Detroit Bike Culture - Coming Full Circle?

Over the last few days, the article, “Detroit: The Return of the Repressed (Bicycling Culture)” provided by Chris Carlsson on Streetblog San Francisco has really stood out in my mind. While I have mixed feeling about Critical Mass, that aside, seeing the images of riders cruise Detroit’s abandoned streets is quite symbolic. Like Carlsson, I think to myself ‘have we come full circle?’ Carlsson points out some interesting historical facts, that “many auto manufacturers got their start as bicycle makers, notably Dodge…” and Ford too. Critical Mass sends many messages to the community, one being that the streets are not just for cars. I find it wonderful to see not only the revival of bike ridership in Detroit, but also the solidarity between cyclists and rejuvenation of bike culture.