Steve Sawyer

I don't mind riding on the roads when I'm in a group. Solo trying to negotiate space with the motor vehicles makes me real nervous, so it's nice to find a good ride that's all on paved bike paths.

This ride is just shy of 40 miles and has some flat rail-trail sections, a lot of rolling hills, and one good sized hill (good sized for lower Michigan, anyway).

https://www.google.com/maps/ms?msid=...6affbafc&msa=0

I'm not sure if this Strava map will be visible, but just in case, here is a link to that map:

https://app.strava.com/activities/57341537

This is a beautiful ride. About 90% of it is park land with plenty of wetlands and wildlife for the observant. The remaining 10% amounts to nothing more than the trail running between some backyards in a residential neighborhood coming out of Volunteer Park, a pass through a city park and along about a quarter mile if city sidewalk in central South Lyon. You'll encounter a busy intersection at Pontiac Trail before the climb over Garbage Mountain (a capped former landfill), a brief run past another residential neighborhood coming off of the WB descent of Garbage mountain, and a final busy intersection at Kent Lake Road & Grand River just before ducking into Island Lake Recreation area. From there all the way to Milford through Kensington Metropark it's all park & wetlands.

This has to be my favorite ride in the area.