Local Cycling Information

Easy Access Around Farm Lane Construction

April 2008:
If you’re a bicyclist (or pedestrian) parking at the Commuter Parking Lot the closure of Farm Ln. is a major inconvenience (unless you're taking the bus). Well, a temporary pathway/ shortcut for pedestrians/ bicyclists from Commuter Lot 89 thru the Ag Expo fields to Crescent Rd. (near the MSUFCU office) is now open which provides a shorter and safer route to campus than walking/ riding Mt. Hope to Harrison/ Hagadorn Rds. Click here to see a rough map of where this pathway is located as well as a cut-thru to the sidewalk on the east side of Harrison Rd via the parking lot on the west side of the Manly Miles Bldg. Being a temporary pathway it is NOT paved; it's a gravel road that is pretty messy right now; it's also NOT lighted, so beware if you have plans to use it at night.

Greater Lansing Area maps

Here's a new web collection of Greater Lansing area maps that are handy for bicyclists assembled by LeRoy Harvey for some local mapping initiatives.

League of Mich. Bicyclists' "BikeLansing" Listserv

BikeLansing is an email list serve that is a forum for general bike commuting & advocacy questions (best routes, clothing, ride partners...) for the Greater Lansing Area. A number of local bicycle commuting experts are on board and ready to help mentor new commuters and answer questions. To join email jlindenmayer@LMB.org and write SUBSRIBE in the subject line and make sure to include your name in the body of the email.

Lansing Rivertrail Map & Information

The gem of mid-Michigan, this wonderful paved trail has an access point on the West side of campus (on the NW corner of Harrison and Kalamazoo Rds) that is supposed to get extended into campus and onward east all the way to Lk. Lansing someday (hopefully while we can still ride our bikes!). Here's a great new online map of the Rivertrail with complete descriptions of the various points of interest that the trail gives you access to courtesy of the Creative Community Network & Moving Our Community Toward Health updates.

Help Needed: Lansing Kids Repair Program

The Lansing-based Kids Repair Program (no affiliation with the MSU Bike Project or MSU Bikes) is in need of volunteer instructors for their Summer Repair Program and just help in general. This is a program that teaches kids (9 through 17 yrs) how to do basic repairs and maintain their bikes. At the end of the 20 hour course, each gets a graduation certificate, lock and helmet, and their own refurnished bike. The program only costs $7 for Lansing School District students. It usually starts on June 12 and ends on Sept. 1. If anyone is interested in helping teach kids, please call KRP at (517) 755-4174. There is no minimum time requirement; they only ask for a few hours of your time. If you are able to help in any way, please give them a jingle.

Contact: Curt Eure (Grandad, Founder of KRP), 5815 Wise Road (South Entrance), Lansing, MI 48911 | Ph: (517) 755-4174 | Fax: (517) 755-4178 | Email: grandadkrp@yahoo.com

Other Local Cycling Organizations/ Info.

• Getting Around:
If you're new to bicycling in Ingham County (Greater Lansing) then the Crosstown bike route maps published by the TCBA are a great resource, both online and the print version, for Lansing-area cyclists). Pick up a hard-copy in the MSU Bikes Service Center, or use the online version and save a tree!

• Local bike shops & other sources for used bikes

• Tri-County Bicycle Association of Lansing: one of the largest bike clubs in the USA and it's right here! Runs the DALMAC tour proceeds of which is used for lots of other good things in the state to promote bicycling.

• League of Michigan Bicyclists: our state association for promoting and protecting bicyclist rights to the road. Become a member today and do your part to help out.

• Michigan Mountain Biking Association

• Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance (started by former director of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

• The Red Cedar Greenway Master Plan: MSU's plan developed approx. in the year 2000 for continuing a trail along the Red Cedar Riverway to eventually connect up to destinations further east.

• Lansing area roads w/ bike lanes map

• CATA (bus) Bike Lockers rental program

• CATA (bus) Bike Racks info.

• Critical Mass: Lansing, Michigan

• Share-A-Bike Program, a community bike project, operating out of red trailers behind the East Lansing Fire Station No. 1, 1700 Abbott Road. The Program was started in 1994 and has given away hundreds of bikes to needy folks over the years. During the warm months of the year they are open for "business" every Saturday morning from 8 til 11 a.m. During the winter they're open every 2nd Saturday of the month, same time. Here's an old article about the program w/ more info. Email Ron Sprinkel, founder and treasurer for more information, or call him @ 517/351-4848.

• Local Off-Road Riding Info:
The Mich. Mtn. Biking Assn. has an extensive trail guide section which is very good; the nearest really challenging park is Burchfield about 15 mi. from E. Lansing to the south. For those of you without cars or wishing to conserve $ hook up with the MSU Cycling Club as they have members going down there all the time. Subscribe to their listserv; they announce rides regularly thru the listserv.

The best & closest off-road riding trails would have to be N. Lake Lansing Park, but that's also marked as "no bikes"; Rose Lake is OK for bikes but not designed for them & is about 10 mi. to the NE. Note: Rose Lake is open to hunting, so wear bright clothing!

• Michigan Cycling Podcasting - great source for Michigan cycling news both local and throughout the state. Darryl Wattenberg started up the Michigan Cycling Podcast service which is a great service for Michigan cyclists. The May 30th podcast is a great plug for the BP and our Farm Daze Tour in May, 2005.