Metro Times Best of Detroit 2011 awards
The Metro Times has a best of Detroit 2011 issue which lists winners based on a public survey and staff picks. As in years past, some of these awards are bike-related.
Readers Poll
Best Bicycle Shop in Detroit — The Hub won this for the third time. “How can you not love a place that’s making a difference on, with and for two wheels?
Best Bicycle Shop in the Suburbs — Downtown Ferndale Bike Shop grabbed this award, which was a bit of a surprise given their that they’re new. Last year it went to Continental Bikes in Hazel Park.
Staff Picks
Best Food Delivery Business — Hot Spokes, the group delivering food on bike in the Midtown/Downtown area, was picked by the MT staff.
Take-out delivered via bike may not be big news in most major cities, but as are many things, it’s a bit of a novelty in Detroit. But novelty or not, it also makes sense — pedaling from Midtown to downtown takes noticeably less time than fighting traffic and hunting down a parking spot (and who ever has change for the meter?)
Best Antidote to a Beer Belly — Staff chose the indoor Roller Races which have been hosted at various bars around the Detroit area. And last week the Hub hosted a very unique tandem roller race.
The new trend that popped up in the last year of racing on stationary bikes in bars allows for just such a thing — drink, race, drink some more. Bikers who usually hibernate during fall rains and winter snows can stay in shape, maintain their skills and show-off in front of bar flies and curious first-timers. It’s a new way to pick up chicks, settle scores and challenge friends and strangers for free beers.
Best Blog for Bicyclists — m-bike.org won. We’re blushing. It’s recognition like this that makes the late-time, labor of love efforts worth it.
The stated goal, says author Todd Scott, is to promote safe and convenient bicycling in metro Detroit. Whether it’s announcements of community forums, analyses of master plans and their inclusion (or exclusion) of cycling, collections of media reports about cycling events and policies or just plain funny cycling tidbits, find it here.
Thank you, Metro Times — and all that you do for cycling coverage in Southeast Michigan.
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Tags: Ferndale Bike Shop, Hot Spokes, Metro Times, The Hub
April 28th, 2011 at 12:14 pm
I agree. This is a great site and I look forward to checking it daily. Thank you from everyone who rides a bike in Metro Detroit.
April 28th, 2011 at 7:44 pm
Hey Todd
Congrats on the “Best Blog for Bicyclists” award. That is great!
Always good stuff, keep up the good work.
Charlie
April 28th, 2011 at 9:04 pm
Overall I have to agree with what Adam said- Todd, your work is definitely appreciated by the cycling sub-culture in what is known as the Motor city- A voice in the wilderness which is often the first place I hear of news that affects where and when I pedal. Seeing how I don’t currently own a car and probably won’t in the immediate future, what I read here is often a lifeline for mobility.
I do think your blog fills a need, but there is room for improvement. Not to be overly critical but too often have I seen events announced initially here less than two days before an event, or even the day of the event…. The recent Bike Day for Ferndale’s Earth week comes to mind, I read about it and changed plans to get there and it was a great ride with great people who came out in spite of cold and windy conditions- I rode from Waterford and took the Smart Bus to get there from Pontiac. Had it been announced mid week, would more people from outlying areas have come…. carpooled or even organized an un-official group ride to the ride? We have a tool that can promote events IF word gets out in advanced. There was a movie about Critical Mass I might have found a way to go see not long ago downtown- if only it hadn’t been blogged the morning it was shown.
This minor criticism aside, you’ve done a great job Todd. Kudos for your efforts. Maybe the addition of a ‘calendar’ page for upcoming events would help. Keep up the good work.
May 3rd, 2011 at 10:15 am
Fabian,
I agree that there’s room for improvement, especially with the timeliness of posting events. What I probably should do is create an events calendar. I could put the events on line more quickly (and so could others.)
I appreciate the suggestions.
May 3rd, 2011 at 10:02 pm
Thanks, Todd, for providing a bright ray of hope amidst the freeways.
May 3rd, 2011 at 11:22 pm
Thank you, Joel, for your web site http://www.transportmichigan.org. The transportation landscape has changed greatly since the 90s, but we still have a long ways to go.