biking in detroit

[ruxy17]

so i just bought a bicycle [[so excited!). i haven't been on a bike since i was 12. any tips? suggestions? i've heard you need to "register" or get a bike license or something like that. are there any good bike trails? do i need to buy five bike locks? i know that there are things i'm not thinking of that i'd rather learn from you guys than the hard way

[dcmorrison12]

hey! It's good to hear you are trying out biking in the city, it's a great activity. You do not need to register your bike, first off. As for the bike lock, you only need one, but I've heard that the "U" shaped locks, which are a hard, solid metal [[ as opposed to the twistable string metal chains) are the better locks to get. Try out the river front, the dequindre cut, and just go biking around the city. I prefer midtown - around campus, cass corridor and brush park.

[jjw]

I used to love biking Rouge Park to Edward Hines Drive on a nice day. Outer Drive is a nice street to bike on also.

[wolverine]

Definitely get a U-Lock. I remember I lost the key, and then backup later and had to get it cut it with a plasma torch. Keep in mind that there's always the opportunity for parts to be stripped, but assuming you keep it locked up inside at home, and park it where it's within public eyesight when at the store, park, etc you should be fine. You don't need a license. Although I've registered in cities [[Chicago, Philly, NYC) I visit and bike in because their police can effectively recover your bike if stolen.

[rajdet]

Welcome to the club!
The City decided not to enforce the licence rule last summer, it only costs a buck though. Belle Ilse, the Riverwalk, Dequendre Cut are all great places to ride. Get a good lock, and I personally won't ride without gloves and a helmet. The gloves prevent you from scraping your palms if you fall the the lock and helmet, well you know that they are for. Be careful and ride with the traffic, Detroit's the Motor City and some times cars think you don't belong on the road. For the most part people respect your bike as your property here, park your bike in downtown Toronto with anything less than the best lock that money can buy, and see how fast it disappears.

[Todd_Scott]

Detroit does not have a bike registration ordinance at this time. A new voluntary registration is making it's way through Council. The mandatory license ordinance was removed last year.

I recommend you attend next week's Model D Speaker Series at the Green Garage. It's free. Bil Lusa will talk about the Tour de Troit and other exciting bike options in Detroit. I'm giving a presentation on our vision for an interconnected Detroit Greenways Network.

Information on the event is at http://www.modeldmedia.com/features/...ries19009.aspx

I'll also have brand new Detroit Greenways brochures to hand out, a snapshot of which is on m-bike.

[izzyindetroit]

Be sure to always ride on the sidewalk. If the sidewalk isn't an option, then always ride on the left side of the street so you can be sure that traffic sees you and you see them.

[Gsgeorge]

Be sure to always ride on the sidewalk. If the sidewalk isn't an option, then always ride on the left side of the street so you can be sure that traffic sees you and you see them.

I have been told that riding on the sidewalk is discouraged and may actually be illegal, and that bikes belong in the road, moving with traffic, and should stay to the right to allow cars to pass.

[ruxy17]

i've heard the same thing, gsg.

[EMG]

Doesn't matter, there aren't enough police in Detroit to enforce the SIGNIFICANT laws, let alone bother with people riding bikes on sidewalks. I did that until well in my teens myself. I'd be a lot more concerned about whether I were riding in a safe neighborhood than whether police were going to bust me for riding on the sidewalk [[in my nearly 40 years there, it never happened). Nor in any of the adjoining east side suburbs either including even Grosse Pointe Woods where I last lived and which I wouldn't be surprised to learn have probably the strictest and largest per-capita ratio of police in the country.

I've been out of the state for over 7 years now, but would say riding in the street is fine as long as you stay out of the busy ones. And that's easy to do in Detroit. The waffle-iron street layout where you can take any sidestreet for just about miles is probably one of the few things I miss most about Michigan. Here in Arizona there are nothing but cul-de-sacs. You have to either ride along busy streets [[not very safe even though many have bike lanes) or resign yourself to turning back and forth through mazes and only having a 50-50 chance of finding an outlet. It's great for people who don't like fast traffic whizzing down their residential streets but not very convenient to bicyclists who like to ride on non-busy streets.

[Russix]

Be sure to always ride on the sidewalk. If the sidewalk isn't an option, then always ride on the left side of the street so you can be sure that traffic sees you and you see them.

Unless you have a death wish I wouldn't follow this advice. Cars making right turns are looking to their left at oncoming traffic, not at you traveling on the wrong side of the road. Cars also almost always never stop at the stop sign or the base of the sidewalk, usually pulling out to the edge to see oncoming traffic. The legal and safest place for you to be is in the right shoulder. The statistics prove that most bicyclist are hit crossing a street while traveling on the sidewalk. http://bicyclesafe.com/

You need lights. Don't go riding without lights at night. Get a helmet.
You need a good U-Lock that attaches to the bike.
You need to replace the quick-release or bolt-on skewers with Anti-theft skewers. These have a special key to keep your wheels on when you leave your bike unattended. And never ever leave your bike outside at night. I came out one morning to find that some very strong individuals had put a fence pole through my U-lock and had tried to twist it apart. The bike had been flipped upside down in the process and had suffered severe frame damage that took me alot of hours to bend out and would not have been cost effective for a shop to fix. Also you can throw your bike on the bus and travel pretty much anywhere across Metro-Detroit.

[edw]

you should invest in a u lock, stay off the sidewalk [[izzy i am going to come downstairs and slap you) and read this: http://bicyclesafe.com/. Also its good to know the cycling laws. sorry i dont have a link but they are not hard to find.

[izzyindetroit]

you should invest in a u lock, stay off the sidewalk [[izzy i am going to come downstairs and slap you) and read this: http://bicyclesafe.com/. Also its good to know the cycling laws. sorry i dont have a link but they are not hard to find.

Do it I dare you! It'll pretty hard to ride your bike sidewalk or not with two, flat tires.

[R8RBOB]

When I was young I was fearless. I had no problem riding a bike in the street. Left-side of course. As I gotten older, I turned chicken. If Detroit and the metro area had real bike lanes, I would ride a bike.

[wolverine]

It's unlikely you'd get busted for riding on the sidewalk. Most cities have laws against it, but it's extremely rare it's enforced unless you are being absolutely reckless. It is rude however to any pedestrians you might pass, especially if the sidewalk is narrow. Always yield to pedestrians when on sidewalks when areas become congested, don't try to squeeze between them. I see bad mixes between pedestrians in cyclists all the time in Ann Arbor, so try to avoid these situations.

Do not ride on the left into oncoming traffic. As someone mentioned, people making turns are more likely to hit you. While it may give you a sense of security that you can see traffic, you will actually suffer less injuries if you are in fact struck from behind "going with the flow" of traffic.

Be very careful approaching driveways to busy parking lots or fast food places. Drivers have the tendency to crawl out into the parking lane naturally when exiting these establishments.

Don't blow through stop signs. Cyclists often get too comfortable because of your increased visibility of seeing traffic. There will be a day when you will miss. Legally you have to stop, or at the minimum slow to a crawl. This may not be the case in Detroit, but in other cities they WILL ticket you the same as a motorist. You will accrue points on your drivers license as a penalty. I know at least a dozen or so who have been ticketed for violating traffic laws on their bicycle, half of them in Detroit area communities.

A helpful trick for making a left turn off a busy and wide thoroughfare is to do a pseudo Michigan-Left. Turn right on a side street and do a U-turn and cross perpendicularly when traffic is clear or the signal allows you to. I find it difficult to cross diagonally 4 lanes of traffic on Woodward to make it to the turn lane. Additionally, one moment you see it clear behind you, and unexpectedly someone pulls out of a driveway and is behind you in the next instant while you try to cross lanes. Be very careful of this.

[MDoyle]

izzyindetroit is absolutely WRONG.

IN the street near the shoulder!
WITH traffic!

it's a law there FOR YOUR SAFETY.

It may not be enforced in our city but its not enforced in other major urban areas for no reason. It is enforced around WSU as well as during festivals and game days downtown. Again for many reasons these basic rules exist for YOUR SAFETY.

[detmsp]

I've heard that the "U" shaped locks, which are a hard, solid metal [[ as opposed to the twistable string metal chains) are the better locks to get.

I'll second that. I recall bicycling magazine doing a test years ago where they attempted to cut locks and the U locks were by far the hardest to break.

[Todd_Scott]

Great points, Wolverine! However, I do not believe you get points on your driver's license for bicycling infractions except those involving controlled substances or liquor.

MCL 257.732
[[16) Except for controlled substance offenses described in subsection [[4), the court shall not submit, and the secretary of state shall discard and not enter on the master driving record, an abstract for a conviction or civil infraction determination for any of the following violations:

[[d) A pedestrian, passenger, or bicycle violation, other than a violation of section 703[[1) or [[2) of the Michigan liquor control code of 1998, 1998 PA 58, MCL 436.1703, or a local ordinance substantially corresponding to section 703[[1) or [[2) of the Michigan liquor control code of 1998, 1998 PA 58, MCL 436.1703, or section 624a or 624b or a local ordinance substantially corresponding to section 624a or 624b.

[Russix]

Also, don't cheap out on the tires unless you want to spend lots of time fixing flats. The city streets, sidewalks and pedestrian bridges are covered with glass with some jagged metal objects mixed in.

[wolverine]

You might be correct on that. I've had friends who have received points though because of this, but they might have been out of state.

I second Russix post as well. The broken glass is a problem, especially since it's right near the curb where you ride.

[izzyindetroit]

OUT OF A JOB YET?!?
KEEP RIDING A BICYCLE.

Cyclist hate cars which indirectly means they hate the auto industry and thus hate Detroit.

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Ruxy17, I would like to apologize for the information I gave you earlier. As the other board members pointed out I was incorrect with my advice. I will redeem myself by offering another piece of information. The best way to ride with your bike would be to get a car bike-rack. Then place your bike on said car bike-rack. Finally drive your car to which ever pre-planned destination you wanted to take your bike to. Once at the destination, enjoy whatever sense of accomplishment and satisfaction you receive from the fact that you just traveled with your bike to said destination. At this point you will be free to hop back into your car and drive back home.

[Retroit]

This thread cracks me up! The argument over street vs. sidewalk and left side vs. right side needs less absolutist thinking and a little more common sense. I actually agree more with izzyindetroit's original advice, but of course there are exceptions.

If you absolutely have to ride your bike on a busy road, then, yes, ride with the traffic. However, it is often possible to get where you want to go by using roads that are not as busy. Instead of using the main road, consider a side street that parallels the main road. You may not want to drive a car down them because they slow you down, but on a bike, the speed is the same, with a lot more safety [[traffic-wise), less noise, a change of scenery, etc. Be flexible - your bike gives you this ability. Experiment with different routes.

If the sidewalk has many pedestrians, then stay in the street. If less peds, a simple "excuse me" should do the trick. But a blank prohibition from using the sidewalks is unreasonable. No statistics can convince me that riding a bike a foot away from passing cars is safer that riding a bike 10-15 feet from them.

As for getting hit by turning cars: if you are riding against traffic, you will be able to anticipate cars turning by their turn signal, pulling to the side, and slowing down. Absent these indicators, you will be in the best position of avoiding them since you are looking at them!

As for getting hit from the back vs. the front: If a car taveling 45 mph hits you, the few mph difference in your speed will mean the difference between dying in 1 second vs. dying in 2 seconds, i.e. no big deal.

I've ridden my bike almost every day, weather providing, for over 30 years and have never had an accident. I only ride for pleasure, so I admit I am a lot more flexible on where I choose to ride. My general rules of thumb:
*Busy street and the sidewalk is unavailable, I'll ride in the street with traffic, but I avoid this if at all possible.
*Less busy streets with adequate room in the right lane [[driver's perspective), I'll ride in the street against traffic.
*Busy streets with adequate sidewalk, I ride on the sidewalk against traffic.

Just remember, there are a lot of careless [[and drunk) drivers out there. Give yourself the widest margin of safety and the most control over the situation as you possibly can. Don't get complacent. Don't assume that people value your life as much as you do. Always think SAFETY!

And I only ride old, ugly bikes that no one would want to steal.

[gravitymachine]

This thread cracks me up! The argument over street vs. sidewalk and left side vs. right side needs less absolutist thinking and a little more common sense. I actually agree more with izzyindetroit's original advice, but of course there are exceptions.

i won't disagree that there are practical exceptions based on certain situations, but the thinking about the sidwalk issue isn't "absolutist" out of self-righteousness, its because there are laws regulating the use of bicycles on sidewalks and in the street, hardly enforced sure, but they are there. my take on it is that when a greater number of cyclist's behave in a more standardized fashion, it will lessen the unpredictable nature of cyclists, as seen by motorists, and foster some sense of greater trust between the two over time. encouraging people to ride any which way doesn't really contibute to the overall cause

[boogiechillen]

OUT OF A JOB YET?!?
KEEP RIDING A BICYCLE.

Cyclist hate cars which indirectly means they hate the auto industry and thus hate Detroit.

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OUT OF A JOB YET?!?
KEEP RIDING A BICYCLE.

Cyclist hate cars which indirectly means they hate the auto industry and thus hate Detroit.

Give us a break! Sounds to me like izzyindetroit hates cyclists unless they are recreational riders. Some of us are not fortunate enough, or simply not inclined to get around by car. Biking is a necessity for many Detroiters because of unreliable public transportation and the liability of owning a car in the city, where break-ins and thefts are common and insurance rates are exorbinant.

Ride on the right side of the street with the flow of traffic. Our sweeping boulevards and avenues make this both safe and easy. To get Downtown, I often ride Grand River, which is six lanes wide plus a turn lane in the middle. I often have the whole right lane to myself. The only downside of riding Grand River has nothing to do with it being a thoroughfare; rather, it is the stench that pours out the ventilation grates from Motor City Casino.

The sidewalks are often uneven and full of glass. Pedestrians are unpredictable and much slower than cyclists, making biking on the sidewalk dangerous. Stick to the roads and assert yourself. Motorists will have to get used to sharing the road, but cyclists will have to be consistent for this to happen. Always be wary of doors of cars parked on the street. I usually check the rearview mirrors to see if someone might be getting out of a car.

[Gsgeorge]

Doesn't matter, there aren't enough police in Detroit to enforce the SIGNIFICANT laws, let alone bother with people riding bikes on sidewalks.

The point is not that you're breaking the law [[this is Detroit after all), it's that you might be killed by cars who don't see you & that you may collide with a pedestrian. And who wants to ride on a bumpy sidewalk anyway? I would rather ride on a quiet side street, parallel to a main road - cuts down on cars, pedestrians, all of the above. No need to ride on the sidewalk [[which consequently means you're not breaking the law) and you can get around very quickly.

OUT OF A JOB YET?!?
KEEP RIDING A BICYCLE.

Cyclist hate cars which indirectly means they hate the auto industry and thus hate Detroit.

Izzy is delusional and stupid if he/she actually believes this, and thinks that the only good time to ride bikes is for recreational purposes. Bikes can be used to travel medium to short distances in a small amount of time. They are helpful for people who are unable to buy cars or pay for insurance. They are less of a liability than cars. They don't need gas [[duh). You don't have to worry about or pay for parking. If you're just running a quick errand, going to the bank or going to a friends house, they can actually be faster & more efficient than taking the car. The reasons are endless and have been reiterated above. But just because some riders prefer bikes over cars doesn't mean they hate Detroit and want the auto industry to fail. I am fortunate enough to own a car and a bike -- but I am a big advocate of bike riding. I think a car is always more appropriate for long-distance travel, or interstate travel. But I also don't want to see the auto industry fail, and I own a Ford & have supported our local industry & my city my whole life. I'm just gonna say it -- you're an absolute dumbass if you think that bike riders hate motorists & hate Detroit. Obviously you have some kind of problem with bike riders. So how is that not hypocritical and stupid?