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Tune-Up Special Reminder
This is the last weekend for our spring tune-up special. If you get your bike in before 7 p.m. on Sunday, it will only run you $40 -- after that, you'll have to shell out $50. Starting next Friday, May 1, we will be open 7 days a week, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. We have two tours lined up: Hamtramck on Saturday, and Grandmont-Rosedale on Sunday. Read more and register at WheelhouseDetroit.com/Tours.
Cheers!
Wheelhouse Detroit is one of a group of local businesses that accepts Detroit Cheers, a new local currency.
Read more in this Model D story and please, spread some Cheers our way!
Upcoming Cycling Events
It finally seems like spring has sprung. On that note, Wheelhouse has a few events we'd like to clue you into in the coming month. National Transportation Week is the week of May 4. On May 8, there is going to be a Transportation Fair at Campus Martius to encourage commuters to bike or take the bus to work. It's from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and we'll be there with coupons -- so come say hi!
That leads right into Bike to Work Day on May 15. Visit our friends at Detroit Synergy to keep up-to-date on that. We're pretty sure there will be one from Royal Oak and there might be additional ones between downtown and Dearborn and/or Grosse Pointe, too.
SEMCOG is issuing a Commuter Challenge between May 11 and 22 to encourage car- and van-pooling, public transit, biking and walking. Join in at SEMCOG.org/mirideshare.
Ride of Silence: An annual, national, slow-paced bicycle ride that takes place the third Wednesday of May to honor those cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. Wheelhouse Detroit is co-sponsoring the Detroit Ride of Silence 2009. It will begin on Belle Isle, leaving from Scott Fountain promptly at 7:00 pm on May 20. The 10-mile ride will head west along Jefferson, north along Woodward to Comerica Park, and reverse route back. After the ride, there will be a free bar-b-que sponsored by Macomb Bike & Fitness.
Check out our Tours Page for info on our tours and a chance to register. We'll be posting more about them soon!
Bikes in the (Wheel)house
We are really stepping up our efforts to sell more new bikes this year. Here's what we have on hand at the moment. The Cykel 3
This bike is really classic looking and, dare we say, dignified. It's three speeds -- All you really need around here!
Lugged steel frame, coil-spring leather saddle, and North Road style handlebar, internally geared shifting system and easy to use twist shifter.
Retails for $400.
Sun Drifter 7
This bike's retro styling is great to look at, but one of the best things about this bike is the Foot-Forward design, which means that your foot will be flat when you are stopped at a light. This is a 7-speed aluminum bike with grip twist shifting. Comfy seat.
Note: We have this bike in a blue female version. It is also available in many other colors and a mens' version as well. If you like the concept, we can order the exact model you prefer and have it to you in a week!
Retails for $375.
Sun Big Cruz
We like this bike's simplicity: single speed, coaster brakes combined with tough construction and straight-forward looks. Plus, 29-inch wheels.
Retails for $330.
Remember, any bike brand that we carry — Surly, Kona, Sun and Cykel — we are able to order at any time. So if you enjoy the Kona Smokes that we rent, we will happily order you a 2009 version!
We're famous! (Relatively speaking...)
USA Today has an article out about 10 places to check out in Detroit, and the Riverfront and lil ol' Wheelhouse got name-checked!
Detroit Riverfront Stop by the Detroit Riverfront for some serious off-court action. "The 2009 NCAA Men's Final Four weekend in Detroit wouldn't be complete without 'The Big Dance,' " Monforton says. "Three days of free musical concerts will take place, including performances by the Pussycat Dolls, Gavin DeGraw, Fergie, Staind, Gym Class Heroes, Jesse McCartney, N.E.R.D., Janelle Monáe, Keith Sweat and emcee Ryan Seacrest." Best part? The celeb-filled fest is free. The Cullen Family Carousel and the Wheelhouse Detroit bike rentals also will be open.
Well, we can safely say we never dreamed of the day we would be mentioned in the same paragraph as the Pussycat Dolls.
Read the whole thing here.
We also got some local love from the Metro Times this week, with a mention of our tour in the Night & Day section as well as some individual recommendations in their Final Guide. We like this suggestion:
Ryan Hertz, Executive Director HOPE Hospitality & Warming Center
The riverfront and Eastern Market by bicycle: Explore the riverfront, then rent a bicycle from Wheelhouse Detroit and take the Dequindre Cut up to the market to shop and explore.
FINAL FOUR MADNESS
The weekend of April 3 to 5, the world is coming to Detroit for the Final Four. To celebrate, we are offering some great specials!
4 Wheels for the Price of 2! Rent two bikes -- for any length of time April 3 through 5 -- and pay for just one!
Tour Detroit's Top 4 Destinations! Sunday, April 5 at 1 p.m. Join a fun, informative bike tour of can't-miss Detroit gems: bustling Eastern Market, historic Indian Village, tranquil Belle Isle Park, and the stunning Detroit International Riverfront. This two-hour tour is $25 a rider; the 4 Wheels for the Price of 2! weekend discount remains applicable for rentals only.
Register here.
For more info on the Final Four haps around town, visit Get In The Game.
Back at the shop, and it feels so right!
Day One of Wheelhouse's 2009 season is here, and it's already been a great day -- despite the snowflakes in the air when we opened the doors. Here's how we look these days:
We had a nice morning visit from about 35 intrepid Detroit Bikes!-ers and we've already got some service bikes keeping Ron busy. Here's a group shot of those cyclists on the River.
Plus, Supino Pizza for lunch. What could be better?
Wheelhouse would like to wish our friends Erin and Brad a hearty congratulations. The dashing pair was married last evening at the Masonic Temple and we wish them all the best!
(Although our hangovers are so not the best.)
One last thing: We are offering a spring special on tune-ups, so be sure to bring yours in soon. In April and May, they cost just $40 -- that's a 20% discount!
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!