Detroit Bikes! Spring Training Ride: Saturday, March 29, 2008
Photos: Riders enjoying a cuppa joe at Cafe 1923 in Hamtramck on the Java Junket Ride & Admiring Detroit Bikes! Brick on the Riverwalk at the Tootsie Roll Ride
Without a doubt, Mother Nature loves Detroit Bikes! How can I be so sure? Well, since October we've had about two decent weather days. (OK, I'm exaggerating - but just a little.) And those two decent days were November 3rd and February 23rd. You can look it up.
Is it just coincidence that the Detroit Bikes! Java Junket ride was November 3rd, and the Tootsie Roll ride was February 23rd? I don't think so. We had nearly perfect (sunny, no wind, and comfortably cool) weather for each ride.
I took Statistics 101 so I know that correlation doesn't necessarily mean causation. Detroit Bikes! may not have "caused" the great weather, but it sure is a suspicious correlation don't cha think?
In the earnest belief that Mother Nature has one more nice weather day up her sleeve, Detroit Bikes! announces the inaugural "Spring Training Ride" for Saturday, March 29th!
March 29th is smack dab in the middle of a great Detroit sports weekend. The NCAA men's basketball quarter finals are at Ford Field; the Red Wings are playing twice at the Joe; and the Tigers' Opening Day is Monday, the 31st. A sports theme was a natural for a bicycle ride!
The Detroit Bikes! Spring Training Ride will cruise past current and historic Detroit sports venues, including Tiger Stadium, Olympia Stadium, and some you may not have heard of.
Wear something that represents your favorite Detroit team (professional, college, high school, etc.), such as a T-shirt, bandanna, whatever, and help us challenge Mother Nature one more time!
Just the Facts
When: Saturday, March 29, 2008
What: The Spring Training Ride: A riding tour of past and present Detroit sports venues
Cost: FREE!
Ride Starts: 10 AM sharp at the Millennium Bell, Grand Circus Park, downtown Detroit. Please arrive 10 minutes ahead.
Distance of ride: approximately 16 miles
Length: approximately two hours
Pace: Relaxed but steady pace
Needs: We need a rider to take photographs of our event! I'll bring the digital camera. Also, we always need ride helpers to make sure no one gets left behind, assist with minor repairs, etc.
Additional: Helmets are required!
Dress: Show your Detroit sports pride by wearing your favorite Detroit team's T-shirt, hat, bandanna, flag, socks, whatever! (Note that Ann Arbor, East Lansing, and Auburn Hills are not in Detroit!!)
Route: Depending upon weather and road conditions, the exact route may be modified. From Grand Circus Park, the Spring Training Ride (STR) will skirt Comerica Park and Ford Field. The STR will head east on E. Lafayette to Helen Street, the former site of the Detroit Tigers' ancestral home, Boulevard Park. The STR will then head west on E. Jefferson to Cobo Arena and the Joe Louis Arena! From the Joe, the riders will wheel past old Tiger Stadium and will make a pilgrimage to the site of Olympia Stadium on Grand River at McGraw. The STR will head back west past the Wayne State University athletic complex before cutting across Woodward. The STR will then bike through the Detroit Medical Center, paying a brief visit to the former Recreation Park, the long-forgotten home of the world champion Detroit Wolverines baseball team! The STR will then head back to Grand Circus Park.
We also may make a stop at midtown's newest bicycle shop, The Hub, on Cass just north of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
TOMORROW: Shop Detroit Downtown!
