The U.S. Social Forum is coming to Detroit and begins on Tuesday, June 22nd.

The BikeIt group has helped organize and encourage people from across the U.S to ride their bicycles to Detroit.

Imagine 5,000 bicyclists riding into Detroit, the Motor City, to help bring about a different world. We see thousands of cyclists coming from every direction converging on the United States Social Forum next June, voting with their legs for a greener, cooler, fairer society. We’re taking that ride, and we invite you to join us.

Many of the cyclists will be staying at the bike tent city at Woodward and Temple.

Also, the Hub of Detroit is organizing a ride for Tuesday, June 22nd. Cyclists should begin gathering near the tent city and the 16 mile bike tour around Detroit will begin at 1pm. Experienced local cyclists are needed to assist in the guiding the group. It’s expected to be 2 hour ride that will join up the the U.S. Social Forum Grand March at 3pm.

The U.S. Social Forum is also really pushing bicycles as transportation. Their program strongly promotes biking in Detroit and will leave a positive impact upon it’s completion:

One way Another World is Possible is through our commitment to bike more – using less gas, putting less pollution in the air, and improving our physical health as a movement! Detroit is a fairly flat city, therefore it’s easy to get around. If you brought your own bike, this is the best way around town. We have bike racks for parking at Cobo Hall, Youth Bike Village (Woodward and Warren), the People’s Village and Hart Plaza.

Limited bike rentals are available for the duration of the forum for $15-$60 sliding scale at King Solomon Church (6100 14th Street). Pickup is on Tuesday June 22, from 10am until 2pm.

We are grateful to Bikeit.org, The Hub and everyone who contributed bikes to Detroit for use during the Forum and as a long-term contribution to the community. Bicycles and funds will be used to improve the community bicycle infrastructure in Detroit during and following the Social Forum. Bicycle donations are still accepted, and greatly appreciated!

There are also some bike-related workshops at the social forum, including the following:

• La Bici Digna/A Bike Worth Living For: Community Bike Co-ops as a Resource for Community Empowerment & Innovation
  June 24th from 10AM to Noon
  This is organized by the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, who was quite impressive at this year’s National Bike Summit when presenting on building diversity in the bicycling culture.
• BikeIt: Pedal to the USSF – Testimonials & exploration of the Bicycle as a Tool for Social & Environmental Justice
  June 25th from 10AM until Noon
• Organize, Build & Dream on 2 Wheels – Social Justice Bike Touring
  June 25th from 10AM until Noon

There are some Urban Agriculture bike tours planned as well.

For those who’ve ridden to Detroit, here’s hoping you enjoy our bike friendly city (except for the difficulty in getting across the river from Windsor.)

The Hub seeks a Youth Educator

Want a green job? The Hub of Detroit is looking to hire a Youth Educator and they want to start interviewing this week.

This summer is already here at the HUB. We are BUSY! This week is the last week for kids in Detroit Public Schools which means we are going to get even more kids around the shop than we already have. This is great! Also, we have news of a shop in Southwest that some kids are starting up and getting underway along with some schools on the north side that want to start bike clubs. With this much going on we need to hire a youth educator.

This job will include working with youth off site at their schools to help start up shops and educating kids on how to fix up their bikes, working with our Mechanics in Training at our shop and being around on Saturdays for our Youth Earn-a-Bike sessions.

So if you have bike mechanical knowledge, experience with youth and like doing both together then send a resume as quick as you can to jack(at)thehubofdetroit.org

Talking about urban mountain bike parks

A recent segment on National Public Radio talked about Cleveland’s turnaround — including Ray’s MTB indoor park.

BOBKOFF: Dan Kildee of the national nonprofit Center for Community Progress is an expert on revitalizing vacant and abandoned properties. He says city leaders tend to ignore the little projects like a mountain bike park or an urban garden, instead focusing on huge, splashy plans.

Mr. DAN KILDEE (Center for Community Progress): Build a great big casino complex. Build a great big convention center.

BOBKOFF: Cleveland has advanced plans to build one of each.But Kildee says cities need lots of little projects to turn around former manufacturing capitals like Cleveland and Detroit. Some ideas will fail, others will take off.

We made a suggestion to the Russell Industrial Center folks. They have plenty of space for an indoor mountain bike park — far more than Ray’s — and on-site food and super convenient highway access (I-75 at I-94). With a little grant money for capital investment, this seems like a good bet.

Dorais Velodrome

The web site DetoritUrbex has a little history, including some recent photos of the old Dorais Velodrome near E. Outer Drive and Mound Road. A great deal of cycling history was made at Dorais, much of it was captured in the Mike Walden/Wolverine Sports Club documentary, Catch the Wind.

From the Hub of Detroit web site:

Detroit-based cycling non-profit seeks motivated and qualified high school-age youth (14-18 years old) to enroll in our Mechanic-in-Training apprenticeship program. Duties include assisting with the Youth Earn-a-Bike program, organizing and cleaning the shop space, basic bicycle assembly and repair. The length of the apprenticeship is 10 weeks.

The Hub of Detroit is a Cass Corridor-based non-profit organization that provides cycling education and services to the local community, including a free bicycle program for youth as well as coordination with area schools and charitable institutions.

Responsibilities

• Assisting with the Youth Earn-a-Bike program
• General shop cleanliness and organization
• Assisting shop manager with incidental operations, including basic bicycle repair and assembly

Position Requirements

• Successful candidates will have previous experience in the following areas:
• Customer service
• Bicycle repair
• Working with elementary- and middle school-age youth

In addition, the following skills and experiences are also desirable:

• Professional attitude and teamwork ethic
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines
• Hustle

Please submit a resume in person or via email (shop@thehubofdetroit.org) to the Hub of Detroit by June 11th

The Hub of Detroit is located at 3611 Cass Avenue in Detroit. Their phone number is (313) 879-5073.

Green Alley construction begins

Model D is provides a significant amount of Detroit biking coverage. Perhaps due to May being bike month, they’ve got even more stories, including this one on Midtown’s Green Alley.

This is Detroit’s first green alley, and like most all things green, it caters to cyclists.

The alley will consist of native plantings and a 6-foot-wide pedestrian and bike pathway constructed of reclaimed historic brick framed by permeable pavement — which ensures emergency vehicle access. It is lit by induction lights, which are more efficient than LED and last for 25 years. “I hope one day to be have to climb up there and change a bulb!” says Tom.

The alley will provide a connection to the Motor City Brewing Works and include bike racks.

Detroit Critical Mass

Here’s a little video of the April 2010 Critical Mass ride in Detroit. Isn’t it ironic that the Motor City’s ride deals with fewer cars than perhaps all other citys’? (via Model D)

Michigan’s Top Five Bike Trails

This is part of a story from Metro Parent magazine’s May issue. This article lists great trails that the entire family can enjoy.

Bike Tent City registration now open

The U.S. Social Forum (USSF) is coming to Detroit this June. Biking is a big part of this event. People from around the U.S. are biking to Motown through the BikeIt project. Registration for their Tent Bike City is now open.

Bike Trailer Building Workshop

On a related note, the Hub of Detroit is hosting a trailer building workshop this Saturday.

When: May 15th from 3:30pm-7pm
Where: Back Alley Bikes space (entrance in alley behind of The Hub of Detroit)
What: The goal of the evening is to use wood and recycled bicycle parts to make simple bicycle cargo trailers. The trailers built will be used to pick up waste during the forum and will be a part of environmental management efforts reduce the ecological footprint of the USSF and beyond!

If you’re interested in volunteering at the Hub, their next volunteer orientation meeting is June 2nd at 6pm.

Vote for a Detroit Bike Video

Bicycle magazine’s video contest has a Detroit-themed entry named Catalyst. Voting ends on June 6th, 2010.

Fort Street Construction in Detroit

Yes, Fort Street in Southwest Detroit is being reconstucted. Yes, the Detroit Non-Motorized Plan calls for bike lanes on this road. Yes, the road is six-lanes but the vehicular traffic levels only require two. Yes, this road would likely be part of the U.S. Bicycle Route 25 through Detroit.

No, MDOT did not include bike lanes in the project.

Why? No reasonable answers have been given so far. MTGA and others are continuing to discuss this with MDOT. There’s no reason why this shouldn’t be a four-lane road with buffered bike lanes.

Congratulations to The Hub of Detroit. The League of American Bicyclists has named them as the first gold-level Bicycle Friendly Business in Michigan.

Businesses that apply for the award are contributing to a more bicycle-friendly lifestyle for their employees. The Hub of Detroit serves as an example for best practices and innovations in bicycle friendliness at the workplace. The Hub of Detroit makes bicycling an easy option for transportation and provides amenities such as mechanical assistance and education, ample bicycle parking and incentives such as an ally program where ongoing time commitments to the organization yield expanded access to tool space and time.

“This Bicycle Friendly Business is making a difference for employees, customers, and communities,” said Bill Nesper, Director of the Bicycle Friendly America Program. “The Hub of Detroit promotes bicycling as a viable form of transportation and gives their employees choices and options that make biking to work easy and fun.”

The other Michigan-based Bicycle Friendly Businesses are the League of Michigan Bicyclists in Lansing (silver) and Mel Trotter Ministries in Grand Rapids (bronze).