by Location - General Information
Belle Isle is an Island in the Detroit River connected to the mainland by a 4 lane bridge with separate bike and pedestrian lanes. View the map of Belle Isle to see the bridge starts at E. Jefferson and E Grand Boulevard in Detroit. East Grand Boulevard runs right into the bridge. Here's some more general information on Belle Isle
Belle Isle has a great beach, water slides, picnic areas all over the island, pavilions, a large ornate building called the casino for rent, playgrounds, a zoo, a par 3 golf course, 2 restaurants, soccer fields, and bathroom facilities at various points on the island. It is a heavily used island by picnickers, fitness enthusiasts, casual bikers, and walkers.
Pros
- Belle Isle has a dedicated bike/run path that encircles the island. There is no stopping for traffic or for traffic lights so you can ride continuously.
- The speed limit is 20 mph so traffic is not speeding by you.
- The roads are in good shape with many recent improvements from the 2008 grand prix.
- There are plenty of bathroom and water stops
- Everyone is friendly and seems to be aware of bikers and runners and respects them. I have had one incident with a yelling motorist while on my bike in 2 years, which beats any other place I've ridden. Most of the motorists are very helpful and will even slow up to let you duck into the car lanes to pass slower riders.
- Easy to get to by driving and parking (ample parking), taking Lafayette to Grand Boulevard from Downtown (thanks Andre) or taking Jefferson South-West from Grosse Pointe area
- The island is safe, has it's own police stations, and is heavily patrolled by police cars.
- There are always people around and beautiful views of the City and the river to keep the rides exciting.
- Friendly and courteous athletes while biking or running.
- A short run or ride on the Jefferson sidewalk to Iron Street and the river walk. Construction plans in place to link it to the river walk!
Cons
- It is out of the way for some people to get to
- There aren't any hills to speak of for people that need hill training, although there are many times a good wind blowing that will help you work on that power.
- Broken glass. There is broken glass at various points on the bike paths. A small number of inconsiderate people have left broken glass on the path and it seems to be there quite often. Lately I have seen more street sweepers out and it's gotten better so we'll see. I've never had an incident with a flat tire from broken glass on Belle Isle but the possibility is there. You have to keep aware of it.
- It gets busy with traffic and pedestrians when riding the last hour or so before dark on nice days. Still very rideable but you may have to slow down and dodge slower riders.
Times to Ride-run
- Morning is a great time to ride or run as there is very little traffic and a good number of athletes out training.
- Afternoon and early evening are good to train as well although the traffic picks up more. It still shouldn't be an issue.
- Late evening is more difficult to train on nice days because of high traffic (both motorists, athletes, and pedestrians) I still train at these times but expect to slow down because of traffic and pedestrians while biking. Running you will just have to dodge some pedestrians that have wandered into the bike-run lane.
Overall Thoughts
I really like training at Belle Isle. I can bike there from downtown Detroit by following Lafayette to Grand Boulevard or I can run there by following the river walk and making a few small detours where it's not all connected yet (When the river walk ends at the carousel, take Atwater until it ends then take a right to reconnect, later hop out onto Iron street when the river walk ends to take Jefferson to Belle Isle). It is very bike-run friendly with friendly motorists, athletes, and a safe police presence. Having a nice 6 mile loop that you can ride continuously is great for time trials, intervals or long rides where you want to keep going. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great place to train. If you want to try it out, drive around Belle Isle to get acquainted, find a good place to park, and explore the island!
