Jen is back in shape, training for her first triathlon. We decided to ride down along memory lane and then join the group for another ride. In all honesty, it has been three and a half years since we have been able to ride like team members once again. 58 Minutes, with lights and stops, once out of the forest at Palmer; we pushed with mash potato wind in our face. Freedom-Fun.

Catching our breath as we walked in through Motor cities door, we soon meet Amber, Stacey, and James who were there for the first time joining the ride and group. Amber reminded us what tonight’s theme was about Dive Bars as Dan and yours truly have been caught up in our work, neither had checked. Two minutes of brainstorming and we were off over Canfield looking for the Buchanan trial for our chug on West, off to the once real village of “Springwells” for our first dive into a Dive.

At the corner of Springwells and Longwood we landed. Two pyramids of Pabst carried by three, ‘Owners’ assurances on bikes be safe, we headed back to the patio and horse shoe pits, adjacent to the party patio tucked out of site back into the rear. Pictures, smiles, and good conversation, we were back in the saddle again, less than 30 minutes, making our way down to yet another village, the village of ‘Del-Ray’, (The same historic Village that will be destroyed if the new bridge gets built).

Back up on top Springwells, we all switched back underneath the railroad tracks, picked up speed downhill with a sweeping wide left spilled onto Jefferson Ave. a fluid stream .50 mile push and onto the side door entry, up to the ‘Locals’ entrance of Kovac’s cir. 1896. Closed! We hope not for good, never filled, always empty with limited beer selection and always with Charley, the one local who always sat at the corner for years, dispensing good conversation, enjoying the night with ‘Ma Kovac” as we often referred.

The next bright Idea was Donavan’s, Shannon’s dive bar on the other side of the new pedestrian bridge? Great, onto Jefferson around the corner, through Clark Park and the May 5th celebration in Mexican town, we slowly swayed up and over the bridge feeling good to the pedestrian with the right of way. A quick left and we landed into Shannon’s parking lot as we greeted him well lounging in his patio chair dispensing law and order with respects to parking in his lot. Dan said Margaritas and the next thing appeared a random pile placed on tables before us. Greeeaaattttt as Tony the Tiger would say.

45 minutes later we went down to the river walk, on by the Icy-Joe and kind of made our way back slow. Glad we landed back at Motor City when we did. Jen made mentioned that “it is getting kind of late, we can catch a ride with Val”? It did not take long for me to say, sure.

Bike Detroit! J. Meyers bike explorer.