would-be cyclists and pedestrians, their communities weren't built to provide any choice but the car.

We can change that. We must change that.

Spin it, Greenways coordinator! The message rolls forward visibly this week, thanks to the Tour, Time's blog [[second biking post by Karen Dybis) and -- of course -- Lowell's forum right here.

**eno** · September-25-09, 07:23 PM

I came across a book review of former Talking head David Byrne's "Bicycle Diaries" that includes a description of Detroit. The reviewer says..."“Bicycle Diaries” contains accounts of his travels in distant cities like London, Berlin, Buenos Aires and Manila, as well as some closer to home — New Orleans, San Francisco and Detroit. His description of riding in Detroit is especially good: “I bike from the center of town out to the suburbs. It’s an amazing ride — a time line through a city’s history, its glory and betrayal.”
The complete review can be found in the NYTimes.

**Todd_Scott** · September-26-09, 01:43 AM

I just bought Byrne's book. There's only four paragraphs on Detroit, but it's better than nothing. For whatever it's worth, he does recommend riding in Detroit.

The Detroit section has two photos: Old Slumpy and... can you guess?... Yep, the MCS.

I sent an email to his publicist to try and get him here for a book signing, but I haven't gotten a response.