I don’t like doing things more than twice in a row. Coffee shops. Music festivals. Diners. You name it, two visits give me a good idea of whether something is worthwhile. Three and it’s immediately boring. The DTE Energy Foundation Trail, a massively fun blend of mountain bike trails, just a short drive from Ann Arbor, is a very rare exception to my rule.
Flow is joy. Uphill just enough that it doesn’t feel like a marathon. Sprint through the flat curves feeling like you’re going much faster than you think, then downhill at a speed that still allows you to make last-second adjustments that prevent a collarbone fracture when you take the wrong line. It’s the “yippee” factor as some call it, and it’s why I love these trails. It’s just dynamic enough, just close enough, and just enough fun to force a smile on your face even after the longest workday.
“Flow is joy. It’s just dynamic enough, just close enough, and just enough fun to force a smile on your face even after the longest workday.”
My first rides on “the DTE” many years ago were on an old 26-inch bike, which meant a few weeks into the season, my legs were already in good shape from trying to keep up with my partner who was on a twenty niner. I felt like I was pedaling twice as much on the smaller frame, even though my legs were well conditioned from the winter hockey season. Didn’t matter that I spent more time focused on breathing than enjoying the varied terrain. I quickly found a home on the Green Lake loop and it’s still my favorite. It’s sometimes busy with families or seniors, but all coexist well enough when people have manners. I have never (and I mean never) left that five-mile loop without a smile on my face. It can’t be helped.
“I have never (and I mean never) left that five-mile loop without a smile on my face. It can’t be helped.”
Accessible right off the Green Lake loop is Big Kame. The word kame means “a mound like hill” and this is certainly a hill. This loop is a solid step up in difficulty and like Green Lake, has great flow. It’s just more technical and more aerobic. If you are leveling up, you also need to watch out for fast riders in fancy bike jerseys who only occasionally alert you to their presence as they pass by at a speed that can make you feel like a wet noodle inching uphill.
That’s just the start though, as the Winn and Sugar loops continue to level up the challenge. Good luck to you on those. I am quite happy with a few quick turns on the Green Lake loop, or a lap of Green Lake and Big Kame followed by a cool-down aided by the hand-operated well pump in the main parking lot. Amazing how a rush of water out of an old-school pump after a long bike ride just makes you feel just that much more connected to the planet.