Detroit’s ever-growing bicycle scene is largely due to women leadership.

The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, SDBA, Midtown Detroit, Wheelhouse Detroit, Fender Bender, DECC, MTGA, Criterium Detroit City, etc.

And that influence continues to grow.

Detroit Je T’aime published a story on Fender Bender called, Detroit’s Real Bike Chix.

Sarah Sidelko goes by the nickname “Sidewalk” – in matters of transportation justice, she’s the boss. Sarah has been living in Detroit for 10 years – out of which she spent 7 years without a car. That inspired her to create Fender Bender, a bike shop exclusively dedicated to women, queer and transgender folks.

“It’s about creating a safe space where we can have free conversations. We use bike mechanics to think about ourselves”, says Sidewalk.

The article also mentions Fender Bender’s successful SOUP pitch which earned them $514 – a story also covered in Model D.

Fender Bender Detroit will use the SOUP grant funds towards funding the July and September Fender Bender Detroit bike mechanic training course. This six week series of bicycle mechanic training classes comprehensively covers bicycle maintenance and repair skills for each function, system, and component of the bicycle. We learn, understand, and demonstrate the anatomy of the bicycle, tools used in repair processes, and repair skills.

Skirts and Wheels

Melanie Piana has been very busy on the other side of Detroit’s north border. She led efforts to pass Ferndale’s Complete Streets ordinance. She’s now starting a woman-focused group as mentioned on Mode Shift.

Forget the Lycra, Spandex and jerseys. Bring your skirts, heels and other “normal” clothes to this new monthly Ferndale bicycling gathering for women.

Inspired by the CopenhagenCycleChic.com website, the new Metro Detroit event is organized by Melanie Piana, mayor pro tem in Ferndale.

“We need to educate people that cycling can be a very normal part of your life, and that you don’t need to spend a lot of money on clothing and gear to do it,” she says. “Cycling is a very normal, everyday activity and in Michigan and other places it’s something viewed as a fad or a hobby, not something you do as a very normal daily activity to get around and do daily things like going to the grocery store or pharmacy.”

The Ferndale Patch also covered this story.

MASH Ride

Back within the City, MASH magazine had their first ride last Saturday.

This RIDE was created to encourage YOUNG WOMEN (and men) IN DETROIT to BIKE!

Their next ride is June 16th.

This weekend we added the asphalt trails at Belle Isle to Google Maps.

This was a bit challenging as the tree canopy prevented us from seeing the trails in the satellite photography.

So, here are the steps we took to add them.

1. Loaded the MyTracks app on our Android phone. Unfortunately it’s not available for the iPhone.
2. Recorded our GPS tracks as we biked the trails.
3. Exported our GPS tracks to Google Maps My Places.
4. Went to the Google Map Maker web site and enabled overlays, an option in the Labs menu.
5. Added an overlay using the KML link provided in My Places.
6. Added a trail in Map Maker using the KML overlay as a reference. The GPS points weren’t perfect but one can guess the correct offset based on the aerials. Hiking the trails might have yielded more accurate data points.
7. Added trail information, such as the bad the pavement condition and saved it.

Once these trail changes were published, there was a small delay before the Google Map graphics were updated. That seems to have happened now. Use the best bike trackers to avoid getting out of your race track.

By the way, Google has produced an excellent video that basically explains this same process.

If you head out ride these trails for the first time, the asphalt’s condition may not be a good fit for skinny tires. Tree roots have pushed up the pavement and added speed bumps to the trail.

There are a number of fallen ash trees across the path as well.

On Sunday morning, June 17th you’ll be able to ride your bike from Detroit to Windsor over the Ambassador Bridge.

Make sure you register now. It appears Bike the Bridge registration is closing for the event at 11am on May 31st. Since this event involves U.S. and Canadian Customs pre-screening, there just can be exceptions for late registrants.

Here’s additional information from the web site:

This is a very special Biking event. The Ambassador Bridge, spanning from Detroit to Windsor, pauses traffic to allow bikes to cross. Canadian riders will ride to the US, across the bridge, and meet up with the Americans. Then both the Canadians and Americans will ride back across the bridge. A delicious Breakfast will be provided after the bridge ride, at Canada’s beautiful Mic Mac Park. Breakfast will be provided by Tres Bean Cafe’ of Windsor. We also plan to have guest speakers and musical entertainment. Then one of two tours can be selected. The short tour will be approximately 15 miles/ 24 KM in length. The short tour will include a special production by Mackenzie Hall. The Long tour will be approximately 40 miles/ 64 KM in length. Both tours will focus on the theme of the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. The long tour will include a trip to Fort Malden. At the conclusion of the tours Americans, will be bussed back across the bridge and their bikes will be transported via truck. You will also receive a uniquely designed T-shirt as a memento of the event. If you want to attend this event you must have a valid Passport, Passport card, enhanced driver’s license, or Nexus card at the time of registration. This applies to everyone attending this event.

Hopefully the Canadians won’t tease us to much about our rapid surrender of Fort Detroit during the War of 1812. At least we took Fort Malden the next year.

WindsorDOTca also has an article on this event.

The number of bike racks continues to grow in Detroit, though mostly in the Corktown and Downtown areas.

Here are our four favorite new racks and rack designs for 2012 in no specific order.

• The bike-shaped silver racks are being installed by DDOT across the city at various bus stops and DDOT facilities.
• The Green Dot Stables, located along the Lafayette bike lanes has a very cool custom horse-shaped rack to fit with their equestrian-themed restaurant.
• We’re guessing the “Live, Work, Play” racks are from the Downtown Detroit Partnership?(DDP).
• These custom inverted-U racks have been installed all around Corktown by the Resident’s Council. There are in addition to the ones installed by the Southwest Detroit Business Association.

We’ve heard it many times as if it were a given: You can’t live in Detroit without a car.

Really? And what about people living in Detroit today without a car?

We’ve many Detroiters that for one reason or another, don’t have a car. Some might prefer getting a car and some don’t. Everyone has different needs, resources, and priorities.

Of course being without a car is easier in some parts of Detroit than others.

One amenity that making it easier for some is Zip Cars at Wayne State. Having simple access to an on-demand rental car can address those times when biking, walking, or transit won’t cut it. Wayne Students and staff get special pricing, but community members can use the program as well.

And it’s been very successful. Wayne State has added cars to the fleet.

Detroit Unspun recently uploaded this video which highlights a car-free Alex Briggs. Briggs gives some interesting perspective on lifestyle changes that have made biking a transportation choice he can embrace in Detroit.

Yes, Alex. Those Trumbull bike lanes are coming both this year and next.