Will You Need Rain Gear or Sunglasses for Bike-to-Work Day?

Bicycling to work has increased in the metro Detroit area at a faster rate than other U.S. cities, according to the League of American Bicyclists. (Photo via Detroit Bike to Work)

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The weather in metro Detroit doesn’t look to cooperate with National Bike to Work Day Friday, but true two-wheel enthusiasts aren’t deterred by a little rain, are they?

Several bike-to-work events are planned around the metro, rain or shine. The National Weather Service says rain chances are 80 percent before 2 p.m., with showers persisting off and on in the afternoon. It will be warm, though, with a high around 77. Up to a quarter of an inch is possible.

Metro Detroit’s Bike-to-Work Day starts in various suburbs and ends at Capitol Park for a 7-9 a.m. gathering for free coffee and refreshments and other giveways, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Here are the routes:

• Plymouth/Dearborn route: Departs downtown Plymouth, 5:30 a.m.
• Grand River route: Departs Grand River at Farmington, Farmington, 5:45 a.m.
• Woodward route: Departs from American Cycle and Fitness, 29428 Woodward Ave., in Royal Oak, 6:10 a.m.
• Gratiot route: Meet at the Smart Bus Park and Ride lot at Bethesda Christian Church, 14000 Metropolitan Parkway, Sterling Heights; 5:30 a.m.
• East side route: Departs from YMCA, 23401 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores, 7 a.m.

Michigan is more bike-friendly than most states, according to the League of American Bicyclists, which recently released its annual scorecard ranking based on rankings in five categories: Legislation and Enforcement, Policies and Programs, Infrastructure and Funding, Education and Encouragement, Evaluation and Planning.

Michigan scored 43 out of a possible 100 points, scoring relatively well (4 on a scale of 1-5) in the policies and programs and education and encouragement categories, but scored getting low 2 ratings in the other categories.

Todd Scott, executive director of the Detroit Greenways Coalition and one of the organizers of the Friday bike-to-work event, told the Free Press he’s seen an uptick in pedal power in the Motor City.

“We are already seeing a lot more people getting to work by bike,” he said.

That’s reflected in aLeague of American Cyclists’ analysis of U.S. Census data that shows the number of bicycle commuters rose by 69 percent from 2000-2013. Across the nation, the number of commuters grew by 62 percent during the same period.

A related report showed that the number of Detroit residents commuting by bicycle grew at a faster rate – 464.4 percent – than any other of the nation’s 70 largest cities from 1990-2012.

Detroit ranked 44th in that group with 6 percent of 701,524 residents commuting by bicycle. From 2000-2012, the number Detroiters riding a bike to work increased by 272.3 percent.

More information about the bike-to-work events can be found at updates, visit the Detroit Bike To Work Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/DetroitBikeToWork and Detroit Greenways Coalition.

Also participating in the event will be several cyclists affiliated with the Detroit Commuter Challenge, which encourages southeast Michigan residents to carpool, bike, ride the bus or walk to their destinations.