Upcoming Bicycling Events in Detroit

Spring is close, and that means bicyclists will be hitting the streets of Detroit. Like past years, there are lots of noteworthy tours and bike related events in 2013; many of them listed below. I’m sure there are plenty of others that I’m not aware of, so I invite you post them in the comment section at the bottom of the page.

Detroit Bikes – This group is affiliated with Detroit Synergy. They sponsor and organize a variety of free theme rides, such as a Detroit coffee-house tour. They also do a downtown tour of reproductions from the Detroit Institute of Arts as part of the museum’s outreach program called Inside/Outside. The Detroit Bikes tour season kicks off on March 16^th with their annual spring training ride that visits historic Detroit sports venues. Click here to visit their website.

Detroit Bike City – This is a bicycle expo that will be held at Cobo Center on Saturday, March 16^th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The ticketed event will span 100,000 ft. of floor space, which will be filled with lots of bikes, bike dealers and vendors from across the Midwest selling accessories and other bicycle goodies. Additional information is available here.

Ride of Silence – The annual event honors those bicyclists that have been killed or injured while riding on public roads. It takes place on May 15, and to date, specific details have not been released on this year’s ride. Keep an eye on the Macomb Bike & Fitness website for more information.

Bike the Bridge – This is an annual ride across the Ambassador Bridge that spans the Detroit River between Canada and the USA. The yearly ride is the only time bicycles are allowed to cross the bridge. The ride is usually held in mid-June and so far, no date or other information related to the event has been released. I’m sure more information will be available soon. Do a quick internet search in the next couple of months.

Colin Hubbell Memorial Bike Ride – This is an annual cycling event held in honor of the late Colin Hubbell, an avid bicyclist, developer and big-time Detroit booster. All funds raised on this ride will benefit community organizations and start-up businesses in Detroit’s midtown area. At this point, no date has been announced; check the Midtown Detroit Inc. website for updates. 

A Ride to the Chicago Critical Mass – This looks to be an exciting 6-day, two-wheeled adventure to the windy city to join in that city’s critical mass ride. The Detroit group of riders is scheduled to leave from Foran’s Grand Trunk Pub on Woodward Avenue on Saturday, July 20^st at 9 a.m. The plan is to ride 60 to 80 miles per day with scheduled overnight stops at various campgrounds along the way. Once in Chicago, the Detroit contingent will join Chicago’s Critical Mass Ride on the evening of July 26^th. More information is available on the Detroit Critical Mass facebook page.

Tour De Troit – If you like exploring the city via bicycle with huge amounts of riders, this annual event is the place for you! Last year over 5,000 riders took the 30-mile tour, and this year organizers are expecting many more. The 2013 event will roll on September 21^st.  Check the Tour De Troit website for registration information.

Beat the Train – This is a group of bicyclists that ride the streets of Detroit every Saturday morning at 6:30 a.m. The rides leave from Historic Fort Wayne on Jefferson Avenue at Livernois.  The rides are generally 30-35 miles in length, and there are stops at various Detroit landmarks along the way.  Here’s a link to their website.

Critical Mass – A fun relaxed ride that is held year-round on the last Friday of each month. The ride leaves at 7 p.m. from the corner of West Warren and Trumbull Avenues. The routes vary, but generally meander their way to downtown, out to Belle Isle Park, through the Historic Eastern Market, and over to Hamtramck. In the warm months, the ride can draw close to 1,000 riders. There are a dozen or more dedicated bicyclists that ride throughout the cold, snowy winter months as well.

Monday Night Ride from Woodbridge Pub – This weekly summer ride leaves every Monday night at 8 p.m. from the Woodbridge Pub on Trumbull Avenue near I-94. It’s organized by Bikes & Murder, an organization that plans, hosts, and contributes to cycling events in Detroit. Check out the events page on their website.

Wheelhouse Detroit – In addition to bicycle sales and rentals, this riverfront bike shop offers a variety of guided Detroit bicycle tours. Their tours include urban farms, Detroit architecture, automobile heritage sites, Belle Isle Park, and many more.  A complete list of 2013 rides will be posted to their site shortly.

Enjoy the rides!

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Bike City plus Marche du Nain Rouge

It was a perfect spring weekend in Detroit for bicycle enthusiasts and for those attending a Mardi Gras style parade through the Cass Corridor. The weekend kicked off Saturday with the first annual Detroit Bike City bicycle show and swap meet. It was held at Cobo Center  downtown. Sunday was the third annual Marche du Nain Rouge, and that event took place in the city’s mid-town neighborhood.

Detroit Bike City

The Detroit Bike City show and swap meet, the first of its kind in the city, showcased a variety of cycling vendors. They were selling everything from collectible 1960’s-70’s vintage bikes, priced upwards of $350, to all types of new bikes. These  included mountain, hybrids, road bikes and retro cruisers, and they were selling for substantially more than the used bikes.  The new bikes I looked at were considerably lighter and technically superior to my 15-year old, steel framed hybrid.  As compared to them, my bike is as heavy as a 1950’s Buick.

There were a few vintage bikes for sale

Very cool, retro looking "Detroit Flyer"

I loved this monster of a bike. It was surprisingly very lightweight

In addition to bicycle vendors, there were a variety of used parts, bike accessories, and other cycling related sellers offering items such as helmets, t-shirts, stickers, etc. There were other vendors present who were promoting organized tours, trails and bike safety. They offered information on the Tour de Troit and the Michigan Trails & Greenways Alliance, among other things.  The event also showcased stunt riders zipping off ramps and twisting and turning in the air.

A good mix of vendors attended the show

All types of Bike accessories were being sold

I arrived in the early afternoon and there was still a good size crowd wandering from table to table checking out the goods and services. The event seemed to be well-organized, and free secured parking was available to those riding to the show.

Lots of riders pedaled to the show

Marche du Nein Rouge – 2012

On Sunday, the third annual Marche du Nein Rouge was held in Detroit’s mid-town neighborhood.  The annual event is held the first Sunday of spring. It’s an event designed to banish an evil 300 year-old Red Devil from Detroit, and by doing so, lifting a curse from the city for the upcoming year.

After a rousing opening ceremony in the parking lot of Detroit’s Traffic Jam Restaurant, where the Devil himself made an appearance, costumed revelers and parade watchers marched their way through the Cass Corridor to the imp’s place of eventual demise, The Historic Masonic Temple. The stylish Mardi Gras type parade, led by the swinging Detroit Party Marching Band, included those dressed as unicorns, Christian brothers, angels, pilgrims, assorted monsters and other bizarre characters (some without costumes).

A colorful crowd of merrymakers jammed the streets of mid-town Detroit

Check out the hairy legs on this guy

At the Temple, the Devil taunted the crowd by spewing out evil doings that all Detroiter’s should partake in. After a few minutes of listening to that madness, people in the crowd had had enough and began booing and pelting the Devil with what appeared to be tomatoes, driving him away for another year.

Could the Nain be the answer to Detroit's problems

For more information on the myth of Detroit’s Red Devil, you can click here to read my blog entry on last year’s Marche.

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