Cycling to celebrate our Underground Railroad history

On Oct. 29 at 5:30 p.m., Adventure Cycling Association along with the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance and the Michigan Freedom Trail Commission are hosting a meeting about their proposed Underground Railroad Route. There will also be updates on greenways and trails in the Detroit hub and the Freedom Trail Commission’s efforts to designate the Detroit River as an International Heritage Site. The meeting will be held at Historic Second Baptist Church, 441 Monroe Street in Greektown. RSVP to Beth Petersen at 800.755.2453 x 211 or bpetersen@adventurecycling.org.

Extra, Extra...Last Tour of 2009 is here!

This Saturday, October 24, we'll be heading out for a bike tour of Eastern Market at 10 a.m. It's a relatively short ride coupled with a presentation about what is currently happening at the market as well as what is planned...plus a walking tour and a couple of slices of Supino Pizza! All for the low price of $25 per person ($35 with a bike). The bike ride will be led by Wheelhouse co-owner Kelli Kavanaugh and the presentation and walking tour will be led by Randall Fogelman of the Eastern Market Corporation, our community partner for the event.

This tour is especially family-friendly because of the distance of the ride. We'd love to see some trailers out on the Dequindre Cut!

NB: Saturday is also the Harvest Beer Festival at Eastern Market, and we think our tour is a great way to get your market "legs" before quaffing a few Michigan brews! The fest starts at 1 p.m., which is just when our tour will end! You can even stay at the market and ride back to Wheelhouse on your own after you partake in the festivities if you so desire. Bike+pizza+walk+beer sounds like just about a perfect autumn day to us.

Architecture Tour + Open City

This Saturday, October 17 is the return of our Architecture Tour! Led by local architect Brian Hurttienne, this tour will inform riders about local architecture -- the good and the bad. The old and the modern will be considered and plus, it's a great route around Lafayette Park, Midtown and Downtown. Check out a gallery of photos from our Spring Architecture Tour here.

On Tuesday, October 20 at 6:30 p.m., join us at Open City at Cliff Bell's, a monthly gathering of operating and prospective small businesses in Detroit. This month, the subject is new, creative retail, and Kelli will be moderating the panel, which will consist of Joe from Hugh, Rachel from Rachel's Place, Greg from Leopold's Books, and Nate from Burton Theatre. Expect lively conversation and inspiration!

Ron + Alleycats

Ron Shelton is the Wheelhouse's bike tech, and besides being meticulous as a mechanic (and a leather-worker and bag-maker), he pops up now and again with an awesome alley cat race. Check out Model D's coverage of the scavenger hunts.

Since 2006, Shelton has organized Alleycats in Detroit. These unsanctioned cycling races draw riders from throughout the metro area to compete in a crisscrossing sprint down streets and through intersections. Participants fly from checkpoint to checkpoint, collecting clues and directions to their next destination while dodging cars and other riders. The course tests both the riders' knowledge of the city and their guts as they navigate a virtual collision course that backtracks and veers over 35 miles.

"Over the past several years, I've seen an increase in bikers in the city," says Shelton. "Maybe it's the price of gas but it used to be that if I saw someone riding a bike in Detroit, I probably knew them. Today, more people are riding but we're still not at capacity and I think there's potential here. As a biking town, Detroit is ready to explode."

We are particularly fond of the photo of Ron with our favorite shop ducky helmet looking super-tough.

Read the entire article here.

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!