This is the interactive part of the PedalGR, where you tell me where you want the next rides to go. Here are a few ideas I’ve been batting around in my head:
- Riverside Park and surrounding neighborhoods
- Tour de Hummus – this is my favorite but also the most work. I would ideally like to line up 6-8 restaurants that serve hummus and are willing to serve up some samples to our riders. We would ride from one place to another sampling the hummus and then there would be a vote at the end.
- Heritage Hill – A ride focusing on the streets and houses of one of the largest continguous historic districts in the nation.
- Downtown GR – This ride would stay close to home and focus on exploring the downtown and immediately surrounding neighborhoods.
- Alleys of Grand Rapids – This ride would focus on touring the backalleys of Grand Rapids, exploring the more up-close and personal side of the houses and yards of the city.
- School tour – This ride would focus on visiting as many schools as possible in a couple of sections of town. With enough lead time, I could try to arrange for a tour of one or two facilities.
- Ice Cream - Everyone loves ice cream. This ride would visit a couple of my favorite places, and pass by a few more.
- Garden Tour – Pick and choose a few spectacular gardens in different neighborhoods and visit them up close.
- Photography Tour - Pick 3-4 ideal sites and spend 15-20 minutes at each doing a sort of mini-photowalk where the focus is taking pictures of the site.
- Millenium Park and Orchard Tour – Ride Kent Trails to Millennium Park and then visit an orchard or two just to the NW.
So, I want your feedback. Which ideas do you like? Which don’t you like? Would you be willing to help organize a particular ride? What great neighborhood, site, or idea am I missing? I’d love to see lots of comments following this entry. Don’t disappoint the ride captain! 
It is my goal to ride past every park in Grand Rapids this summer.
So, a park ride might be handy.
@Christopher: The first two Pedal GR rides would have gotten about 11 parks off your list, with another half dozen a couple of blocks away from the routes. A park ride is definitely a possibility.
Great ride last night Josh. Just curious is the Hummus idea in response to a strange thread on the Wheelmen group a while back having to do with goody choices at a club meeting?
Thanks Tad. I had a great time as well.
Y’know, I don’t know if it’s a direct result of that discussion, but that may have been a contributing factor, helping plant the seed in my head.
I’ve liked hummus for quite a long time now, though. I love making a trip to Sami’s in Eastown for a large serving of hummus.
Great ride last night. Sorry I had to drop off early. I’ll pass along information concerning the group to some people I work with.
I have created a route that I frequently ride from home that would be a possible pedalgr route in the future. It is relatively flat and all paved.
http://www.mapmyride.com/route/us/mi/grand%20rapids/892730409
The ride includes sports venues liek VanAndel, Whitecaps, and Deltaplex.
I have a few pictures from last nights ride. If you send me a email address I’ll upload them to you.
How about a cobblestone tour? there are some really cool little streets that are orginal pavers… and some that are curves and hills. (like Cresent st.)
@Matt: We actually rode by one of the cobblestone streets, Trowbridge, on our May 28th ride. Only had two riders brave enough to actually ride down it.
http://amyandjosh.net/pedalgr/2008/05/19/52808-pedalgr-ride/ It didn’t work out to get to the one on North Ave, but I’d like to hit it up someday.
The curvy hill on Crescent St. is a possibility for what I’m envisioning for the Sept. 17th route, though.