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Advocacy opportunity
From the League of MI Bicyclists: Are you tired of vehicles buzzing too close to your bicycle? Do you think our roads should have wide shoulders or designated bicycle lanes? Do you dream of a day you can ride in traffic and feel safe?
The Lucinda Means Advocacy Day is your chance to affect change!
On June 5, bicyclists from around the state will join forces for a RIDE & RALLY at the State Capitol building. Our goal is to show state policy makers that bicyclists have a collective voice. And that voice is concerned about bicyclists' safety on roadways.
Just by showing up you will make a difference, since there is truly strength in numbers! You will learn which issues LMB is targeting and how you can reach out to your state legislators. We will arrange for you to meet with them that same afternoon.
If you're a bicyclist who wants to improve the state of cycling in Michigan, come rally with us. Afterward, enjoy lunch on the Capitol grounds, compliments of the League of Michigan Bicyclists. There is no charge for this event. Proceeds from the Lucinda Means Advocacy Fund are funding your participation.
Please pre-register online so we can make sure we have lunch for you. Invite your friends to join you.
Rite On
Wheelhouse hearts Rite On Remodeling for coming out this week and finishing up the last minute construction on the shop -- just in time for our 7-day-a-week schedule. Thanks to Derek and his cohort Rock!
Stolen bike
A stolen fixie -- the second high-end one stolen in Detroit in the last month -- this time from outside CAID on Friday night. It was custom built and painted by our very own Ron Shelton. It belonged to Vanessa Miller for less then a week. Pics and more info up at Fixed Gear Gallery. It is a gorgeous bike, and we hope that it is recovered.
Countdown to techno
It's less than a week until this year's Detroit Electronic Music Festival and Wheelhouse is preparing its ears for beats 24-7 for 3 days straight. We can't wait to see a bunch of crazy techno kids riding around on our bikes. Check out some cute pics at Metromix. A couple documented their "Detroit is for Lovers" date-night that included dinner at Slow's, a bike ride at the Wheelhouse, bowling at the Magic Stick and drinks at the Park. (Sounds like an awesome date BTW!)
Summer hours
Starting Friday, May 23, we will roll into our full summer hours. Wheelhouse will be open:
Monday through Thursday: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Afribike
Wheelhouse is sponsoring the 1st semi-annual Afribike, a group ride that will benefit Giving Spirit, an organization that works to provide education to at-risk youth in South Africa. Afribike riders can rent an Africa Bike for $15, a discounted rate. We will open at 9 a.m. on Sunday, May 17 for the event. The Afribike ride has been rescheduled for May 31. Unfortunately, Wheelhouse will be unable to participate due to the Red Bull Air Races taking place the same day.
We're blushing
Thanks to Nicole at D-Tales for literally the nicest blog post ever about the Wheelhouse.
Weekend 1 Report
We rented 27 bikes this weekend, not too shabby considering Friday and Saturday were rainy days. But Sunday was beautiful and we were super busy all day -- at one point, all of our rentable bikes were out! We're still working out some kinks with our fleet and we still have some construction to do, but we are feeling really good about the Wheelhouse's success...
We're open!
Come down and see us this weekend. We're open Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bring your bikes for the fixin' -- keep our bike tech, Ron, busy! Our first tours will take place Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. in partnership with Inside Detroit. The Saturday tour is 2 hours of Downtown and the Sunday one is 3 hours and will head up to Midtown. Join the ride!
Thanks to all of our friends who helped us get open -- it's been a crazy week. Gracias to PT, Jerry B, Joe L, Jason H, Jay B, Hillary, Kati K, Greg G, Pete K, Jack, Randa, Eric W, Mike T, Olga, Johnny Saco, Betsy, Andy K, Raymond, Andres, Steve R, Liz, Claire, John G, Matt G and I'm sure I'm forgetting someone. Thanks to Bill at the DRFC for helping us tie up all the loose ends in our space, and to Caroline for helping us get the word out.