Ride 1: Detroit Bikes! to Work - Woodward Ave. - Friday, May 15th!

Join in on the 4th Annual Woodward bike to work ride!  Voted by the MetroTimes as "the best reason to ditch your car 2006"

 

The Main Route: Woodward Avenue to Downtown Detroit

The Day's Itinerary:

Be on your bike, ready to depart, a few minutes ahead of schedule -- A large group of cyclists starting further north will continue biking past each meetup station, with participants joining at the posted stations.

Start: American Cycle & Fitness - Royal Oak - 29428 Woodward Avenue (just North of 12 Mile Road) | depart at 6:15 am sharp | Parking available

Royal Oak - Farmer's Market - West entrance and parking lot (metered) | depart at 6:25 am approx | Parking available (metered) @ west side of Farmer's Market

Ferndale - Southbound Woodward and Nine Mile Road intersection | depart at 6:40 am approx | Parking available (metered) @ the Ferndale Post Office

Cultural Center/Midtown - Woodward @ Wayne State University Welcom Center| depart at 7:35 am approx | Limited Street Parking Available (metered)

Finish: Downtown Detroit - Campus Martius Park | arrive at 8:00 am approx

Showers and Locker facilities available to participants at the Boll Family YMCA at 1400 Broadway in Downtown Detroit.

Required: Bike, bike helmet and signed liability waiver (at event location) are required!  Bike lock suggested.

Pace: Intermediate level cycling speeds of 12-14 mph. (the equivalent of a brisk Detroit Bikes! tour, but not Olympic level training)

Duration: 1.75 hours total

Mileage: 15+ miles total

Route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2778888

Parking at Starting Station:  Car parking fees and sites vary due to events, however free street parking is available in select areas around Event Stations.  Parking is at owner's expense.  Ride a bike!

Bike Parking Downtown: found in several locations including most People Mover Stations, the Compuware Parking Garage, the Parking Garage Larned and Griswold, the Riverfront Promenade, and along the Woodward Avenue Streetscape between Campus Martius and Grand Circus Park.  Bike and Personal Items are sole responsibility of owner.

RIDE SMART

Getting Home: You biked to work, great! Now how to get home again? On two wheels....join the bikes! group for the afternoon ride back up Woodward Avenue, leaving Campus Martius Park at 5:30pm. Arrive in Royal Oak at 7:00 pm. Alternate idea? Take a SMART bus (route 460 or 465) up Woodward (they can accommodate two - three bikes per bus)

Ride 2: Detroit Bikes! to Work - Grosse Pointe - Friday, May 15th!

 

The Main Route: Kercheval/East Jefferson Avenue to Downtown Detroit

The Day's Itinerary:

Be on your bike, ready to depart, a few minutes ahead of schedule -- A large group of cyclists starting further east will continue biking past each meetup station, with participants joining at the posted stations. 

Start: American Cycle & Fitness - Grosse Pointe - 20343 Mack Avenue (6 blocks South of Vernier Road) | depart at 6:15 am sharp | Parking available behind local businesses.

"The Village" in the City of Grosse Pointe - Kercheval @ St. Clair | depart at 6:35 am approx | Surface Parking available (metered) behind local businesses. 

Grosse Pointe Park/Detroit - Grosse Pointe Park Public Library | depart at 6:50 am approx | Parking available (metered) at library and behind local businesses.

Rivertown/Indian Village - The Lofts of Rivertown, 6533 East Jefferson Avenue, Detroit | depart at 7:30 am approx | Parking available along Bellevue Street.

Finish: Downtown Detroit - Campus Martius Park | arrive at 8:00 am approx

Showers and Locker facilities available to participants at the Boll Family YMCA at 1400 Broadway in Downtown Detroit.

Required: Bike, bike helmet and signed liability waiver (at event location) are required!  Bike lock suggested.

Pace: Intermediate level cycling speeds of 12-14 mph. (the equivalent of a brisk Detroit Bikes! tour, but not Olympic level training)

Duration: 1.75 hours total

Mileage: 14+ miles

Route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2778619

Parking at Starting Station:  Car parking fees and sites vary due to events, however free street parking is available in select areas around Event Stations.  Parking is at owner's expense.  Ride a bike!

Bike Parking Downtown: found in several locations including most People Mover Stations, the Compuware Parking Garage, the Parking Garage Larned and Griswold, the Riverfront Promenade, and along the Woodward Avenue Streetscape between Campus Martius and Grand Circus Park.  Bike and Personal Items are sole responsibility of owner

RIDE SMART

Getting Home: You biked to work, great! Now how to get home again? On two wheels....join the bikes! group for the afternoon ride back up East Jefferson and Kercheval Avenue, leaving Campus Martius Park at 5:30pm. Arrive in Grosse Pointe at 7:00 pm. Alternate idea? Take a SMART bus up East Jefferson Avenue and into the Pointe's (they can accommodate two - three bikes per bus)

• route 610 [local service stops at Mack and Moross and ends at Harper and 12 Mile Rd],
• route 615 [local service stops along Mack Ave and ends at Macomb Mall],
• or route 620 [local service stops at Macomb Mall]
  

Detroit Bikes! to Work Day is part of "National Bike to Work Day, " and is an event partner with Commuter Challenge 2009, a series of events taking place between May 11th and May 15th to promote the fun and exciting methods of alternative transit.  The Commuter Challenge seeks to encourage Metro Detroiters to use of carpooling, vanpooling, public transportation, telework or flextime, along with biking and walking as means of commuting.

http://www.semcog.org/_MiRideshare.aspx?id=9198&terms=commuter+challenge+2009

Volunteer on the Ride

Help make cycling a tradition by volunteering at these events! 

We are looking for the following people.  If you know you are going to participate, then why not volunteer too?

Volunteer Roles available for Detroit Bikes!™ to Work Days include: 

• Each “morning pit stop” requires 2-3 volunteers per station to show up 15 minutes earlier than the posted departure time listed on the flyers. 
• Volunteers are asked to be leaders of the station, with both persons collecting participant signatures on Liability Waivers from participants.   
• One volunteer per station will be asked to read and describe the Detroit Bikes! Rules of the Road, and stress the importance of obeying all traffic laws and sharing the road with motorists. 
• At the start and end points of the Detroit Bikes! to Work Event, all volunteers will be asked to help distribute promotional Bike to Work Day T-shirts to all participants, and assist with the distribution of other pre-event or post-event giveaway items.

These cycling skills are also valued support from participants during our event:

• Any participant with the confidence, skill, and proper tools to repair typical issues associated with urban road cycling (i.e. patching and repairing flat tires and tubes, adjusting loose chains, or even providing the multi-tool to lock screws) can be a Bike Mechanic the day of our ride.  Be sure to bring any items you may use. 
• Any participant that is aware of the dangers of road cycling (i.e. the “door prize,” stopping at red lights, riding single file vs. two abreast, or even hand signals for turns) is welcome to be a Pack Leader, assuring participant safety and providing support or insight.

• We could use your support again, by participating in the Evening ride starting from Campus Martius at 5:30pm that same day, for the trek back home.

• Finally, Detroit Bikes! to Work Day Events succeed because of the promotion and participation of the event by people like you.  Please feel free to visit our webpage and download our Bike to Work Day promotional flyers to share with others.  Also, be sure to tell your local community by distributing flyers to local area businesses.

If you'd like to help out with any of the activities, please send an email to detroitbikes@detroitsynergy.org, and let us know what skill you would like to showcase the day of the event.

Who We Are

Detroit Bikes! is a project of Detroit Synergy, aimed at promoting cycling within urban neighborhoods inside the "Motor City."  Over 5 seasons, Detroit Bikes! has offerred over 40+ free bike tours, supported majore cycling events within the City of Detroit, and showcased Detroit's unique communities. 

 Look to http://www.detroitsynergy.org/projects/detroitbikes for more folders of information about biking!