Dequindre Cut...Open When?

**BShea** · May-12-09, 07:13 PM

Get a cheap one at Dunham's or Target. They carry Schwinn.

We biked the cut tonight for the first time. Very nice. Some shady deals going on when we went down either Franklin or Woodbridge, but we didn't feel unsafe. Kept going on to the riverfront and then downtown to get back home [[we live in Lafayette Park and the cut is just a couple blocks from us -- very cool!)

**Designerguy24** · May-12-09, 07:18 PM

I am looking to spend under $100 for a bike

dexterferry · May-12-09, 07:58 PM

BShea you live in LP and this was your first trip through the cut? I don't live anywhere near there and I've been up and down it dozens of times.

And for the record, I haven't seen anything shady in those dozens of times [[I don't consider the homeless guy living between Woodbridge and Franklin shady).

**Todd_Scott** · May-12-09, 08:44 PM

Originally Posted by Designerguy24

I've been looking everywhere Craigslist.com and such for a cheap mens mountain bike to ride on the Dequinder cut and riverfront and have not found anything. Anyone know where I can get one or know anyone selling one?

Visit the Hub on Cass just north of MLK.

gravitymachine · May-12-09, 09:01 PM

Originally Posted by BShea

Get a cheap one at Dunham's or Target. They carry Schwinn

schwinn hasn't been a sign of quality in years, the fact that they are sold in dunham's and target should only emphasize that.

like todd said, go talk to the folks at the hub

**vintagesoul** · May-13-09, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by Django

I hate seeing the graffiti on the new light poles and emergency squawk boxes but I love the work on the concrete walls. I'm not sure of what the rules are on new spray being laid on the walls but I do hope it continues to go on grow and transform, there's really some nice work down there.

Word is, they were going to allow it at first...but then decided against it thinking [[erroneously) that graff writers would resort to physical violence over turf.

They don't, but long story short no painting allowed. Which is too bad - because having legal walls would cut down on illegal painting. Plus we would see some seriously amazing artwork.

**GREENTROIT** · May-13-09, 10:51 AM

Yeah the legal walls issue has always been a mystery to me. Cities pay so much every year on graffiti prevention and removal, yet these cities provide no public and legal walls.

Especially a city like Detroit. We all know there are thousands of available walls in this city, why not open some up for local artists? Venice Beach's legal walls on the beach are a very well known attraction in the city. I know from experience Detroit has some great unknown artists, and they would benefit from an easy way to express themselves to the public.

The wall art is one of the coolest things about the Dequindre Cut. They should encourage artists to work on the walls.

gravitymachine · May-13-09, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by vintagesoul

because having legal walls would cut down on illegal painting. Plus we would see some seriously amazing artwork.

really? there isn't enough abandoned housing/building stock which has been left to rot and that people already don't give a shit about in this city that's perfectly suitable to paint on?

detmich · May-13-09, 12:27 PM

Originally Posted by GREENTROIT

Yeah the legal walls issue has always been a mystery to me. Cities pay so much every year on graffiti prevention and removal, yet these cities provide no public and legal walls.

Especially a city like Detroit. We all know there are thousands of available walls in this city, why not open some up for local artists? Venice Beach's legal walls on the beach are a very well known attraction in the city. I know from experience Detroit has some great unknown artists, and they would benefit from an easy way to express themselves to the public.

The wall art is one of the coolest things about the Dequindre Cut. They should encourage artists to work on the walls.

Yeah, I can't wait to ride with my kids past the beautiful images like this one.

**GREENTROIT** · May-13-09, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by detmich

Yeah, I can't wait to ride with my kids past the beautiful images like this one.

Oh my god you're right. I forgot Detroit is filled with forests of lollipops where unicorns play on rainbows and gumdrops fall from the sky.

That is definitely the most frightening, scary, and disgusting thing anybody will see riding thru the D.

**GREENTROIT** · May-13-09, 12:45 PM

In all seriousness though, if the wall was public, artist could be attached to and held accountable for their work and questionable images wouldn't be put up. I think the one you posted is completely harmless anyway, and a public wall has such quick turnover that it would definitely be painted over within a week.

Bearinabox · May-13-09, 12:48 PM

I'd show that to my kids.

Maybe that's why I don't have any.

**vintagesoul** · May-13-09, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by gravitymachine

really? there isn't enough abandoned housing/building stock which has been left to rot and that people already don't give a shit about in this city that's perfectly suitable to paint on?

wow. i hope you're joking.

**vintagesoul** · May-13-09, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by detmich

Yeah, I can't wait to ride with my kids past the beautiful images like this one.

i'll see your krakhead and raise you:

krakhead is satire anyway. what better time to explain that to your children than while you're riding down a paved clean well-lit walkway that ends in bumtown? lol.

gravitymachine · May-13-09, 01:13 PM

Originally Posted by vintagesoul

wow. i hope you're joking.

not really. there is plenty of abandoned, unclaimed, unmaintained, and uncared for canvas in this city, some of the posts above make it sound like the cut is the only place for graffiitos to ply their trade

**vintagesoul** · May-13-09, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by gravitymachine

not really. there is plenty of abandoned, unclaimed, unmaintained, and uncared for canvas in this city, some of the posts above make it sound like the cut is the only place for graffiitos to ply their trade

no, it's not. and yes there a ton of places like that to paint. however, what i am saying is if detroit had more legal walls maybe less of that stuff would be painted on.

or the city could tear it down and there'd be less of it to paint on.

either way is fine by me.

**jdg** · May-13-09, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by detmich

Yeah, I can't wait to ride with my kids past the beautiful images like this one.

I don't know, detmich, I DO bike and jog with my kids past the dequindre cut graffiti every day [[as well as every day last summer). my daughter likes a lot of the characters the artists have created on the walls.

it's all in your perspective I guess. I am much more concerned about the impression my kids get driving through an average strip mall district up in Oakland County.

**Designerguy24** · May-13-09, 02:37 PM

what do you guys think of this bike? its a Mongoose XR-75 Mountain Bike http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...ct_id=10660674

Bearinabox · May-13-09, 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by jdg

I don't know, detmich, I DO bike and jog with my kids past the dequindre cut graffiti every day [[as well as every day last summer). my daughter likes a lot of the characters the artists have created on the walls.

it's all in your perspective I guess. I am much more concerned about the impression my kids get driving through an average strip mall district up in Oakland County.

Ha, yeah. I've met people who think strip malls are normal, and my only consolation is that I am not responsible for the existence of such people. Knowing that I brought them into this world would be too much for me to handle.

gravitymachine · May-13-09, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by Designerguy24

what do you guys think of this bike? its a Mongoose XR-75 Mountain Bike http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...ct_id=10660674

its a piece of junk, as are all department store bikes. also, there is no need for any suspension when riding on the street [[not that it would be any good on a cheap bike like that anyways)

go find a quality used bike at the hub http://www.thehubofdetroit.org/

**jdg** · May-13-09, 02:58 PM

designerguy, craigslist is also a great source of higher-quality bikes at great prices if you're in a hurry. I've had a request open at the hub for a few weeks, but they've been so busy [[which is great) that they haven't gotten to it yet.

The hub and the wheelhouse are both run by great people. But if the hub still has a wait and the wheelhouse doesn't have a bike you're interested in, be sure to check out the latest offerings on craigslist.

**otter** · May-13-09, 03:58 PM

Designerguy,

I would, as a matter of course, avoid virtually anything that you find at Walmart. There is a single exception I know of, but I can't think of it right now. I would have suggested the Hub also, but someone else did first. I would go to Craigslist first, and it is not too hard to find a decent bike for $100 used, but impossible to do so new. I don't think the slections of good/interesting bikes on Detroit CL is that great, but there's nothing to be done about that - it is what is is. Ann Arbor is a bit better, but has much less qty.

O.

detmich · May-13-09, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by jdg

I don't know, detmich, I DO bike and jog with my kids past the dequindre cut graffiti every day [[as well as every day last summer). my daughter likes a lot of the characters the artists have created on the walls.

it's all in your perspective I guess. I am much more concerned about the impression my kids get driving through an average strip mall district up in Oakland County.

I grant it to you, that is true too. It would just be nice if something in the city could be pristine. That's all.