About the Wheelhouse
Wheelhouse Detroit is a bicycle shop that offers rentals, retail, service and tours.
Hours of Operation:
March & April: Friday to Sunday 11am to 7pm
May to September: Open Daily 10am to 8pm
October & November: Friday to Sunday 11am to 7pm
Contact us:
Email:
info@wheelhousedetroit.com
Phone: 313-656-BIKE (2453)
Fax: 313-656-2210
Keep up to date at our blog:
wheelhousedetroit.wordpress.com
Become a Facebook Fan of Wheelhouse Detroit Bike Shop.
Our location:
1340 E. Atwater Street
Rivard Plaza on the Detroit RiverWalk
Detroit, MI 48207
For driving directions, please see
our location map.
Free parking available in an adjacent lot.
Wheelhouse Detroit was voted as one of the top five bike shops in Metro Detroit for 2008 and 2009!
More Wheelhouse Info:
FAQS
Lodging
Wheelhouse Green
Wheelhouse Friends
In the News
Biking in Detroit?
A vehement yes! As tons of people are learning, Detroit
is an excellent city for cycling. There's lots of room
on the road and great neighborhoods to explore. Plus, it's
relatively flat so you can cover lots of ground quickly.
People who haven't spent much time in the city lately will be
pleasantly surprised as to how much is going on in the
Greater Downtown area. Wheelhouse will be pleased to give
you ideas of where to go and the best routes to get there.
And if you're not ready for the road, the RiverWalk itself is
tons of fun to cruise.
Feeling adventurous, but not sure where to go? Visit our Tours Page for a schedule of upcoming tours as well as information on suggested non-guided rides.
What is required to rent a bike?
A credit card and a valid ID. We will authorize your card, but not charge it, when you rent the bike. When it is returned, you can
pay for the rental. The authorization is dropped within 3 to 5 days, depending on your bank.
Who is the Wheelhouse?
The Wheelhouse is a small business started by two Detroiters who love their city and their bikes: Karen Gage and Kelli Kavanaugh. Read more here.
Do you fix bikes?
Absolutely! Our bike tech, Ron Shelton, is really good at it, too! Read more at our Service Page.
Do you offer any discounts?
Yes...to local businesses, residences and institutions with which we have made arrangements. These currently include Wayne State University, MOCAD members, employees of the Detroit Medical Center, General Motors and any other Ren Cen company, Detroit Police Department, Compuware and Miller Canfield and residents of Lofts of Merchant Row.
What do your name and logo mean?
"That's in our wheelhouse" is a saying that Kelli and Karen favor. It's because they love baseball. Plus, wheels...bikes...yeah, you get it.
Our logo is actually a map of Detroit. The circle is Campus Martius and the spokes are the main radial streets: Fort, Michigan Ave., Grand River, Woodward, Gratiot and Jefferson.
Our logo was inspired by our friend Colin Hubbell, who passed away in August 2008. Read more about him and the actual "logo story" in this Model D tribute.
Do you rent roller blades, surrey bikes, scooters, or segways?
Nope. Just bikes.
Downtown Detroit has several wonderful hotels that are nearby -- and bike-friendly! These include Ren Cen Marriott, The Omni and the Westin Book Cadillac.
We also recommend the Holiday Inn Express, which offers a special deal for people who need a place to stay and a bicycle. For $89 a night, you can get breakfast, a shuttle to and from the Wheelhouse...plus there's a swimming pool and a much-better-than-average hotel bar, Big City Grill (say hi to George!). Anyone taking advantage of this deal can also get a three-day bike rental for the price of two -- that is $50 instead of $75. To book simply call 313-887-7030 or email Denisa.
Wheelhouse aims to run our business as sustainably as possible. Here are some of the ways:
-
We recycle with our friends at Recy-clean.
-
We use Michigan Green Safe cleaning products, and we use their compostable, biodegradable Bio-Bags, too.
-
Dharma Merchant Services is our credit card service provider. Dharma is a certified green business, and they donate 10% of our gross profits that they process to the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance.
-
We recycle our used inner tubes with Alchemy Goods,
who turns them into cool messenger bags. Bring in your tubes, we'll take them off your hands!
-
We also recycle used and broken chains and freewheels with Resource Revival. Again, bring yours in and we will send them off with our next box.
-
We buy our office supplies from Westland-based OfficeStar's green products catalog.
-
Our custom water bottles are made from more than 60% post-consumer materials -- and sorry, we don't sell bottled water!
-
Our tee-shirts and hoodies are from Alternative Apparel's Alternative Earth product line.
-
We used Sherwin Williams' GreenSure paint on our interior walls.
-
Wheelhouse is listed in Green America's National Green Pages.
Next American City & Model D: 24HRS: Detroit -- Karen Gage's Detroit, 09/01/09
New York Times: Bike Among the Ruins, 07/04/09
New York Post: They Serve Pizza in Hell (And Other Fun Things You Probably Didn't Know About Detroit), 06/16/09
Chicago Reader: Wild Wild Midwest:
The architecture, the agriculture, the art, the archaeology — there's nowhere in America quite like Detroit right now, 05/17/09
Detroit Free Press: Start summer with one of these fun activities, 05/25/09
Detroit Free Press: City cycling is a challenge and a treat, 05/17/09
Real Detroit: Motown Mix Tape: The Real Best of Detroit 2009, 05/13/09
Real Detroit: Last Word w/ Kelli & Karen, 05/13/09
Metro Times: Best of Detroit - Public Square - Staff Picks - Best Way to Break a Sweat: Bicycling, 04/22/09
USA Today: 10 great places to stay in bounds in Detroit, 04/06/09
Model D: Hit the town by bike during upcoming Tour de Troit event and Wheelhouse tours, 09/09/08
Detroit Free Press: 2-wheeled commute, 07/28/08
Twist: Wheel Women, 07/13/08
Real Detroit Weekly: Hit the Streets: Summer Vacay in the City, 06/18/08
TheDetroiter.com:
Healthy Detroit - Flowers, Bikes & Asparagus!, 05/15/08
Metro Times: Spin Out: Motor City beauty and awe on two-wheeled rentals and an elevated heart rate, 04/30/08
Detroit Free Press: Bikes for rent, new cafés draw people to water, 04/30/08
Model D:
Wheelhouse Detroit, a bike rental, service shop, to open on the RiverWalk in May, 04/15/08