robert schlatte

This summer I am planning a bike tour from Columbus north into Ontario and around the east side of Lake Huron crossing over onto Manitoulin Island and back into Michigan. I plan on taking a ferry across the St. Claire River at Marine City, Michigan, north of Detroit. The most direct route would be through Toledo, Monroe, and Detroit generally following Lake Erie and the Detroit River. Alternatively, I also could bypass the urban areas by following routes to the west of the cities which I have some experience with. My general rule on a bike tour is to avoid cities and stick to rural areas and small towns. However, in this case, biking through these urban area intrigues me but I don't want to do anything foolhardy. So my question is, of all you folks familiar with Detroit and environs, would it be relatively safe (scale of 1 to 10, 10 being unsafest) to bike through Detroit along the general route as proposed? (essentially I would follow the bike route from Columbus to Marine City as suggested by Google). I would plan on starting on the south side of Detroit in the morning to give myself plenty of daylight, etc. My concern is not about traffic issue but rather an uneasiness about cycling through unsafe neighborhoods, etc. To a lesser extent, these same questions apply to Toledo. Should I absolutely avoid these areas or can I cycle through relatively safely? If it is okay, are there particular areas to avoid? Would there be a preferred route?

chas58

I love biking through detroit. Can it be rough? Yeah. So much has improved in Detroit, there is so much to see, there are so many bikers and bike lanes, and the river front has gotten pretty nice (finally).

There are many bike routes on google maps to choose from. Detroit is not for the faint of heart. I stopped to fix something on my wife’s bike and a nice white lady that lived near by was concerned that t was dangerous to be there on a bike.
Generally what I do (and most locals venturing off the beaten path) is to do Detroit early in the mornings on Saturday or Sunday. The “zombies” are asleep or passed out. Most people I meet that time of day think bikes in the city are pretty cool and give the thumbs up. Most of the “scary” areas along a riverish route (south of downtown0 are abandoned industrial zones. North of Detroit downtown is pretty OK.

Send me a route and I can give suggestions in the 3 county area around Detroit.

For you specifically, I would take a ferry from Sandusky to pelee island to leamington, and approach Detroit from the Windsor side (sounds like you have a passport). That is some nice riding. Theoretically you can’t take a bike across the Detroit river, but people do it on the buses that go through the tunnel. A slightly shorter route would just skip Detroit and go from leamington up around the east side of lake St. Clair.

Strava heat maps are a good tool for something like this - although a lot of the popular routes are skewed to things the local bike clubs hit on their weekend or evening rides.

robert schlatte

Thanks for your input. The Sandusky, Pelee Island, Leamington crossing is an option. (although if I take this option, I won't have to worry about Detroit). So far my route through Detroit is simply the google bike route from Columbus to Marine City. I agree the morning is the best time. South of downtown is the worst part?

chas58

Well I haven't biked too much on (what we call) down river. From what I have biked around there, it was mostly abandoned industrial areas. The famous huge River Rouge plant is down that way. Lots of busted up old roads, junk in the roads, over grown abandoned fields (and interesting locals). The good thing is that there is no auto traffic in that area (roughly rouge river rouge the bridge to Canada).

North of down town I would stay within a couple miles of the lake. North of Detroit (along or parallel to Jefferson) is pretty poor until you get to gross point (a couple miles north of that big Chrysler plant or Belle Isle). Definitely ride the riverfront if you go through town (although it does get rather crowded after 10am).

You can kind of see the abandoned areas along the route (or anywhere in Detroit) on satellite view, as they have lots of open green space and blocks with no buildings left on them. You'll have to be pretty self-sufficient if you have any breakdowns in these areas.

I do it (typically between 6am and 10am weekends), but it is a bad place to have a breakdown!


Another alternative that takes you around the city would be this - its a pretty route going through metro parks and rail to trail. Good way to avoid traffic. I'm not too fond of the part along I-275, but the trail is good to ride on.
https://tinyurl.com/y8c7nwnu

Silverexpress

Jefferson Ave, Woodward Ave, and Cass Ave are safe bets. Jefferson parallels the shoreline of the Detroit River and Lake St. Claire. You can experience Belle Isle, and the Dequindre Cut greenway as offshoots to your tour. Both intersect Jefferson Ave and are very safe areas. Also further North is Metro Beach Park and this is were Jefferson ends. From 11 MI road to the border of Detroit are multi- million dollar Mansions situated right along Jefferson Ave, however it's renamed Lakeshore Drive around this section.

If you arrive early enough on a Saturday make sure you grab some lunch at Eastern Market and checkout Motorless City Bike Shop. Ask them if you can leave your bike in their shop while you explore Eastern market which is just around the corner. About a mile Northwest of Eastern Market is the Lexus Velodrome. It's situated right along the service drive of I-75 and the corner of Mack ave.

If you go east on Mack about 2 miles from Eastern market it gets real dicey. These are the neighborhoods around the airport and the Conner Industrial area. Lots of gang activity and shootings in that area.

Woodward Ave will take you directly North from the Downtown area and into the heart of Detroit's cultural center. It runs right thru Museums, and the Wayne State University campus . Past Grand Boulevard it starts getting dicey till you reach 8 mile Rd, but this is by far the best thru road to get you into the northern suburbs. The speed limit is 30 mph, and its wide enough for safe travels. Past I-696 the speed limit jumps to 45 and then past 15 mile road it jumps to 50 mph and traffic picks up.

Cass Ave. parallels Woodward Ave. You'll find a handful of great eateries and a few notable bike shops. The Hub of Detroit, The Detroit Bike Co, and Shinola's HQ is along here. You can safely explore this area till it dead ends at Grand Boulevard. It also has excellent protected bike lanes.

On the other side of town is Michigan Ave. Likewise, you have a handful of great eateries like the Mercury bar and grill and just a block from there is Metropolis bike shop. There are bike lanes on both sides. MGM casino is also along this route. Great food inside. It gets dicey beyond Mercury.

By the way, Stoney Creek Metro Park offers weekend camping. Its located in the northern suburbs about 25 miles from Detroit. The Clinton River trail greenway can lead you to it.

As long as you stay within the Downtown area and along these venues you will be safe. Police presence has increased, and they have surveillance cameras on almost every building. Things I would watch out for....

1. Groups of 2 or more teenagers with baggy clothing and or hoodies.
- arguing, yelling, and generally being obnoxious are tell tale signs that someone will pull out a gun and start shooting. Not at you, but you could get caught in the crossfire.
- Alcohol is a big
warning to stay away.
2. If you somehow end up in a Detroit neighborhood and find a house with a half dozen cars parked on the lawn side to side with their front ends facing the street. Scoot like crazy.
3. Chances of you having a run in with the dark side are fairly low. However, I would suggest that you visit a local gun range, so you can become acquainted with the sound of gunfire. You would more than likely not be a target, but it's an experience you'll take with you wherever you go. Most pistols are hard to aim at 25 ft and beyond. Even less effective if the shooter is all drugged up. So distance is your friend, and learning to identify the sound is deadly important.


The immediate dangers to you are...
1. Teenage drivers
2. Senior drivers
3. Texting/Cellphone drivers
3. Potholes
4. Q-line rail
5. Pedestrians on the bike lane.

By the way, Detroit now offers all major sports in the Downtown area. I think that its the only one in the country to do so. Soccer I hear is next.

DTownDave22

The first place to start for me would be: I'm not sure, but if one person puts in the same locations for a route, it's possible it might give routes that are not the same. Maybe Google stores data when a person makes adjustments to a route previously, and then factors that into future directions that involve the same roads.

Will you provide a link to the route you were considering using as a guideline? So to make sure I'm on the same page and know what you are considering, since that's what you suggested you were considering. I can work off of that to know what you're considering first and then ask some more questions.

I tend to be a little more thorough and detailed. Planning a multiple day ride/tour in the U.S. would be seemingly daunting because one may not know various factors that are relevant to riding in a country where cycling tends not to be designed for, cars rule (and at speeds that can be dangerous) and so on. Overall though, Detroit proper has both some fine routes, dedicated infrastructure, places to see and stop at, have some good food. I also tend not to bike between about 10P and 6A in the city. Crime is a higher risk in Detroit, and just because it's not happened to me, doesn't mean the risk wasn't there.

I find riding on roads that are more suburban/exurbs more dangerous because of the design and speed limit vs. Detroit and the crime potential.

I can give some more insight first about Detroit proper at least in my experience. The only thing I've experienced in which I played no part is drivers passing too closely (most of these happen in the suburbs). I've reciprocated and played a part though as I've snapped a few times and without going on too long of a tangent/rant, spit on people's cars as they were (finally) passing me due to their incessant honking and it having been relatively not that difficult to pass me, and OH MY GOD, get somewhere 5-10 seconds later vs. me bowing down to them at their request. On two occasions in Detroit after doing that, male drivers have gotten out of their car...a gun? No. Threats? Yes, but nothing like "I'm going to kill you." Any physical harm to me or my bike or me having extreme fear? No, but I was fearful somewhat. I try to temper my temper now and move over more than before but it is Detroit, so some roads are quite dirty in some spots and/or pieces of road--which I'm still not sure exactly where it comes from as downtown is not at all that dirty compared to other areas. I find it kind of hilarious in hindsight because of the damage being done to their cars from roads and dirty roads in some areas. Me spitting on their car? AHHH!! Okay, I lied about the rant.

A case in which I did nothing to provoke anyone and was not in the middle of the lane though a little to the right...One nut in Detroit this past summer didn't try running me off a street I was riding on..more so a message..not that difficult to have passed me, no traffic coming the opposite way on a 1-lane each way street (low traffic). I recall after he passed me, he changed his line of travel to the right a few feet to the right, in the line I was traveling, but plenty of space ahead of me. I'd guess at least 5-12 yards ahead of me and slowed down a little and it honestly didn't put me in any real danger. I didn't call the police, as I didn't feel endangered much beyond take notice and get a little nervous. It was more so frustration and perhaps him trying to intimidate me to get off the road vs. explicit harmful intent.

So, I don't want to paint some rosy picture, nor give you vague accounts but my recollections with some details, but it's also been largely pleasant overall. Especially in the A.M. So little traffic before 10:30A or so (on the weekends). Never have I been robbed or the like and I do make stops to have a snack and use a restroom. You'll actually find plenty of positive press about Detroit and cycling, a lot of them overlapping on many of the same points. Also for context, I've ridden probably anywhere from at least 1,000 miles to 3,000 miles in Detroit proper in the past 10 years. Possibly more miles than that, but I just bought/started using a GPS in '16.

detroitjim

Your route through is not too bad . I wouldn't bother with riding the Dequindre cut north and the Van Dyyke portion.


Just stay on East Jefferson to Shook road near Mt Clemens,the difference in mileage is not significant. (This change closely follows the river and Lake St Clair shorelines)

Your path through Detroit along West Jefferson after crossing the Rouge river for about 3 miles is a bit desolate with vacant wasteland and businesses (almost zero dwellings) but it shouldn't be a problem in the daylight(you'll be through that piece in less than 20 minutes). After that the rest of Detroit on East Jefferson to Alter road is generally busy with normal traffic. If it isn't necessary for you to stop in the city(especially where uglies are hanging out)don't, just keep mashing. No one will likely bother you. Keep your head up if you see some uglies that don't look right to you, avoid them.Once you're north of Alter road and in Grosse Pointe you'll see a drastic change in scenery and you'll be able to allay any anxiety about traversing amongst the big bad boogiemen of Detroit. Altogether your in city mileage is about 13 or less than one hour.

robert schlatte

https://goo.gl/qhVBYZ
Here is a link to several options of a proposed route from Monroe through Detroit. Thanks to all who have posted. Generally what I am hearing is Jefferson Avenue south of downtown is okay. Section north of River Rouge is burned out industrial- but not bad if ridden in the am. North of downtown is much better especially keeping to the east. I also see I could ride west of downtown area on generally dedicated bike path. This latter would seem to be the safer option but maybe not as interesting??? I like the idea of riding along the river and shoreline and seeing the areas of historic Detroit but I don't want to be stupid. Columbus has some bad areas which I don't fear riding through during daylight hours but I am sure there is nothing in Columbus that compares to sections of Detroit.

Silverexpress

I tried modding your path, but google maps just won't behave...anyhow.... You've got to include a ride up Cass Ave. (Has protected bike lanes) to Warren, and then take Woodward Ave and head back down to the riverfront. You just need to watch out for the Q-Line rails - this is Detroit's new trolley system. The rails are about a foot from the curb at some sections so riding into it would not be good. You may need to walk the bike at these sections. This will at least allow you to see all the new things this City has going for it now. This, as far as crime goes, is a very safe addition to your route.

You also need to include Belle Isle. It is now run by the DNR (State of MI), and is very well managed and safe. Do the entire perimeter if you have the energy. We use to have a 200-mile cycling marathon there - The Wolverine 200. It was the only time they permitted camping overnight. Don't know if it is still going on.

There is a great Vietnamese noodle restaurant on Fort St. It's called Johnny Noodle King. A great place to carb load. Lol. And if you're into Vegan food, there is Detroit Vegan Soul which is located just North of Jefferson in the West Village. It's a very safe neighborhood and a good place to eat.

The downtown area is relatively safe with millions (if not billions of dollars being poured into it), its the outlying neighborhoods that you need to watch out for. The neighborhoods around the downtown airport, the Conner Industrial area, the 7 mi road corridor...etc...are places to avoid.

Also there is not much to see on Grosse Ille except houses. It's literally just a subdivision on what was probably a beautiful island at one time before the developers got a hand on it. See Belle Isle instead! Although it might just be a welcome relief from Jefferson Ave.

detroitjim

If you do any pedaling on Woodward ,be very aware of the streetcar tracks!
There have been and overwhelming number of injuries attributed to bicyclists that fall when their wheel gets drawn into the track void. A lot of advocates are directing bike riders off of Woodward.

Silverexpress

That truly sucks. Oh well. It just crossed my mind that it might not be a good idea for a cycling tourist. Especially, one with loaded panniers obstructing the view of the front wheel's contact patch and riding parallel to the rails.

chas58

I put together a potential route for ya.
https://www.strava.com/routes/11731367
+1 on Johnny Noodle King. Lots of food options these days in Detroit.
This route swings by the old Detroit train station, belle isle, river front, Indian village, Belle Isle, gross pointe, etc. There are plenty of side options in Detroit (Whitney building, Velodrome, Eastern Market (great food too – I never go on a bike tour without hitting local outdoor markets), Dequindre Cut.

A lot of the empty industrial areas are actually pretty good for riding – zero traffic. Generally I like riding in Detroit proper rather than the suburbs because suburban routes are crowded with traffic and Suburbanites can be pretty intolerant of bikes.

The loop around Detroit that I posted would be basically car free – mostly on dedicated bike trails. But if you want to get a feel for the city – go right through town (on a weekend). Most of the really bad areas would be away from the city core, and away from the river area (if the abandoned industrial areas don’t bother you – again the roads are in rough shape (think pinch flats) but there are areas with no automobile traffic).

jefnvk

I'd be wary of some of those roads. Not from a personal safety standpoint, but from a traffic standpoint, they can get quite busy at times. 5 lane state highways running through urban sprawl at rush hour isn't exactly my idea of a good time. Van**** (stupid censors) and Telegraph (M24) are two roads I wouldn't be thrilled about jumping on and cycling.

Also know with I75 shut down, those roads south of town that parallel it are facing higher traffic than normal.

Personal safety wise (outside of POing people on a couple of those main roads during heavy traffic), no, I'd have no concerns, with the caveat of be intelligent. Stay on well traversed routes in daylight, I doubt you'll have issues.

It is only three miles, they're not really that hard to deal with.

EDIT: I'd pick @chas58 route above in a heartbeat over Google's.

Jim from Boston

Riding through Detroit

Though I have lived in Boston for many years, I’m a native of Detroit City Proper, East Side near the City Airport and most of the family is now in Macomb and Oakland Counties. I visit a couple times a year with my bike. It was nostalgic to read these descriptions of riding there, and accurate IMO.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

...Back in the 60’s in the Motor City, I had an “English Racer,’ and longed to tour at about age 14, but then joined the car culture. In Ann Arbor MI in the 70’s I really realized the utility of bicycles for commuting, and began touring on a five-speed Schwinn Suburban, but soon bought a Mercier as did my girlfriend, later my wife. We toured in Michigan and Ontario.

In 1977 we moved to Boston on our bikes, as a bicycling honeymoon from Los Angeles to Washington, DC and then took the train up to Boston...

In particular,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silverexpress

…You also need to include Belle Isle.It is now run by the DNR (State of MI), and is very well managed and safe. Do the entire perimeter if you have the energy. We use to have a 200-mile cycling marathon there - The Wolverine 200. It was the only time they permitted camping overnight. Don't know if it is still going on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

My first century, actually a double, was in 1971. The Wolverine Sports Club puts on an annual double century on Belle Isle, an island park in the Detroit River with a five mile perimeter, so the 24 hour double century is 40 laps. It’s totally flat and you are obviously always in the company of lots of other cyclists. As I recall,at that time at least, it was the only time camping was allowed on the island so it was a festive affair. My roommate and I decided to do it, with no training, and me on my Schwinn Suburban and he on his Varsity.

After a few laps into the ride, at the main gate, a rider on a penny-farthing was dismounting, fell, and taco’ed my wheel. I don’t think he even apologized. My mother was able to go buy me a new wheel and drove through the traffic maze to the island, which was obviously congested by all the riders, and delivered a new one in about three hours, so I did finish. At the end, I remember my roommate commented that his then-favorite star, Joey Heatherton, could appear in person, and he could care less ;-)

I have been told it has been disbanded.

chas58

Personally, I wouldn't hesitate to do the detroit bit on the weekend. On a weekday I might do the bike trail loop around the city just to avoid traffic. I hadn't thought of the I-75 shutdown, but that is (currently) just the south bound lane, so north bound traffic shoudn't be too bad (?). I had thought of taking you inland to Fort street (via Outer drive), but given the highway shutdown, Jefferson would be a lot better route (I don't think that would get much traffic from I-75).

Really the neighborhoods within a mile or two of the river usually are not too bad (again south of the bridge to Canada is abandoned industrial, but no traffic).

If you do end up in Detroit (near mexican town, near the bridge) on saturday morning there is an amazing ride through detroit at 6:30am called "beat the train." I do love exploring downtown Detroit by bike.

chas58

Unless you smell BBQ. Lots of impromptu cookouts in the many open fields of Detroit in the summer... ;-)

robert schlatte

Thanks for all the input and assurances that the ride through Detroit generally following the river is doable and safe. My plan is to get started early in the am and get through the more questionable areas quickly. I must say that I am curious to see the older abandoned areas and Detroit's industrial past. Thanks also for the suggestions of places to see. The reason I am heading for Marine City and the ferry is because I have read bicyclists are prohibited from crossing the bridge at Port Huron. Are there other crossing alternatives?

bobwysiwyg

The only bridge between Michigan and Canada that permits riding, is the International Bridge up at The Soo. The others require some from of transport of bike and rider, pretty much at bridge authority convenience.

chas58

good question.

As far as I know, both bridges (Detroit and port Huron) ban bicycles. (If you have infinite patience, Detroit's second bridge will allow bikes - whenever that is).

People do take bikes on the bus that goes through the tunnel to Canada at Detroit. Officially the answer is no, but they do have bike racks on the bus last I checked.

The only other option is just south of Marine city, there is a small ferry at Algonac. That doesn't do much to improve your route (unless you have a hankering for Harsen's Island).

Also - if you want to get off of Jefferson on quieter streets & see the neighborhoods, there are plenty of good parallel streets just inland from Jefferson - on the north side of Detroit. Don't miss Indian village (which is on the route I sent).

There is an amazingly stark contrast of the Detroit city housing vs Grosse Point (ultra lux) heading north from Detroit. You'll know when you cross the line (whether you are on Jefferson or inland).

DTownDave22

1.) Distance/time: Do you have a hard or flexible limit on miles and total time for the duration of your total tour?


2.) Preferences for where to ride: Seems you and I have different preferences for where to ride. The infra may be safer where you live though in rural areas. It seems to me a tour is leaning more towards the journey than the destination and for that, I think chas58's route is something I'd prefer if time/distance aren't as much of a concern vs. some other suggestions that would be seemingly fine for commuting or general riding but may prefer others for a tour.


3.) The route from Marine City (presuming you are going there back south) to Columbus: Do you have anything in mind for this route? Maybe try route A north and if you really liked A, generally stick to it but if A seems just so-so, try an alternate route you had ready?


4.) Events that are helpful to be aware of: If you give us an idea on what dates or general time of a particular month you’re riding in S.E. Michigan, I could focus on just those dates and events I’m aware of and give suggestions of what events I know of and locations to look into for upcoming events (the big 3--Memorial, Independence, and Labor days are a little more busy in the afternoon and evening on Belle Isle) to either avoid or check out if you might be interested.

There might be some events you want to check out too, though I don’t stay on top of everything nor know what you are interested in—that’s something you can probably look into more around the internet. The tours at Wheelhouse Detroit might be of interest to you given what you expressed. Not sure when the schedule will up updated for '18 though--probably sometime in Feb. or March.

5.) Time of Day: You said you “plan on starting on the south side of Detroit in the morning to give myself plenty of daylight”. As I said, I believe that is better all-around for traffic and crime. Do you know a roughly 1-2 hour time frame when you’d be in the area between Monroe and Detroit going both north and south (if you travel in that area going south)? Or is it too hard to give an estimate, your schedule not that tight, etc.? This is regarding traffic and route choice and primarily with the choice of Fort St., Jefferson Ave., or a notably different route (via a bike trail), when going back south from Marine City to the end of Metro Detroit.

robert schlatte

3.) The route from Marine City (presuming you are going there back south) to Columbus: Do you have anything in mind for this route? Maybe try route A north and if you really liked A, generally stick to it but if A seems just so-so, try an alternate route you had ready?


Dowtown, my ultimate destination is not Marine City. I am only riding there to catch a ferry to Canada and then on north around Lake Huron to my cottage in northern Michigan. If you re-read my original post I think you will understand. I am looking for a good way through Detroit and there are a lot of good suggestions here.

detroitjim

Your mash is still months away but you'll need to check on this just to be certain.

Owners unsure of Marine City ferry's future after ice damage

robert schlatte

Wow. Thanks for the news. May have to find another crossing.

detroitjim

Here is an alternative if the Marine City ferry is still out when you decide to ride.





Walpole Algonac Ferry Line

robert schlatte

Thanks. I will use that ferry if the Marine City one is not up and running.