March 31, 2021 - Detroit may be known as the “Motor City”, but people in Detroit were manufacturing bicycles before they were making cars.

Cycling has been on the rise again in Detroit in many ways, with an increased focus on building safe spaces to ride, and communities of people coming together on bikes.

Just over a decade ago, Detroit had only 13 miles of bicycle infrastructure. The past few years have seen an expansion of the cycling network to include over 240 miles of bike lanes and greenways across the city. And plans are underway for another 20 miles.

The City’s MoGo bike share system also recently expanded and now has 620 bikes across 75 stations in Detroit and several of the inner suburbs.

As the bike network grows, many residents and leaders are working to ensure that its development addresses historical inequities instead of perpetuating them. The Joe Louis Greenway is a current focal point of this effort.

The Joe Louis Greenway, a 27.5-mile biking and walking trail, is a loop that will connect many communities across Detroit and is named after the city’s legendary boxer. A new nonprofit called the Greenway Heritage Conservancy has been formed to, among other things, help ensure that people don’t get pushed out by greenway development and gentrification, which has happened along with other similar projects. 

You also can’t really talk about cycling in Detroit without talking about Slow Roll. What started as a ride between friends has grown into a weekly Monday night ride that attracts upwards of 3,000 people. Currently on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Slow Roll aims to create a community for cycling where everyone is welcome.

In 2011, bicycle manufacturing returned to Detroit with the launch of Detroit Bikes. The company recently introduced its first e-bike, the E-Sparrow, that retails for $900 US.