Jack at the Hub is from Texas, as I've read in an article. Your location says "Houston". Thinking about doing something similar, buying used at The Hub, but more so for hands-on learning, down the road; maybe even a kid's bike. Haven't been to Mackinac since I was a kid. What is it about Michigan that you like? Is it that cool? Or is it that it is comparably cool to Texas in the summer? Either way, glad that you enjoyed it. How was Toronoto? I'd like visiting there one day.



Also, www.m-bike.org (fishtoes2000, a.k.a. Todd) is a blog to read to stay updated on local biking-relevant news.

Glad to see this thread take off. I'm in Clawson, I ended up buying a SS/FG. Any riders?

Troy

South East Michigan Map (PDF from MDOT)
Metro Region Detail (PDF from MDOT)

(fairly large files)

I took identical picture from this bridge just week ago... It makes me think if these cows are real.... ;-)
It was a great 90 miles trip.

@DTownDave22: Correct on both forms of "cool." Getting far north of Houston in August is always a goal. I've wanted to see Detroit for years, and That Car Commercial raised my interest further, so when my wife had a business trip to Toronto I jumped at the chance to add Detroit & Mackinac Island to either side of the trip.

Too much of Detroit has a Pompeii feel to it, kind of shocking really. But everyone I spoke to, and there were many, was honest and forthright about the city and its past and hopeful future. Everywhere I went I got "good morning" and "hello." We stayed downtown and there were lots of bikes on the streets and the river walk. The Hub is aptly named. I got the feeling that they are doing a lot of good.

Toronto has even more bikes downtown and excellent riding areas. Definitely plan a visit there.

Northern Michigan is very different than Detroit of course, but I got the same warm reception wherever I went. Mackinac Island is a world to itself. My wife loved it, and we'll be back.

We drove through Flint on the way back to the Detroit airport. Again, another place that has seen tough times. I guess you'd say Michigan as a whole has seen tough times, but there's a real solid core there and I got the feeling that the people are going to get through it and be better. There's a certain resolve to the place. When you visit you know you've really been somewhere, and to me that's cool.

Someone buy this man a beer

Here from Rochester - bike heaven. There are plenty of trails around here (Road & Mountain):

Stoney Creek Metropark - Paved trail & mountain bike trails
Orchard Trail
Clinton River Trail
Paint Creek Trail
Polly Ann Trail
Bloomer Park - Velodrome & mountain bike trails
Addison Oaks County Park
Bald Mountain State Rec Area
And miles of paved and unpaved lower traffic roads to the north

Dearborn Heights. I ride Hines Drive almost every weekend, Saturdays are the best because it's closed to motor vehicles from Ford road to Ann Arbor Trail.
Today I went out Michigan to I-275 and rode the bikeway there up to Hines and then back to Dearborn. Always lots of bikes on weekends.

Rochester Hills here. Lots of good biking options in this area for all types of bikes, including some of the best (IMO) rail-trails in the region.

- For roadies wanting to practice alone or in groups, Stony Creek Metropark is a great place, with a 6-mile ring road and some other options. Also lots of trails for the MTB crowd.

- The Macomb Orchard Trail is fully asphalt paved from Dequindre & 24 Mile thru Romeo and Armada and on out to Richmond, about 24 miles one way. It's especially clear, scenic, and fast from Romeo to Richmond.

- Also the Clinton River Trail, Paint Creek Trail, and West Bloomfield Trail all interconnect, with mostly unpaved but hard-packed surfaces.

- Riding clubs out this way include the Clinton River Riders and Slow Spokes of Macomb.

I couldnt agree more, clinton river/ macomb orchard trail is a great trail for just about anyone

I ride it atleast twice a week.

Downtown Detroit here. I've been diggin Belle Isle, I need to explore some routes outside of the city though. Maybe something with a hill or two?

If I may make a proposal... let's play a bit of 'go fish'. Everyone should feel free to post pics of your favorite routes / roads in SE michigan and if someone has a correlating shot of the spot they should feel free to post it in response. It's a sort of... "this is where I love to ride in SE michigan" meme.

I'll start with someplace easy that lots of you probably know and love.

Pinkney recreation area, aka. the poto, or potowatami trail:


Yesterday's s24o ride by mmeiser2, on Flickr

The photo is mapped / geotagged as well. If you click through to flickr there is a map you can click on on the right.

Awesome! Love the camp site too

Not real close to you but I live in Garden City and ride Hines Dr. just about every day. That is other than days like today (rainy), on days like today I take my training indoors.

I live in Garden city which is a Metro Detroit City of its own. Things are for sure different the further away from the detroit/Metro detroit area you get. We have our mixure, just like any where of nice and rude people. The main thing that is rotten for cyclist in Michigan is our roads. They are poorly maintained and that can make for a unpleasant ride.

That's why I still ride a full suspension MTB...even though almost all of my riding is on the streets and (dare I say it) sidewalks.

Monroe, out in the boonies, in case I didn't mention it earlier.

I am new to cycling and my wife and i would like to ride with others in our area. Any ideas?

Larry

Google Toledo area bicyclists, aka. TAB. Huge club. Some of their weekly rides regularly get upwards of 50 people a ride.

Ann Arbor again here. Bike should be up and running by the end of this week.

Milford checking in!

Hello everyone this is my first post. I live in Sylvania OH on the Ohio/Michigan border and do all my riding on the country roads of Ottawa Lake, Blissfield, and Petersburg. I do at least 20 miles every week night and anywhere from 30 to 50 every Saturday and Sunday. I'm a lone wolf and enjoy riding in the cold and dark. It would be nice to ride with someone else every once in a while. Had to stay inside and ride the AirDyne last night and probably will again tonight. Hopefully tomorrow the it will stop raining/snowing.

That's my backyard. Live in LaSalle / Erie, work and ride daily in Ohio. I'm a fellow night rider, snow, even rain. I highly recommend joining TAB (Toledo are bicyclists). You're right in their backyard.

Royal Oak checking in - planning on riding on weekends through winter as long as roads are dry!

Come out to Ann Arbor - ride from AA to Chelsea and back on Huron River Drive, 35 to 40 miles round trip. Depending how you enter/leave AA, you can get a hill or two.