Two up Mountain Bike Coed Rocket Ship!!!  I will get back to that in a moment.  The Transit Connect Van was perfect for bike bringing just as I had thought!  A perfect family vehicle I must say, especially for those fellow bikers who have lots of gear.

With the wind a howling, (perfect for the howl-in- weenie) 40 plus riders showed up For Andy’s last scheduled ride of the season.  Costumes a few and lots of pictures of the group taken, we started off to the ‘Burial Mound’ located near the river on the Fort Grounds.  Common History suggests that it is an ‘Indian’ Burial Mound; the fact is that this could not be further from the truth.  ‘Burial Mounds’ as they are common referred, are in turn markers of line vortexes, hubs or energy portals.  Sometime they are used to signify a hub of intersecting lines similar to that of the spokes of a bicycle wheel.  There is a lot of History of our region that people simply do not know about, including Ley Line Vortices, or perhaps why the Fort was chosen to be built where it is etc…  A strange factoid that not many people are aware is that Detroit is the only other major US city whose master plan/street plan was designed by Master Masons for the purpose of harnessing and amplifying the regions energy currents and flows. As you probably are aware or have guessed, Washington D.C. is the other city to which I infer.  The St. Claire Family (for which our little great lake was named) was the primary family whose fortune funded the beginnings of the Knights Templar’s!  OK back to the ride…

Exiting out onto Jefferson the group moved with the wind like effortless kites in the breeze Spring March sky.  Through the Darkness the Group slid along well rehearsed paths, finding our way East, back to the city center.  A few fellows broke out away from the group as the temptation of the 25-30 mph tail winds were just too hard to ignore.

The group reassembled in front of the Cobo Roof parking ramp, Andy Staub let out the call and the chase-climb began!  Up around the Helix, people were all flowing up at various rates of speeds and commitments, back down around the slippery when wet slope, Andy called for a second climb to begin, many chose to join in on take two.  As we all paused to catch our breath after the second ascent Andy S. took a moment to thank the group and to share his love for all, a true heartfelt moment, al-be-it 7:00 a.m. in the windy morning and pitch dark.

From there on it was down to the river front for a relaxed peddle over to the Carousel for a bathroom break and a set a pushups while big Mike did some Yoga stretching.  After all were once again assembled we headed off for Belle Isle.  The Posturing began on Jefferson Ave.  Positions were being staged at the entrance onto The Belle Isle access road.  This is where the Coed team on the Tandem Mountain Bike made their first move slicing up to the front group.  At mid way over the bridge people started to build up speed and took what they had back into the wind at the first turn.  A Roadie and the Dynamic Coed Tandem Duo Rocket Ship went first with Andy Erickson making his move as well, the game was afoot!

As I came around the corner the wind hit me like a ton of bricks all most stopping me cold in my tracks, (what I would have given to be 5’8” 160!) As I finally came back around full circle and once again aided by the immense tail wind it took ½ of the overall riverside portion of the Belle Isle boundary road to Catch Andy E.  It happened when he let off his peddles, only for a second, raising his feet up his to go through the puddle that nearly covered the entire road.  Try as I might I simply could not reel in the head riders, (this is the time I usually start thinking about 29” rims verses 26”???).  No matter what the group, what the day or what the event, the dynamic tandem coed duo and the Roadie who went with, could not be caught. 

As we came aback round and into the wind Andy E. said hello as he went back on bye on to join the Roadie who saw him coming, from there on it was a wind fight all the way back to the bridge.  As we came down and stopped at Tim Horton’s big Mike rolled up and said, “let’s get going, I all ready told Andy we would be breaking from the group’.  With that, coupled with the wind fight that was yet in store, we headed off.

The way back to the Fort was as I had thought Laborious.  Grin Bear it, pump it to you stump it.  Back in the Lot, bike up and in we were on our way back home again.  Hats off to Andy S. and the people who we have been privileged to met thus far.  True bike riders, without preconceived notion or fear, true Detroiters!  Bike Detroit.

J. Meyers