Yesterday was the second annual Freak Bike Militia ride and gathering on Belle Isle.

Actually, the official event title was “Ring Your Belle, Rock the Isle Spring Ride.”

I’ve posted photos from the ride.

The bike shown on the right was one of my favorites.  The rear tire is from a dragster and it’s on a custom-made steel wheel. It’s a singlespeed. There’s a drum brake on the front wheel. For emergency stopping, one can step on a pedal which presses a pad against the rear wheel.

All the bikes were getting kudos and double-takes from everyone on the Isle.

Now if only I could turn my Kona BikeHotRod into a Rat Rod…

The Freak Bike Militia Greak Lakes Chapter plans on holding this event each year in Detroit. It’s held the day before the huge and much renowned Ann Arbor/Saline Bike Show and Swap Meet:  The “Biggest, Oldest, and the Best Antique and Classic Bicycle Show in the Nation!”

Tax Day at the Royal Oak Post Office

Like many, I used to finish my taxes late, print them out, then hustle down to the Royal Oak Post Office, which is open until midnight on tax day.

Unlike many, I biked there.

It was double fun to weave between car traffic, cut to the front and hand my taxes to the postal carrier.

For the past few years I’ve been filing on-line instead.

So at 15 before midnight tonight I jumped on the bike and headed to the post office with a camera instead of a tax return.

The WCSX Tax Bash had already packed up and left. (It featured Miss Better Maid this year!) Still there was steady flow of cars and people running with returns in hand.

At a couple minutes past midnight, the postal workers and police shut it down.

The late arrivers kept arriving, but they missed the IRS deadline.

And they missed Miss Better Maid, too.

More sad news in Detroit.

One of the most unforgetable of all the Detroit Tigers, Fidrych passed away yesterday at 54. 

I belong to the Save Tiger Stadium group on Facebook. Just after the sun went down, I received a group message about a candlelight vigil for Mark Fidrych on the corner of Michigan and Trumbull.

The radar wasn’t showing any imminent rain, so I hopped on the bike and rode to the old stadium.

The stadium is just 15 miles from my home in Royal Oak, so I was there in less than an hour.

No one was at the corner.

I biked down to Nemo’s and peeked in.  There was Josh, owner of the Urban Bean working on a pint. He hadn’t seen any vigil-goers.

Back outside, I rode to the west end of the stadium. A Channel 7 News truck was there, so I stopped to ask. 7 Action News reporter Cheryl Chodun didn’t see any vigil and she’s “ready for breaking news everyday.”

Chodun was just waiting for the start of the 11 O’clock news when she filed her report (see video).

After biking back home, I found out I was just a little too early for the vigil. No biggie. It was a nice dry night for a bike ride inspired by the Bird.  RIP.

Yesterday I pulled on some green and biked downtown to soak up the Final Four buzz.

As usual, it was great seeing so many people milling around the city. But, surprisingly there was no line for crepes at Good Girls go to Paris so I ordered a veggie-Vera.

Next, I continued riding through the crowds and cars, checked out the Dequindre Cut, and Tri-Centennial State Park construction before stopping at the Wheelhouse.

The RiverWalk in front of GM’s Ren Cen was jammed with State fans for a big pep rally. They didn’t need much pepping.

I wrapped up my ride by heading over the Mexicantown and buying some baked goods from La Gloria. When I got home I’d ridden 44 miles, which seemed like an interesting coincidence.

I did take some photos from my ride, but there aren’t nearly as exciting as those take by the pro’s like Bryan Mitchell and MetroMode.

Photo by Tom Evans

Every winter I get a few folks asking if I’m heading back to Alaska for the Iditasport race on the Iditarod trail.  

That’s an easy “no”, especially after reading about this year’s race.

It’s not that I didn’t enjoy the race, at least once it was over, it’s just that it’s an amazing tough, enduring race that really could be life threatening if ones luck ever ran out in the remote Alaskan bush.

And I was very fortunate to have a good race on my last attempt when a professional video documentary was made. Popping the DVD in the player is an easy way to relive the misery — or just reading Mike Curiak’s blog.

However, I still have hopes for running the Susitna 100,  a shorter 100-mile race where the odds are much better for being rescued should things get ugly.