Easing into autumn

Beginning Friday, October 2, we start our fall hours: Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. We can still do special orders and make arrangements for rentals and private tours during the week. You just have to call us ahead of time at 313-656-2453. It's been a great summer -- thanks!

SEMCOG launches bike match service

Bicycle commuting can be daunting for people who have never done it, and sometime it helps to have a buddy. That's the premise behind SEMCOG's new bike match service, which pairs compatible cyclists together, much like it already does with carpooling and vanpooling. In fact, users can mix and match between the modes once they register. If you're already bike commuting, it wouldn't hurt to register to demonstrate strength in numbers. Read all about and sign up here. Catch the Freep's coverage here and m-bike's here.

We're number 4!

For the second year in a row, we've placed in the  Top 5 Bike Shops in the WDIV Click On Detroit 4 The Best contest. Thanks to everyone that voted for us!

TdT OMG!

If you are riding tomorrow, we encourage you to stop by today and pick up your packet. It'll make both of our mornings all the more pleasant. Plus you get to visit the Wheelhouse. Bonus! There were more than 1,500 cyclists registered as of this morning. We are really looking forward to a great day!

Open City

Tonight is the kick-off meeting for the 2009-10 season of Open City, a group that encourages small business in Detroit. It certainly provided us with the connections -- such as the Detroit MicroEnterprise Loan Fund and SCORE -- that helped Wheelhouse open its doors. Many of the small business owners that are the people we turn to for advice and inspiration attend these meetings.

Details are at opencitydetroit.com, but the meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at Cliff Bell's.

Tour de Troit

Register by tomorrow to ensure you pay only $30 ($25 for students) -- starting Saturday, the price jumps! Head to tourdetroit.eventbrite.com to do so!

Treehugger bike stories

Treehugger.com is one of the smartest sustainability websites out there, and we wanted to draw your attention to the site if you weren't already a regular reader. Appropriately, they write a lot about bikes because, in their own words, "Bicycles are, as we keep telling our readers ad nausem, the most efficient means of transport humankind has ever devised." Here are a few sample posts to get you started.

An exhaustive look at various methods of cargo carrying in Bicycle Cargo. Chapter 1. We don't know about you, but we love challenging the limits of our bikes. How much can my rack/basket/trailer hold? Here are examples of some folks pushing the limits.

Sometimes things aren't black and white. A cyclist's death from being hit by a car recently caused some stir in Toronto. It seems that both parties are at least somewhat at fault, which only muddies an already-complicated situation. Read about it here.

Stylish purses-slash-bags made for a bike? That's some fashion we can get behind! Check out Bagonia.

This photo is worth a thousand words:

Read the whole post here.

Kelli met Treehugger founder Alex Steffan many years back when he visited Detroit, and K&K heard him speak in Chicago just a couple of years ago. What we love about the site (and the book they published) is that it a meld of nerdy activism and pragmatic insight. Make it a regular interweb destination.

Labor Day Closure 09/08/09

We are taking the day off on Tuesday, September 8 for Labor Day. We will be here on the holiday, tho!

Karen's Detroit

Karen was profiled by Next American City and Model D. Awesome article!

Karen Gage says the best way to travel Detroit is by bike. The entrepreneur and community development star isn't just saying that because she started the city's first bike rental business a year ago. Karen's bike is her main mode of transportation. She says the city's flat, wide streets and sparse traffic make for great conditions for those who prefer two wheels to four.

"People ask me all the time if I feel safe, and I just want to be like, 'No. No I don't. And it sucks. That's why I ride my bike every day,'" Karen says, with an ironic deadpan.

Read the whole thing here.

New Helmets in Stock

We've become a Bell and Giro dealer, so any fancy schmancy helmets you've got your eye on can now be procured through us. The first one we've got in stock is the Giro Transfer, a nice universal helmet with a reasonable price of $35.

We have it in black, white/silver, blue/black (pictured), mint and red/black. We still have Lazer, 661 and Protech helmets in stock as well.