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Weekend Report
We had three great tours this weekend: Hamtramck, a private one for attendees of the Population Association of American annual meeting and Grandmont Rosedale. Breakdown: 61.4 miles, 31 people, 3 trips on the Dequindre Cut! We visited the Power House, Polish Art Center, Hamtramck Disneyland and Cafe 1923 in Hamtramck...Belle Isle, Indian Village, Earthworks Urban Farm and Eastern Market on the PAA tour...and the Catherine Ferguson Academy farm, N. Rosedale Community House and a charming home on the Grandmont Rosedale one.
Thanks to everyone who rode, we had a blast! Here's a pic of the Hamtramck group in front of the Polish Art Center. 
Summer Hours!
Starting today, we are here seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. See you at the Wheelhouse!
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!