It wasn’t that long ago that there just weren’t that many group bicycle rides in the city of Detroit. Critical Mass was lightly attended and the Tour de Troit was just a small ride around town.

Now it’s becoming quite a task just to keep up with all of the bike rides.

Last Saturday there was a fundraiser bike ride for an urban garden on Fourth Street. Tomorrow (August 3rd) is the Detroit Agriculture Network urban ag bike tour.

Every Monday is the Slow Roll to Slow Jams ride starting at 8pm from the Woodbridge Pub.

No course is set and all skill levels are invited. The ride ends with the smooth sounds of Erno the Inferno and EastSide Jon – plus many special guests. We’ll be doing this every Monday till it gets too cold and maybe after that.

And there are a three interesting rides scheduled for August 13th. Starting at 8am is the 7th Annual Green Cruise — “Be a solution to Stop Pollution”.

The 7th Annual Sierra Club Green Cruise celebrates walking, biking, running, hiking, skateboarding, rollerblading, and other forms of transportation that are human powered.

The event includes organized bike rides, a parade, childrens crafts and activities, an educational area, free healthy food, green sponsor booths plus much more

Then at 1pm is the inaugural “Art Ride”.

Five sites will be on our 2011 tour (most of the time we’ll be looking at Art) including Disneyland Hamtramck, Heidelberg Project satellite site, Recycle Here! (2-3 areas), 1 site TBA and ending with our Access Arts Scripps Park Public Art Exhibit II opening. At Scripps, we’ll have a fantastic performance piece by James Cornish & Lisa Lamonte. We’ll have a food truck on hand for the end of the bike ride at Scripps for lunch as well (food truck TBA). At each of the tour stops, more info will be given about the piece and location either by the artist or tour guide, giving an in-depth interaction with the piece. We’ll also get a first hand look at the development of the Lincoln Street Sculpture Garden at Recycle Here! and some of their other more private installations inside. A couple of public murals may also be on route!

Donations will be shared among art & bike organizations including The Hub of Detroit’s Saturday/Kids Program, Heidelberg Project, Friends of Scripps Park, Organization #4 TBA and Forward Arts.

Then at 10pm that evening is a Full Moon Bike Ride hosted by Fender Bender.

We’ll ride around Detroit under the light of the full moon and skip the heat of the sun.

This Fender Bender Detroit ride is open to everyone as we try to raise awareness and have fun riding bikes in the night. Meet us at the corner of Cass & Forest, in front of the UU Church (First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit).

There is a new web site that should be launched by the end of this year that will have an event calendar for biking and walking events. Hopefully they’ll be able to do a better job maintaining regional calendar for these types of events.

Last Friday, the band Joybox Express completed their bike trek across Michigan with a 10-mile ride around Detroit. What’s unique is they bike with their instruments, which includes a 352-pound piano. The ride was a celebration of bicycling and music as well as a fundraiser for Earthworks Urban Farm and The Hub of Detroit.

From their website:

Whatever we are, and want to become, all of us who pedaled across the state these last two weeks are enriched, and satisfied in ways that are hard to describe. We’ve loved every part of it, the interminable, grinding rides, the chance to play music together everyday, and the times spent with the people we’ve partnered with or just met along our route. It’s all been so uplifting, a casual conversation about it doesn’t do it justice, I think I’ll have to let it percolate a bit to savor it completely. This is just a bike ride, right? Why the need for hyperbole? No, it wasn’t just a bike ride, and exaggeration isn’t really possible in explaining the reactions we saw people experience as we did what we did, both for, and with them.

We made this movie during their performance at the Heidelberg Project, but perhaps the more fun was the previous unplanned stop along the often desolate East Ferry Street. Besides the cyclists, the audience included a group of men taking shelter in the shade. It was a wacky and impulsive moment, which seems to fit well with the overall Joybox Express theme.

One of the more entertaining moments was hearing a club rider unfamiliar with Detroit group rides tell everyone to ride two-by-two. That request went unheeded as did the earlier suggestion about stopping at stop signs. Detroit riders corked and kept the group together and moving safely through Detroit.

There are additional photos on the Downtown Ferndale bike shop web site.

Over 300 riders from the U.S. and Canada rode in the 2011 Bike the Bridge event.

Those starting in Detroit checked in at the Milliken State Park on the RiverWalk. The group rode to the Ambassador Bridge and over to Windsor. It was here that 90 Windsor bicyclists joined the group and rode back over the bridge to Detroit.

Cyclists were reminded to keep moving and not stop. It’s not everyday that traffic across one of the world’s busiest international crossings is stopped for bicyclists.

Once back at Milliken State Park, riders ate breakfast before heading out on either a 24-mile or 45-mile guided tours. The shorter tour included the Dequindre Cut, Eastern Market, Belle Isle and Indian Village.

Perhaps one of the best comments on the event came from Tristan via Facebook.

Wow! Yesterday’s tour was an amazing experience. I have a very different perspective on the City of Detroit. Thank you to the organizers and volunteers who put so much work into this. I can’t imagine how much time it must have taken. Looking forward to seeing everybody next year.

More photos on Flickr: Ravenswift and OurWindsor

The number of group bike rides in the city of Detroit is rapidly increasing. Here are six interesting rides on tap for this month.

Bike the Bridge on June 13th

Registration is already closed for this event due to the customs requirements. That’s to be expected on an international bike ride. With nearly 300 registrants, this should be a huge success!

Claytown Neighborhood Tour on June 16th

Bridging Communities and the Detroit Collaborative Design Center are having an open house from 4pm until 7pm at their offices at 6900 McGraw. The open house is to review the recently developed Green Links for the Claytown Neighborhood non-motorized plan. Yes, more bike lanes and routes, but this time in the neighborhoods west of North Corktown and Woodbridge. They will provide light refreshments and a bicycle tour starting at 7pm.

Collin Hubbell Ride on June 18th

This ride is a fundraiser for the Hubbell Fund which provides grants in Midtown.

Many of you knew Colin Hubbell, a dedicated Detroiter, midtown developer and community advocate! Colin passed away in 2008 after a long, hard-fought battle with cancer. We created the Hubbell Fund to carry on his passion for Detroit.

The Hubbell Fund provides small businesses, entrepreneurs and community groups with grants in an effort to revitalize Detroit’s Midtown community.

You can register at www.bikedetroit.eventbrite.com. More information is available on the Midtown Detroit web site.

Critical Mass on June 24th

Rainy weather dampened the turnout for May’s ride, which still attracted a few hundred bicyclists. Watch the Facebook page for more details.

Conner Creek/Lakeshore Drive Ride on June 25th

This 36 mile ride begins at 9am and is hosted by the Sierra Club. This may be a nice opportunity to check out the new additions to the Conner Creek Greenway on Detroit’s Eastside.

Slow Ride to Slow James

This ride occurs every Monday at 8pm and leaves from the Woodbridge Pub on Trumbull just west of Wayne State. It’s led by the Bikes and Murder crew, but don’t let that put you off.

From their web site:

No course is set and all skill levels are invited. The ride ends with the smooth sounds of Erno the Inferno and EastSide Jon – plus many special guests. We’ll be doing this every Monday till it gets too cold and maybe after that.

The also host the Bikes and Movie night on June 21st at Peck Park, which is just east of CCS.

Ferndale is hosting the 3rd annual Green Week starting tomorrow, April 16th.

And Sunday the 17th  is dubbed Bicycle Day and includes a group ride.

The Sierra Club Green Cruise presents – Spring Bicycle Ride – starts @ 10am at the Downtown Ferndale Bike Shop (163 W. 9 Mile Rd., 48220)

• Distance – 20 miles at easy to moderate pace
• 16 yrs. old and older
• Helmets required
• SAG vehicle supplied by The Night Move bio-fueled bus
• Free bicycle check-ups at the Downtown Ferndale Bike Shop – 10am – 2pm
• Free massages by Greenleaf Bodyworks at the Downtown Ferndale Bike Shop – 4.17 – 10am – 2pm
• Western Market will provide free bananas

The route has been posted on Bikely.

Green Week wraps up on Friday, April 22nd with an Earth Day Celebration Party at The Loving Touch starting at 7pm. The party includes a special Sierra Club and Beer gathering, roller races, and more.