(Chelsea Update would like to thank Aberdeen Bike and Outdoors for the information and photo in this story.)
Rob Pulcipher wrote the book on recreational cycling in this part of Michigan.
Actually, he wrote two of them – Dirt Road Washtenaw and a soon-to-be released Falcon guide titled Best Bike Rides Detroit and Ann Arbor: Great Recreational Rides in Southeast Michigan.
Pulcipher, an Ann Arbor writer and photographer who’s been indulging a cyclocross addiction for the past decade, will be at Aberdeen Bike & Outdoors for a free winter clinic and speaker series on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 6 pm.
Dirt Road Washtenaw is the kind of guidebook that gets dog-eared and coffee-stained, the kind you would lend to friends if you were sure they’d return it. It highlights 17 routes that touch every corner of the county and notes (among other things) farms, sites of architectural interest, historic bridges and chasing dogs.
There’s advice on managing snow and ice, sharing the road with horses, dealing with washboard and the aforementioned dogs. It also holds up well as a guide to quiet, scenic long runs.
“There are these great connections that are beautiful and quiet,” Pulcipher says. “There’s no traffic the farms are fantastic, the countryside is a little more pristine.”
Researching Best Bike Rides Detroit and Ann Arbor gave him a new appreciation for some places “serious” cyclists often ignore. He even found the upside of Detroit’s downslide, riding through the mostly-flat, sparsely populated city.
“It’s wild to be in the majority,” he said. “You can almost close your eyes and go down a major road.”
