Free self-guided cycling tours over the new Gordie Howe Bridge. Pick your stops, get turn-by-turn directions, and print your route.
Bridge path open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. this season, last entry 3 p.m.
Four suggested rides, measured along real bike routes. Drag along the skyline, or pick a stop, to see where you will be.
Route lines follow OpenStreetMap bike data. Red marks the bridge path and the border.
Windsor’s riverfront, under the Ambassador Bridge, over the new one to Fort Wayne and back. The best first ride.
Open this loop in the plannerNo account, no booking, no app to install. Build the route on any screen, then take it with you on paper, on your phone, or on your bike computer.
Start planningBefore you go
On the day
Your own route, with a mapFree
The Gordie Howe International Bridge is the first crossing here you can ride a bike over, and it is free. You clear customs on the bridge in both directions, so plan for the line as well as the ride.
Everything about the crossingChecked against the bridge authority’s path page on November 2, 2026. Closures are posted on their homepage.
Music, cars, art, forts, food and the river. Here are four to start with.
See every stopDozens of large outdoor sculptures along the Riverfront Trail, free and open all day.
The trail threads between bronze, steel and stone, with the river on one side and lawns on the other. You ride through it on the way to the bridge, so plan time for photos rather than a detour.
Detroit’s grand 1913 train station, empty for decades and now restored.
The last train left in 1988 and the station became a symbol of the city’s hard years, and a favourite film set. Ford bought it in 2018 and reopened it in 2024 after a long restoration.
The house on West Grand Boulevard where Berry Gordy built Motown.
From 1959 the Hitsville U.S.A. house was office, studio and family home for the label.
One of the great American art museums, home of Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry murals.
Rivera painted the murals in 1932 and 1933: twenty-seven panels of the Rouge plant, workers and machines, covering every wall of a courtyard. Even with an hour to spare, go straight to that room.
This project is new and has no reviews yet. Yours would be the first. Tell us what you loved, what you skipped, and which stop we should add next.
For decades you could not ride a bike between these two cities. Now you can.
I wanted everyone to get the most out of that, so I put the whole day in one place: the bridge rules, the border links, the stops worth your time, and a route you can print and follow.
Windsor gives you the riverfront, the Sculpture Park and the best view of Detroit there is. Detroit gives you Motown, the Model T, Rivera’s murals, Mexicantown and a city that has changed a lot since its hardest years. Come see it for yourself.
Everything here is free. If it makes your day better, tell a friend, send me a photo, or buy me a coffee.
Ty
Creator, Motor Cities Cycling Tours
Can you bike across the Gordie Howe International Bridge? Yes. The bridge has a separated multi-use path for people on bikes and on foot, and it is free to use. It runs about 3 km (1.8 miles) between the border inspection booths, and takes about 20 minutes by bike, not counting border processing.
What are the bridge path hours? From April 1 to October 31 the path is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; from November 1 to March 31 it is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entry closes one hour before closing time. Hours can change for weather, maintenance or border operations, so check the closure notices on the bridge authority’s homepage before you ride.
What ID do I need to bike from Windsor to Detroit? It depends on your citizenship and status, so check the official rules for your situation before you go. You clear customs and immigration on the bridge in both directions, and you need documents that let you enter the United States and then re-enter Canada. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Canada Border Services Agency both publish the accepted documents; links are on our Bridge & border page.
Is the tour really free? Yes. The routes, directions, printable maps and GPX files are free, with no account and no booking. You pay only for what you choose along the way, like food or museum tickets. If the site helps your day, you can tip the project on Ko-fi.
How long is the Windsor to Detroit bike tour? As long as you want. The suggested loops range from about 22 km to about 48 km, and the planner measures your exact distance and riding time as you add stops. Allow a full day for the long loop: museums, meals, photos and the border all take time.
This is one person’s project, run on spare time and a tiny budget. If it helps your day, a coffee on Ko-fi keeps the site online.
