The Detroit Bikes Spring Training Ride VII, Saturday, March 29, 2014, 10 AM start Preface (a very brief background of Detroit Bikes): Detroit Bikes evolved from Detroit Synergys (detroitsynergy.org) Detroit Bikes! project. We are easily and understandably confused with the Detroit bicycling manufacturing company, Detroit Bikes. Our Detroit Bikes bicycling group is not affiliated in any way with Detroit Bikes, detroitbikes, the company. However, I do have a Detroit Bikes bike in my riding stable! Hows that for clearing things up!!! Or maybe not. The twin loves of bicycling and our City of Detroit remain the focus of Detroit Bikes. The Spring Training Ride, Intro: What the heck happened to Global Warming??? Should we start a class action suit against Al Gore for false and misleading statements? Well, no, Im not really suggesting that the global climate isnt changing. Or that Al Gore has mislead us. But Geez, if youre like me, youre mighty tired of the cold and the snow. The seemingly endless days and nights of below zero temps has even changed our perceptions of whats warm. As my good friend and fellow avid bicyclist Kathy Cannon recently remarked referencing temperature, 30 is the new 50! Itll be interesting to see what a real 50 degree day feels like! Will we complain about it being too hot? Not me, mes amis, not me. Which brings us to the Spring Training Ride. Urban bicyclists know that there is no better way to experience our City than on a bicycle. Even better is riding with a group of like-minded folks. Please join Detroit Bikes on our first formal ride of 2014! One of my very favourite events of the year is changing my clocks as we spring ahead to Daylight Savings Time! Another hour to ride! Another fave is the Corktown St. Patricks Day Parade. Both these events signal to me that its time to finalize the details for our annual Spring Training Ride! So, put some air in your trusty bicycles tires, throw some lube on the chain, dust the cobwebs off the spokes, and get ready to ride! Because, as Arnold would say, Were Baaaaaaaaccccckkkkkk!! The Seventh Annual Detroit Bikes! Spring Training Ride (STR for short) is a sports themed event in which the riders will cruise past current and past Detroit sports venues, including Comerica Park, Ford Field, Tiger Stadium (RIP), Olympia Stadium (RIP), Recreation Park, and others. Wear something that represents your favorite Detroit City team (professional, minor league, college, futbol, high school, CYO, etc.), such as a T-shirt or bandanna and help us welcome the warm weather! Special Optional Event after the ride: I expect the ride to be over at about 12:30. Many of us will then ride over to the recently remodeled Cobo Center to attend the Detroit Bike City Expo thats sponsored by our good friends from Detroit Bike City! There is a small charge to attend this event. You can also find more details about this event at the Detroit Bike City 2014 Facebook event page: https://facebook/events/728661763833547/?previousaction=join&ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming&source=1. Im thinking Lafayette and/or American Coney Island as a food stop before we enter Cobo! And in keeping with the best tradition of Jack Webbs Dragnet, heres Just the Facts! When: Saturday, March 29, 2014 What: The Spring Training Ride VII: A bicycling tour of selected past and present Detroit sports venues Cost: FREE! But bring cash for beverages, food and the Detroit Bike City Expo (optional). Ride Starts: 10 AM sharp at the Millennium Bell, east side of Grand Circus Park, downtown Detroit. Distance of ride: approximately 16 miles (about 26 kilometers) Length: approximately two and a half hours (150 metric minutes for our Canadian friends) Pace: Relaxed, non-competitive pace, suitable for all experience levels Needs: As usual, we need all the (unpaid!) help we can get! Some of the duties are: event photographer, Emergency Financial Manager, ride integrity helpers, SAG (support and gear vehicle), folks to assist with minor bike repairs, etc. Helmets: Yes, please Dress: Show your Detroit sports pride by wearing your favorite Detroit teams T-shirt, hat, bandanna, flag, socks, wristbands, whatever! No spandex allowed without my prior approval. Rain/Snow Date: NONE! The ride will take place regardless of rain, snow, emergency managers, earthquakes, federal indictments, and consent decrees. There is no rain date! Unless conditions are clearly dangerous, the ride will go on. As someone much more articulate than me once said, The weather always looks worse looking at it through a plate glass window. So, in short, the ride will go on. Spring Training Ride Flashbacks! The temperature at the start time of the 2011 ride was 17 degrees! Fahrenheit! Ride regular Mark Morden (Rock Uber Alles) even wore shorts! Im not sure if that was a highlight or a lowlight!. In 2012, we experienced relatively mild weather. About 50 degrees! In 2013, we experienced a dangerous wintry mix, resulting in the postponement of the ride. So, be prepared for varied conditions. Cold weather riding tips Dress in layers. Synthetics or wool should be your first layer, NOT cotton which retains moisture. My experience is that cold ears, cold toes and/or fingers make for a miserable ride. So keep those protected. Those plastic super thin grocery bags (urban tumbleweed!) are great for covering your hands and your feet in inclement weather. Wear them between your socks and your shoes. Ive used them many times on long-distance motorcycle rides. Newspapers are also great insulators. Also, I recommend carrying some of those chemical heat packs favored by hunters. Great insurance. For more information (there really isnt any), e-mail me at pagete@gmail Ride Safely. Finally, heres the tentative - subject to change without prior notice - route! Start: Grand Circus Park, east side of the street, under the Millennium Bell. Witherell north to Montcalm. Right on Montcalm to Brush. Right on Brush. Continue to Beacon. Left on Beacon to Beaubien. Right on Beaubien to Lafayette. Lafayette to Helen (STOP), then to E. Grand Blvd. Right on Grand Blvd to Jefferson. Right on Jefferson to Mt. Elliot. Left on Mt. Elliot to Riverwalk. Riverwalk (and Atwater Street) to Rivard Plaza. (STOP). Riverwalk to Cobo to under the Joe Louis Arena to W. Jefferson to Cabacier. Right on Cabacier to Fort St. Left on Fort to Trumbull. Right on Trumbull. Continue to Tiger Stadium. (STOP). Trumbull north to Grand River. Left on Grand River. Continue to McGraw. (STOP) East on McGraw to CL Franklin Blvd (Linwood). North on Franklin/Linwood to W. Grand Blvd. East on Grand Blvd to n/b Second Ave. Second Ave. to Euclid. East on Euclid to Woodward Ave. North to Holbrook. East on Holbrook to Joseph Campau. Right (South) to Dan Street. Left (east) on Dan to Veterans Memorial Park (On Dan Street, east of Joseph Campau, north of Hamtramck Drive, south of Holbrook). South on Joseph Campu to Hamtramck Drive. Right to Grand Blvd. Grand Blvd to s/b John R. John R. to Brady Street to Recreation Park. Then South on John R. to Start. Then on to Cobo Center for the Detroit Bike City Expo (Optional)
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 14:18:32 +0000
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