Tour De Troit

Tour de Troit just before the start, in front of Detroit's most famous ruin, Michigan Central Depot

Detroit (est. 1701):  Motor City, Arsenal of Democracy, birthplace of Motown and Techno, primary prohibition port of entry, home of the first paved cement road (Woodward), first urban highway (Davison), first radio broadcast, first telephone area code... What are you now???

The Detroit Police motorcade that accompanied the ride

House on Vernor near the
 start of the ride

Detroit has earned a reputation that shouts stay-safe/stay-away.  I have been fortunate to explore cities far and wide, but have never spent much time in the city from which the metropolitan area where I live gets its name. I've driven the fast lane through Detroit to cross the bridge into Canada, and stopped briefly here or there for a work conference or sporting event.  But all of us who live north of 8 Mile or in the 'burbs have been endowed with a visceral fear of viewing Detroit from the pavement level.  When I first heard about the Tour De Troit bike ride, I knew I had to be there.

Alison and I arrived before the sun rose, unpacked the bikes, and rode a short distance to the check-in at Roosevelt Park. The imposing Michigan Central Depot towered above us, the most famous ruin of the city.  The crowd gathered and chatted, drinking coffee, cheering when the police motorcade that would escort us on the tour arrived en force.  Slowly the peleton inched past the depot, under the tunnel, and off to see the sites.

Classic architecture on Grand River Avenue

The route took us through neighborhoods where denizens cheered us from their porches, past magnificent residences proclaiming the grandeur of the auto trade that put the world on wheels, through city blocks that reeked of decay. This is a city of startling contrast.  We did the loop on Belle Isle, Detroit's island park designed by Frederick Olmstead, who also laid out Central Park in New York City.  Windsor, Ontario is not much more than a shout away, but looks lusterless compared to the Motor City's skyline visible from the south shore of the island.  4,300 riders participated in this event.  I heard many exclaiming with delight that they didn't know Detroit was so beautiful.

Detroit's skyline taken from Belle Isle

Alison and I didn't want it to end when the ride was over.  We absolutely will be back next year, because this is too much fun to miss. We're already planning the day, intending to expand our participation from the roughly 30 mile ride (including the Belle Isle loop) that we did Saturday to the Metric Century ride (62 miles) so that we can see even more of the city.  JOIN US next year for this event, short or long ride.  If you think you're not fit enough, get started now, you have a whole year to train. You will be so glad you did!
Até amanhã... 
9/24/11 - 31.2 miles [BIKING] | 180 min | 10.3 mph | 1223 kcal 

Ha!  I really did fit two bikes in the "Porsche"!  

*When* did she get so much taller than me??!

Pure Michigan spirit  :)

Marathon session in Chicago

Alas, I am referring to driving, rather than running. :/  


Alison flew back from school yesterday so we could participate in tomorrow's Tour de Troit bike ride.  Rather than arriving at DTW, she decided to fly to O'Hare to take advantage of a great deal on airfare.  Since I've driven to Chicago many times in roughly 3.5 hours, I had planned to pick her up in the Windy City and make a couple of fun side stops on the way home.  Unfortunately, it took me almost twice as long as it usually does to get to O'Hare due to the worst traffic and construction delays I have ever experienced.  Our visions of sight-seeing in Chicagoland went up in a cloud of expressway exhaust fumes.  At some points I seriously could have run to O'Hare faster than I was moving on I-94.  


As I was sitting on the highway, waiting... waiting... I mused about the bad rap we who still live in Michigan get for keeping the lights on in the only state to loose population in the 2010 census.  In 1950, Detroit was the fifth largest city in the United States, with over 2,000,000 residents.  As late as 1990 it was still in the top ten.  Detroit's population is now lower than it has been in 100 years, far less than half of what it was in its heyday, and second only to New Orleans in percent population decrease in the last decade, at 25%.  Detroit did to itself what it took Katrina to do to New Orleans.


I would like to tell the good folks in Chicago that there are some advantages to living in an area where the infrastructure was built to handle double the people than who currently live there.  Here in the Motor City it is rare to have to sit on a highway for 4 hours just because there are still enough people working to have that much of a rush hour.  Tomorrow Alison and I, along with 4,998 other happy riders will be very happy to enjoy what's left of Detroit from our bicycle seats.  Today, I was just happy to be able to go faster than 5 mph for 18 minutes straight:  in my sneakers!


Até amanhã... 
9/23/11 - 2.0 miles | 17:59 min | 6.7 mph | 214 kcal  <---  TWICE AS FAST AS I-94 IN CHICAGO AT RUSH HOUR !!!