Detroit applying for bike friendly status

**tallboy66** · May-18-10, 07:35 PM

or also know as

whatever LOL!
http://momentumplanet.com/articles/detroit

I mean it's not a bad article and it IS true you can basically ride in a full car lane or two through parts of the city but this whole tourist thing like "hey come to Detroit, ride around see the city" is very bad advice and impractical.
Not to mention what would you ride to, say from the Amtrak station, or from you hotel in the Ren-Cen, Crowne Plaza or say you stay in Royal Oak, Troy you would need a car to get to the city to ride.

Detroit is the new "go west young man" if you dare.

**East Detroit** · May-18-10, 07:56 PM

Okay, I'll bite.

Why would you need a car to get from Royal Oak to Detroit to ride?

**Todd_Scott** · May-18-10, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by tallboy66

I mean it's not a bad article and it IS true you can basically ride in a full car lane or two through parts of the city but this whole tourist thing like "hey come to Detroit, ride around see the city" is very bad advice and impractical.

You're clearly mistaken. Detroit has huge cycling tourism appeal right now. Wheelhouse bike tours are expanding and selling out. The Tour de Troit has more cyclists than we know what to do with. Hundreds if not thousands are biking from around the U.S. to Detroit next month for the USSF. Toronto is running two bike trains to Windsor this year and is working with us on how to get those cyclists to Detroit because they've heard the buzz.

If you can't ride 14 miles from Royal Oak to the river, you can always throw your bike on a SMART bus.

There's no better way to tour Detroit than on a bike.

Chuck_MI · May-19-10, 01:40 AM

Originally Posted by Todd_Scott

You're clearly mistaken. Detroit has huge cycling tourism appeal right now. Wheelhouse bike tours are expanding and selling out. The Tour de Troit has more cyclists than we know what to do with. Hundreds if not thousands are biking from around the U.S. to Detroit next month for the USSF. Toronto is running two bike trains to Windsor this year and is working with us on how to get those cyclists to Detroit because they've heard the buzz.

If you can't ride 14 miles from Royal Oak to the river, you can always throw your bike on a SMART bus.

There's no better way to tour Detroit than on a bike.

Totally agree. Bike riders buy bottled water and twinkies from party stores. And also Ho Ho's. And they might actually eat in Mexican Town or old Tiger Town. Or the Rencen eateries. Use your imagination.

**Corktown Mark** · May-19-10, 04:34 AM

Bike riders are comfortably riding through Detroit. I see them from Southwest to Belle Isle and definitely around midtown.

**skyl4rk** · May-19-10, 08:43 AM

What is the USSF?

**HazenPingree** · May-19-10, 09:59 AM

United States Social Forum

Toolbox · May-19-10, 10:04 AM

Originally Posted by skyl4rk

What is the USSF?

Try clicking here.

**tallboy66** · May-19-10, 11:26 PM

Originally Posted by Todd_Scott

You're clearly mistaken. Detroit has huge cycling tourism appeal right now. Wheelhouse bike tours are expanding and selling out. The Tour de Troit has more cyclists than we know what to do with. Hundreds if not thousands are biking from around the U.S. to Detroit next month for the USSF. Toronto is running two bike trains to Windsor this year and is working with us on how to get those cyclists to Detroit because they've heard the buzz.

If you can't ride 14 miles from Royal Oak to the river, you can always throw your bike on a SMART bus.

There's no better way to tour Detroit than on a bike.

Well maybe things have changed or there is no traffic or Woodward is all shiny and new but riding from the New Center to Eastern Market is one thing. Ren-cen to Belle Isle as well and it's not the distance but that stretch from 6 mile to 94 isn't really scenic or even hospitable. And having to cross 696, 8 mile, as well as riding on Woodward is just plain crazy.
A group could do it and tours are one thing but a SINGLE rider or people who have decided to ride from home in Ferndale to midtown for work would be met with more problems than it's worth. Trust me I know.
I've used the bus in Chicago a few times but putting the bike on a rack defeats the purpose of riding a bike, you might as well take the bus which sucks in Detroit.

**tallboy66** · May-19-10, 11:33 PM

Originally Posted by UrbanAlliance

Bike riders are comfortably riding through Detroit. I see them from Southwest to Belle Isle and definitely around midtown.

True I used to love the weekends when I would park my car Fri afternoon and NOT drive until Mon, to go to work.

But there's more to Detroit than those areas and unless you stay in that small area you can't reasonably get anywhere else by bike or even safely, traffic and the "life" along Woodward, John R. Cass would not be something I would want to do after dark.

**p1acebo** · May-19-10, 11:34 PM

Originally Posted by tallboy66

Well maybe things have changed or there is no traffic or Woodward is all shiny and new but riding from the New Center to Eastern Market is one thing. Ren-cen to Belle Isle as well and it's not the distance but that stretch from 6 mile to 94 isn't really scenic or even hospitable. And having to cross 696, 8 mile, as well as riding on Woodward is just plain crazy.
A group could do it and tours are one thing but a SINGLE rider or people who have decided to ride from home in Ferndale to midtown for work would be met with more problems than it's worth. Trust me I know.
I've used the bus in Chicago a few times but putting the bike on a rack defeats the purpose of riding a bike, you might as well take the bus which sucks in Detroit.

I have a friend who rides her bike from Troy to Midtown every once and a while and she seems to not have any problems with it... granted it takes her a while but I think she has a good path set.

**tallboy66** · May-19-10, 11:41 PM

Originally Posted by East Detroit

Okay, I'll bite.

Why would you need a car to get from Royal Oak to Detroit to ride?

Same reason you'd need a car to get from Troy to Metro Beach, or Millender ctr. to Grosse Pointe. IMO it's too far, nothing much along the way except fast food and gas stations, or in Detroit's case nothing much, but you know I always felt comfortable stopping on my bike to buy a drink at a party store with bullet proof glass, INSIDE

And like Woodward you really want to ride on Jefferson?

and if you say you ride on the sidewalk

LOL!

**wolverine** · May-19-10, 11:59 PM

One thing I miss about Detroit is bike riding around on the streets. You could go pretty fast since there wasn't much traffic. I'm a fan of old industrial areas, so it was the perfect place to ride around.

DetroitDad · May-20-10, 12:41 AM

Originally Posted by tallboy66

Same reason you'd need a car to get from Troy to Metro Beach, or Millender ctr. to Grosse Pointe. IMO it's too far, nothing much along the way except fast food and gas stations, or in Detroit's case nothing much, but you know I always felt comfortable stopping on my bike to buy a drink at a party store with bullet proof glass, INSIDE

And like Woodward you really want to ride on Jefferson?

and if you say you ride on the sidewalk

LOL!

Bullet proof glass doesn't mean you're in a bad area. It's a safety measure that can lower the cost of insurance. I have actually seen two places in Livonia get bullet proof glass recently, in areas where it is not needed.

**parker4life** · May-26-10, 08:29 AM

get on your bike....and ride...have been riding steady since 73.Still in the city & KEEPING it REAL.Yes, things have changed & somethings never will!Pedal Power