Spring Training Ride 3/21

On Saturday, March 21, Detroit Bikes!  will host the Second Annual Spring Training (STR) ride.  Given that the Detroit Tigers will soon begin their season, the Red Wings will begin hockey’s second season (playoffs), and the NCAA Final Four will take place at Ford Field, a sports theme ride is a no-brainer (no jokes, please). The Detroit Bikes! Spring Training Ride will cruise past current and past Detroit sports venues, including Tiger Stadium, Olympia Stadium, Recreation Park, and others.

Wear something that represents your favorite Detroit team (professional, college, high school, etc.), such as a T-shirt, bandanna, whatever, and help us challenge Mother Nature to bring the warm weather on!

When: Saturday, March 21, 2009

What: The Spring Training Ride: A riding tour of past and present Detroit sports venues

Cost: FREE!

Ride Starts: 10 AM sharp at the Millennium Bell, Grand Circus Park, downtown Detroit.  Please arrive 10 minutes ahead.

Distance of ride: approximately 16 miles

Length: approximately three hours

Pace: Relaxed but steady pace

Needs: We need a rider to take photographs of our event!  I'll bring the digital camera.  Also, we always need ride helpers to make sure no one gets left behind, assist with minor repairs, etc.

Additional: Helmets are required!

Dress: Show your Detroit sports pride by wearing your favorite Detroit team's T-shirt, hat, bandanna, flag, socks, wristbands, whatever!

Route: Depending upon weather and road conditions, the exact route may be modified.  From Grand Circus Park, the Spring Training Ride (STR) will skirt Comerica Park and Ford Field.  The STR will head east on E. Lafayette to Helen Street, the former site of the Detroit Tigers' ancestral home, Boulevard Park.  The STR will then head west on the Riverwalk, stopping at Rivard Plaza and the Wheelhouse bicycle shop, continuing to Cobo Arena and the Joe Louis Arena!  From the Joe, the riders will wheel past old Tiger Stadium and will make a pilgrimage to the site of Olympia Stadium on Grand River at McGraw.  The STR will head back west past the Wayne State University athletic to Cass, and make a drink/luncheon stop at Lefty’s Lounge!  Lefty’s Lounge is a true sports bar, owned by two former minor league pitchers.  (www.leftyslounge.com). The STR will then bike through the Detroit Medical Center, paying a brief visit to the former Recreation Park, the long-forgotten home of the world champion Detroit Wolverines baseball team!  The STR will then head back to Grand Circus Park.

OPENING DAY!

Wheelhouse Detroit will be back in business for 2009 on March 21. Through April, we will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. We'll open 7 days a week starting in May. EARLY BIRD SPECIAL: Bring in your bike for a spring tune-up in March or April and get $10 off! That's a $50 tune-up for just $40!

Karen, Kelli and Ron are really looking forward to seeing you and your bike again very soon!

See you next year!

Thanks for a wonderful first year. We look forward to seeing you back at the Wheelhouse in March 2009!

November 15 Java Junket Ride

On November 15, Detroit Bikes! will host its second annual Java Junket bike ride with stops at Good Girls Go to Paris Crepes, the Detroit Welcome Center in Mexicantown, the Mercury Coffee Bar, Cafe 1923 andthe Woodbridge Pub.

Nice touch, finishing off at pub (with a huge bike rack, natch).

The rides starts at 9 a.m. in Grand Circus Park. It's a 15-miler.

Rouge Park trail work 11/2

This Saturday will be a day of trail work at Rouge Park on the bike/hike trail developed a couple of years ago. It's short but sweet and it is great that there is mountain biking in the city! Saturday, work will begin to double its length to approximately 4 miles.

Meet at the northeast corner of Tireman and Outer Drive at 10 a.m.

One more week :(

Well folks, this is our last week of operation for 2008. We're open Wednesday, October 29 through Sunday, November 2 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. So come see us one last time this year! We will reopen in March 2009. We'll miss you!

Haunted Detroit Bike Tour

Detroit Bikes! is hosting its 4th Annual Haunted Detroit Bike Tour on October 25. Sites include the Majestic Theater, Orchestra Hall, the Masonic Temple, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Historical Museum, Wayne State University, The Bonstelle Theatre, The Fox Theatre, Grace/Harper Hospital, The Riverplace Grand Heritage Hotel and Elmwood Cemetery. It begins at 10 a.m. at the Millennium Bell in Grand Circus Park.

The 16-mile ride is free. Contact dialogue@detroitsynergy.org for more info or to volunteer as a mechanic or tour assistant. Helmets are mandatory.

Congrats to our friends + bailout for bikers

Congrats to our two (other) favorite Metro Detroit bike shops, Continental and The Hub, for being named 2008's best by Metro Times staff and readers, respectively. Kudos! Wheelhouse was mentioned as part of "Detroit's Best Step Forward" category, which the RiverWalk won.

Once a terribly neglected resource, Detroit's riverfront has been transformed into a true gem — we'd say a sapphire, given the sparkling blue waters now easily accessible because of the lovely promenade constructed in recent years under the guidance of the nonprofit Detroit RiverFront Conservancy. When completed, the walkway will stretch from the Ambassador Bridge to Gabriel Richard Park (just past the MacArthur Bridge leading to Belle Isle). The first phase has focused on the 3.5-mile section that starts at Joe Louis Arena and continues east; nearly 3 miles of that portion are complete. New features added this year at the Rivard Pavilion — site of the Cullen Family Carousel — include the Wheelhouse Detroit, which provides bike rentals and tours, and RiverWalk Café. If you haven't walked the riverfront lately, now's the time to check it out. You won't be sorry.

Cool! Read more of the MT's Community Chest picks here and The Glories of Capitalism here.

Buried in the fine print of the economic bailout package is good news for bike commuters: a tax credit for commuting to and from work. It's not a lot, up to $20 per month, but maybe it's a start. From treehugger:

It allows for a "qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement" for "reasonable expenses incurred by the employee during such calendar year for the purchase of a bicycle and bicycle improvements, repair, and storage, if such bicycle is regularly used for travel between the employee’s residence and place of employment"- your bike expenses, up to 20 bucks a month, can be covered by your boss as a benefit tax free.

Read more here.

Last weekend for tours

We have our final two neighborhood tours this weekend: Saturday we'll explore Eastern Market and Sunday, Southwest Detroit. Read more about them and sign up at wheelhousedetroit.com/tours. Our last several neighborhood tours have gone really well! We did Boston Edison a couple of weeks ago...

...and you can read about it here, at a blog post from one of the tour participants.

Last week, we did Creekside (no pics yet) and the Conner Creek Greenway. Todd from m-bike led that ride and has a re-cap and photos up on his site.

Join us this weekend!

As the world turns...

We are only open for three more weeks this year! We will miss all of our loyal friends and customers over this cold, harsh, dark winter. Our last day of business in 2008 will be November 2.

Use these last few weeks to pick up fenders, lights, gloves, or anything else you might need to keep biking through the winter!