Tour de Troit to ride new route on city’s west side

A unique opportunity to see Detroit from two wheels is taking a new route this year and will stick to the city’s west side. Tour de Troit rolls this Saturday, September 15 for a 29-mile route through Southwest Detroit, Brightmoor, Rouge Park, and Grandmont-Rosedale.

Tour de Troit

The ride starts and ends at Michigan Central Station. Starting at 9 a.m., riders will roll down West Vernor, up Livernois, to Tireman with a rest stop in Rouge Park, along Outer Drive through a few streets in Brightmoor and Grandmont-Rosedale, on Oakman Boulevard, and down 14th Street.

More than 5,000 bike riders are expected this year for the largest bicycling event in Michigan. Registration this week is $70, and helmets are mandatory for riders.

If driving in for the event, riders should park at the MDOT welcome center at Bagley and 20th or at the MGM Grand Casino parking structure. Michigan Avenue will have limited vehicle access between 14th and 20th Streets on Saturday morning.

“Our mission is to promote health and wellness through biking and running. Tour de Troit highlights just how accessible the city is on two wheels,” says Vittoria Katanski, Tour de Troit’s director. “People are excited about this year’s new route that takes us beyond downtown and deeper into the neighborhoods.”

This is Tour de Troit’s 17th year. The group has raised over $250,000 to support greenways and bike safety and culture in Detroit.