Detroit is known as the “Motorcity” but the growing bicycle culture is starting to make many folks re-think this title. I could type a really long essay on how amazing the biking community in Detroit is, but it’s much better to put power to the pedals if you really want to learn more about cycling in the D. Here are some cool quick and easy ways to get involved in or learn more about the Detroit bike scene:

1. GET A BIKE! (and some cool bike gear)

There are a ton of amazing bike retailers in Detroit where you can buy or rent bikes and helmets.

• I got my lovely Kona bike, bike gloves and bike helmet from the Wheelhouse on the Detroit Riverfront. They rent bikes for low prices and are great when you need some air before a bike cruise along the river.

• Just recently I got my third bike (affectionately named, Hal a.k.a The Creeper) from Detroit Bikes and it is gorgeous! Detroit Bikes sells one-size-fits-all-cycles that are very affordable, high quality and great for all levels of riders. Did I mention their bikes are completely made in Detroit!?

Courtesy of Detroit Bikes, © 2013

• Just this Summer, the Downtown Detroit Bike Shop opened in Eastern Market and Shinola opened in Midtown.
• I have many friends who swear by the Hub in the Cass Corridor for friendly service.
• If you’re looking to get something custom-made you can check out the Detroit Bicycle Company.
• If you’re tight on cash but still desire quality, build your own bike or fix up that old bike you have laying around! Fender Bender Detroit and Back Alley Bikes offer top notch bicycle mechanic classes at low cost that will have you on two wheels in no time!

2. BIKE WITH OTHERS

Some people like biking solo and exploring the city that way. But for those who enjoy social interaction or wild fun, there is no shortage of opportunities to bike and meet new people in the city.

• I’m the Marketing Director Detroit Bike & Brunch (DB&B), a local bike group started in 2012 that focuses on healthy lifestyle choices in Detroit. DB&B combines two of my favorite things, hanging with awesome people and eating awesome food, and puts the fun on two wheels. I’ve loved every second of biking with DB&B and the group has been the catalyst for my growing passion in bike culture and multi-modal transit!

• Detroit Bike City hosts a weekly bike ride called Slow Roll that gets upwards of 1,500 people cruising on their bikes. In addition to their weekly rides they have a massive bike show at Cobo Hall that is the bicycle equivalent of the North American International Auto Show!
• Tour De Troit is the city’s largest annual bike ride, where thousands of people come out and do a massive city-wide bike tour. This year the ride had around 6000 people!
• I can’t even begin to address all of the awesome holiday and theme rides because there are so many!
• And who says it has to be a official bike group?! Just grab a bunch of friends, pick a destination and pedal there! Me and a three of my friends decided to do a bike vacation earlier this month. We biked from Detroit to Ann Arbor, stayed the night and then biked back to Dearborn from Ann Arbor. The ride was challenging but it was a great bonding experience and it was a very affordable vacation!

Bike groups and group rides not only get you out on your bike but they are also awesome ways to meet people, learn about new places in the area and enjoy exercise.

3. LEARN, ADVOCATE AND GET INVOLVED.

There are a million and one ways to learn about cycling culture in this city and even more ways to become an advocate for needed change here.

• One really great way is to check out Challenge Detroit non-profit partner Mode Shift which is an amazing interactive online hub for all things transportation in Southeastern Michigan. Their site is dedicated to fostering community connectedness throughout Southeast Michigan by shifting the way we think about modes of transportation. It is a great resource for information, news and discussion on bicycling in Michigan and Detroit. Luckily for all of the Challenge Detroit fellows, we’ll get to address multi-modal transportation by working with Mode Shift on our next challenge!
• You could also address an issue head on! For our warm up challenge during Detroit Design Festival, fellows Cody, Laurie, Jaber, Miguel, Elizabeth, Melissa and myself created a short-term bike valet service, Bicyclet, that doubled as a petition initiative working to call attention to the lack of safe bike parking options in Detroit. In less than a week our efforts helped us garner petition signatures, community awareness and even a bit of media coverage. Which goes to show that it doesn’t take much to get involved and make positive change in the bike culture here.

These three tips are just that; the tip of the iceberg for getting acquainted with bike life in Detroit. Even more important is the impact that biking has on our city. Citizens that ride benefit from getting physical exercise, learning about their city, interacting with great people, creating new relationships and gaining a new sense of what life in Detroit is and what it can be. Local shops and food retailers gain a customer base especially in areas where passersby in cars wouldn’t normally stop. In turn, businesses learn what they can do to make their establishment more bike friendly and thusly garner more traffic as biking increases in the city. It’s obvious that the environmental benefits of biking far outweigh those of driving. Also onlookers are inspired to get out and experience their city in a new way with new people! Biking is a win-win for individuals, groups and the city as a whole. So get out there and pedal the D! I’ll catch you guys out on a bike lane sometime soon!