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Prepping for the 2011 Tour Season
It's almost here, April 9, our first tour of the year! We are busy scheduling tour stops and drafting routes and this Saturday, April 2, we will spend a few hours training several new tour guides! Most of our tours are up at www.wheelhousedetroit.com/tours, although we have a few more to post. You can also check out our Google calendar on the front page of our site, www.wheelhousedetroit.com, to take a look at the entire year.
We are bringing back all of our favorites, like Belle Isle, Eastern Market, Urban Agriculture and Architecture, and adding some new ones like Brewing History and a few longer tours for people interested in really riding.
We look forward to riding with you and sharing our love of Detroit!
Upcoming Bike Advocacy Events in Detroit
On March 23, Jim Sayers, the executive director of Adventure Cycling Association -- America's largest cycling membership organization -- will make a presentation on the joys of bicycle travel and cool projects happening at the national and state levels, including a new Underground Railroad alternate route through Michigan.
The event will run from 7 to 8:45 pm and will be held at the International Institute on E. Kirby.
Next up is a Complete Streets community education session on March 31 at the Gaelic League in Corktown. It runs from 6 to 8 p.m. and will be catered by Slows BBQ.
Richard Wooten from MSU-Extension will give an overview of Complete Streets, what they look like and how they benefit everyone.
It is hosted by the City of Detroit's Department of Health and Wellness, and you should RSVP by March 25 to Myra at tettehm@detroitmi.gov.
Find out more about Complete Streets in Detroit here.
We hope to see you at one or both of the events!
March E-Blast
The best, most time-effective way to keep up-to-date with Wheelhouse goings-on is by subscribing to our monthly E-Blast. We are vehemently anti-spam and like to keep things simple and short. After the jump, we've posted our most recent missive, which went out earlier today. If you are interested, head over to wheelhousedetroit.com and enter your email address at the bottom of the left-hand column. Thanks, and be seeing you soon!
Happy spring, dear Wheelhouser!
We are so glad that winter is winding down and thrilled to kick off our 2011 season this weekend! We officially open our doors at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 18. We'll be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through April -- we go to a seven-day-a-week schedule beginning May 1. Roll on down and say hello!
Show your bike some love Whether your trusty cycle has spent the winter lonely and unused or it's been charging through slush and snow, it more than likely needs a tune-up! This weekend only, we are offering an extra-special deal in honor of the 2nd Annual Marche du Nain Rouge, which will take place Sunday, March 20 at 1 p.m. in the Cass Corridor. Drop your bike off and utter the magic phrase, "Get that Nain off my back!" and a full tune-up will run you just 35 bucks!
For the remainder of our spring season, a tune-up will cost $40 and in May, it jumps up to our regular price of $50.
A tune-up entails a complete inspection, adjustment and lubrication of your bicycle. We adjust gears and brakes, true wheels, adjust the headset and bottom bracket and check all nuts and bolts. We will also lube your bike as needed. We will perform all repairs necessary to put your bike into the best shape it can be for safe and reliable operation. If your bike needs any new parts, we will let you know, but parts and installation labor are not included in the initial fee. We recommend tune-ups once a year at a minimum for all bikes.
We also have a robust selection of tubes, lights, locks, helmets, tires and more so come by and shop local, shop Wheelhouse for those accessories your bike has its heart set on!
Tour the city with Wheelhouse! Thanks to Groupon and some great word-of-mouth, Wheelhouse tours are quite the hit! To keep up with increased demand, we are offering even more tours this year. We'll visit Southwest Detroit, Hamtramck, Eastern Market, Belle Isle, and many other neighborhoods and areas of the city. There are also many themed tours, including Urban Agriculture, Architecture, Automotive Heritage, Underground Railroad History, Public Art, Civil War History and many, many more. We have informative stops and expert guides lined up, so we encourage you to visit wheelhousedetroit.com/tours to check out the ones that are confirmed and keep coming back as we continue to add more!
We also want to make sure you know that we do private group tours, which are great as a corporate team-building exercise, non-profit fund-raiser, conference activity or pre-wedding excursion. Group rentals are also available at a discounted rate with an advance reservation. Give us a call at 313-656-2453 and we'll set something up!
Staff report Hey, hey, the gang's all here! Of course Karen and Kelli are back this year, and we're happy to note that our core team of Wheelhouse employees are all returning: Alex, Lisa, Ron and Rob. We're also expanding the ranks with some new faces that we'll be introducing to you in the coming months, so stay tuned!
Q: What else to look for in 2011? A: A lot of bike stuff! Mark your calendar for the Tenth Annual Tour de Troit, which is set for September 24. There's also Bike the Bridge on June 12, the Colin Hubbell Memorial Bike Ride on June 18, Criterium Detroit City on July 9 and Compuware's Motor City Bike Ride on July 17. We will be sure to let you know about registration opportunities for them all.
We are also sponsoring Bikes 'N' Movies night at the Boll Family YMCA on April 2 at 7 p.m. It's the first of a free monthly series, and "We Are Traffic" will screen, a film that chronicles the history and development of Critical Mass in the '90's.
Finally, we are excited to be partnering with Fender Bender to offer regular maintenance sessions and workshops. Our April E-Blast will have dates and details.
In closing, we can't thank you enough for your past support of Wheelhouse, and are really looking forward to another year exploring the Motor City on two wheels.
Sincerely, Your Friends at Wheelhouse Detroit
1340 E. Atwater Detroit, MI 48207 313-656-BIKE (2453) www.wheelhousedetroit.com wheelhousedetroit.wordpress.com Become a Facebook Fan of Wheelhouse Detroit Bike Shop!
Do you think Wheelhouse is a Bicycle Friendly Business?
Wheelhouse Detroit has an application pending with the good people at League of American Bicyclists to be recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Business. The review process includes a local survey that is open to customers, employees, etc. It is available online at http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e367rwaxgh55tu8f/start and should only take about five to 10 minutes.
If you'd like, feel free to check out our application and the BFB scoring guidelines. You can download them as PDFs at the embedded links.
Please note: the deadline to participate is Feb. 11. We really appreciate your input and support!
Sale This Friday @ GifteD
We have two more Fridays to go at GifteD - A Holiday Boutique, located at 99 Monroe Street, between Farmer and Broadway, just east of the Compuware Building. To entice you to come visit, we are holding a crazy one-day sale this Friday, Dec. 17, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. What's so nuts about it? Well, all bikes are $100 off, all accessories are 25% off and gift certificates? Well, you pay us $40 and we will hand over one that is good for $50 worth of products, services, rentals or tours!
Bikes in stock include Kona Smoke (reg. $425 - $325 12/17 only); Kona Honky Tonk (61 cm - Reg. $899 - $799 12/17 only); Kona Humu (Reg. $425 - $325 12/17 only); Sun Drifter 7 (reg. $360 - $260 12/17 only); Sun Kruizer (reg. $330 - $230 12/17 only); and Origin8 Cutler 7 (reg. $300, $200 12/17 only). Photos and information on each of these bikes can be found at Bikes For Sale page.
Additionally, Wheelhouse's entire stock of accessories is marked down. That means helmets from Bell, Lazer and Protech; locks from Kryptonite and Master; saddlebags from Axiom and Jandd; auto racks from Saris; and lights from Knog and Planet Bike. There is also a selection of tubes, patch kits, bells, racks, baskets, gloves and more that is guaranteed to satisfy any cyclist. Find more details about our products at our Facebook Page, which includes photos and (pre-sale!) prices.
Stopping by means that you can also get great presents from the other GifteD retailers, including Bureau of Urban Living; Re:View Contemporary Gallery;City Bird; Rags; DSE @ Grand; Wound Menswear and Motor City Sewing; and Leopold's Books.
Keep up-to-date with the pop-up shop at the GifteD Facebook Page. Remaining hours of operation for GifteD are Friday, December 17, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday, December 24, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. So, yeah, we will be open for last-minute Christmas Eve shopping and...you know what, the sale prices will still apply then, too! It's total madness, we know.
Holiday shopping with the Wheelhouse
Looking for some sweet bike goodies for the holidays? Perhaps a new ride for yourself, a helmet for your BFF or a set of lights for your pop? Wheelhouse is happy that we will be able to accommodate you this year! We will be setting up shop at GifteD - A Holiday Boutique, which is running every Friday from Nov. 19 through Christmas Eve at 99 Monroe Street, between Farmer and Broadway - right down the block form Compuware. We will have bikes from Kona and Sun, locks, lights, panniers, messenger bags and more!
Other local retailers that will be there include:
- Bureau of Urban Living, a Midtown boutique that sells modern accessories for home and office;
- Re:View Gallery, also located in Midtown, with unique contemporary arts and goods;
- City Bird's well-curated handmade items;
- High-end urban wear from Rags;
- Stylish tees and hats from DSE @ Grand;
- Locally designed menswear from Wound; and
- Independent book purveyor Leopold's.
Services include dog training from Canine to Five and tailoring from Motor City Sewing.
GifteD kicks off on Friday, November 19 to coincide with the big tree lighting ceremony at Campus Martius.
Keep up-to-date on the pop-up shop and assorted happenings, specials and general fun at its Facebook Page. Hours of operation for GifteD are as follows:
- Friday, November 19, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Friday, November 26, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Friday, December 3, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Friday, December 10, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Friday, December 17, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Friday, December 24, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
And finally, here is a flier with more info.
See ya Downtown!
Last hurrah!
This is our last weekend of operation at the shop. Sad. We will be in 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so come by and see us. While we aren't quite ready to make an official announcement, let's just say this is not the last you will be seeing of the Wheelhouse this year. If you want to keep up-to-date, be sure to sign up for our E-Blasts at wheelhousedetroit.com. They come just once a month.
Fall hours + Tours + Recreation Passport
Today, we kick off our fall hours: Friday, Saturday & Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. While we are sad to shrink our hours, we are glad when we look back at this wonderful summer! We've added five tours to our October roster, including favorites like Eastern Market, Hamtramck and Haunted Detroit. Note: We are only accepting five Groupons per tour. More info at wheelhousedetroit.com/tours.
Beginning October 1, the state of Michigan is changing how its state parks are funded. There is a $10 Recreation Passport from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment, which will replace the state park sticker to provide access to all state parks and recreation areas, including:
- All 98 state parks and recreation areas
- 133 state forest campgrounds
- Nearly 1,000 miles of hiking, biking and skiing trails
- More than 1,000 boat launches
- Historic and cultural sites in state parks
What's more, 10% of all funds from the DNRE Recreation Passport will be directed to county, city and township parks through grant-funding. When you opt-in to the Recreation Passport, you are not only supporting the beautiful natural resources managed by the DNRE, but contributing towards an additional funding source for local parks.
To get your Recreation Passport, simply check "YES" on your license plate renewal form. In other states, this has been a boon to recreation funding.
Find out more here.
Tours + Tour de Troit
We are getting calls from Grouponers about the fact that our tours for the season are pretty much sold out. While we are very sorry that we won't be able to ride with you this year, we did offer 50 (yes, 50!) tours throughout the season, plenty of which were not sold out. We are exceedingly busy this week with the Tour de Troit, which has 3,225 (!) riders registered! We are looking forward to a stellar 9th edition of the TdT! See you at Roosevelt Park or at the shop for packet pick-up!
One last note, M-Bike has a great summary of all the cycling activities going on around town this weekend. With PEAC's ride last weekend to kick things off, we hope to evolve this into a proper Detroit Bike Week really soon.
Detroit Bikes SW Bike Tour
From our friends at Detroit Bikes! Sunday, September 19th The Great Southwest Detroit Industrial (Wasteland?) Bicycle Tour Detroit Bikes! is always on the lookout for new themes for our rides. Mike Krzesicki, a Detroit Bikes regular, used his unique imagination and put together a southwest side tour. This isn't your typical suburban ride through pretty neighborhoods with picket fences bordered by flower beds. Rather, this route takes us through much of the industrial underbelly of southwest Detroit. Strangely, even poetically, residences are sprinkled throughout the heavy industry complexes. As I tested the route (on a motorcycle), the imagery of "little houses on the prairie" kept popping into my head. I am confident that you, like me, will ride away from this tour with a new appreciation of the industry that has powered our economy.