Okay ol’ wise slowtwitchers, I’m looking for some good hills to climb in the Detroit Metro area.
I already ride: Kensington Metro Park Stoney Creek golf course/nature center the Cranbrook hill.
What am I missing? The steeper and longer the better.
Thanks.
Take I-75 south to Kentucky, just kidding. It is tough to find some descent hills around here. I like to ride through Barton Hills in Ann Arbor. Its a private community on the north side of the Huron River. Pretty hilly, just not enough of them.
There are some decent hills in the Irish Hills area near the Michigan International Speedway. Also, in Ann Arbor, there is a nice hill on a street called Sunset near the intersection of Main and Huron River Drive. There are also one or two nice hills on Hines Drive, especially one up near Northville. Irish Hills is about 35 miles southwest of Ann Arbor. Let me know if you want to know a nice route there.
-Marc
Go out of the west side of Kensington Metropark and turn right (North). There is a decent sized hill (for SE Michigan) about 2 miles down the road. I think it is a 200 foot climb. Kensington to Jacoby sp? left, to Pleasant Vally left, to Grand River left then back to Kensington road.
5 mile road west of Northville road (100ft climb) then turn right on sheldon up through some rollers to 7 mile, turn right (watch the gravel) get back on Hines, then to Northville road again, turn right back on 5 mile again.
jaretj
Are you looking for a long hill to do repeats on, or a hilly/rolling route?
There aren’t too many long hills. There is one out near the Chrysler HQ/Oakland U this is on the regular Tuesday night ride that is pretty long.
I often ride out to Fenton from West Bloomfield, it’s about 70 miles round trip for me with almost 2000ft of climbing. There are some good rollers on the section from Teggerdine and M-59 to Fenton. (Take Teggerdine to White Lake to Ormond to Davisburg to Milford which turns into Holly, then take Leroy into town and stop at the French Laundry).
There’s a nice ride from Ann Arbor out to Chelsea then to Munith then Waterloo and then back to Chelsea then Ann Arbor. One complete loop is about 75 miles, doing the Chelsea loop 2x makes it just over 100. There are some nice rollers in the section between Waterloo and M-52 on the way back to Chelsea.
Although it’s a short section, there are some rollers on GM Rd. from Milford out to the GM Proving Grounds. From there you can also get over to Kensington for the Kensington hill.
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
It’s hopeless. No hills that take more than 1:30 to get over. Get over it. You’ll be better served getting a powermeter and learning how to hammer in the windswept countryside south of town. The hills around there will only help train your sub-3:00(VOmax +) power.
If that’s what you’re looking for, though, If you take HRD toward Dexter there are some nice grinders on Maple, Wagner, and Zeeb as well if you decide to turn left on any of them.
Thanks for all the input. I’ll have to venture out and try some new routes.
Hines Dr has been on my list for a while now. From what I hear it’s a great area to ride.
Near Kensington, is Grand River “safe” to ride on?
Thanks again!
Mt Clemens
Mt Elliot
Sorry couldn’t resist such an obvious opening
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My office is just off Grand River between Wixom and Milford. Grand River is pretty busy, and quite a few tractor trailers and gravel haulers. It might be better right near Kensington, but then it get busy again near Brighton.
A few weeks ago, my gf and I rode to Ann Arbor via Milford, taking Pontiac Trail south through South Lyon, and it was a pretty nice ride. Milford Rd. between Milford and I-96 kind of sucked with the traffic, but after that it was nice. Once in AA you could cut over to Huron River Dr. or do the Barton Hills.
Hills are not what they are cracked up to be, especially if you are not 150 lbs. or less. We have several rides here in Piedmont NC that will get you about 10,000 feet of climbing in 75-100 miles. Let me tell you, as a 174 lbs. triathlete it ain’t fun. Those little guys I ride with, float up these things …everytime I am climbing one, I can here Phil’s voice talking about Ullrich…as I watch them leave me and my slower cadance behind. So be glad and rejoice you have no hills to suffer through on your weekly rides 