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June E-Blast
Hello there, Wheelhouse friend! Please accept our apologies for being so super late with our monthly e-blast but, guess what? We've been busy! So here's a brief note to get us through the Fourth of July holiday and then hopefully we will get back on schedule!
We are open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the following exceptions: We are closed on Monday, June 25 due to the Fireworks. We will be open holiday hours of 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 4.
2012 Detroit River Days Festival If you are visiting the shop this weekend, please be mindful that that the 2012 River Days Festival will be in full swing, happening June 22-24, 2012! Thousands of Detroiters and visitors will be visiting the Detroit International Riverfront with the return of the this fantastic festival, so anticipate pedestrian traffic on your ride over, or increased vehicular traffic if you are driving (please note that the Rivard Plaza parking lot adjacent to our shop is closed for festival staging).
Tour Info Be sure to visit wheelhousedetroit.com/tours to read up on our complete roster of offerings and to make a reservation as many of them do sell out. We cap registration at 15 riders to ensure a safe ride and that everyone can hear the guide!
We also book private tours, some with families and friends, others for work outings. Just a heads-up, we are now booking for the end of July and beyond, so keep that in mind if you are planning an outing. Give us a call at 313-656-2453 or email us at info@wheelhousedetroit.com to set one up!
Classes & Workouts! Mark your calendars for our bi-weekly bike maintenance classes taught by our friends at Fender Bender! The two-hour Tuesday workshops includes instruction on how to change a flat, patch a tube, adjust your seat and handlebars plus some trouble-shooting tips, Rules of the Road discussion and commuting guidelines. Classes cost just $5 and include a patch kit. Remaining dates are June 26; July 10 and 24; August 14 and 28; and September 11 and 25. They start at 6 p.m. sharp and are first-come, first-serve.
Every other Wednesday, join us for Wheelhouse Workouts, a 20-mile fitness ride at a moderate pace (12 to 15 mph) with a varying route. This ride is offered in conjunction with our friends at FitnessWorks, who will kindly provide participants with a rest and water stop. Remaining dates are July 18; August 1 and 15; and September 5 and 19. This ride is FREE!
Wear Wheelhouse! Our sharp Wheelhouse t-shirts are available at the shop for $15, or you can pick one up online here for $20 (as modeled by Wheelhouse's own Adam Bedell, starting defender for Detroit City FC).
Other Great Bike Happenings Coming up on June 30 is The Thunderdrome! a two-wheeled race (both motorized and non- in several different classes) that takes place at the until-recently abandoned Dorais Velodrome in northeast Detroit. It costs 5 bucks to spectate, and that enters you into a raffle for this new bike provided by none other than the Wheelhouse! It should be a fun event to ride or watch!
Registration is open for the Eleventh Annual Tour de Troit. This year, the date is September 15. Early bird registration is open through June; the price starts to jump after that! More info in future editions about the Colin Hubbell Memorial Ride (August 11), Jcycle II (August 19) and Compuware Motor City Bike Ride (August 25).
Don't forget! Wheelhouse provides free bike valet at all Detroit City FC home games, which are held at Cass Tech. You can find us on the south end of the field. The remaining games are 23 and July 1, with playoffs expected. If you haven't made it to a match yet, you are really missing something special. We love Le Rouge!
Here at the Wheelhouse, we strive to provide a great offering of bike-related retail stock and exceptional bike service. We turn bikes around typically in one to six days and are still carrying an array of new bikes and bike accessories at what we consider to be fair prices!
Thanks for your patronage, Your Friends at Wheelhouse Detroit
This Movement Festival, Get Rolling With Wheelhouse!
One of our favorite weekends of the year is the Movement Electronic Music Festival held over Memorial Day weekend. We love to get as many visitors onto a bike as possible, as we truly believe it is the best way to see the city.
To that end, we are offering discounts to anyone wearing a Movement festival wristband all weekend long. So whether you are looking for a quick ride to Eastern Market for lunch, a trip to Belle Isle for a swim, or want a bike for transportation the entire weekend, we've gotcha covered!
MOVEMENT FESTIVAL-GOER RENTAL RATES $10/2 hours (reg. $15) $18/half-day/4 hours (reg. $25) $25/full day (reg. $35) $40/2 days (reg. $50) $60/3 days (reg. $75) $75/full week (reg. $99)
You can call 313-656-2453 to reserve a bike at these rates.
We also offer a couple of techno-themed tours that delve into Detroit's epic electronic music history.
The first tour will be on Sunday, May 27 from noon to 4 p.m. It will be the “long” tour that will go for as many as 21 miles, taking riders past historic electronic music sites like The Music Institute, Underground Resistance HQ, and the Packard Plant. The tour price is $30; with bike rental, it’s $40. This “long” tour is recommended for more experienced riders.
The second tour will be Monday, May 28 from noon until 3 p.m. It will be the “short” tour. A rider will see landmarks such as The Music Institute, Underground Resistance HQ, and the East Riverfront Warehouse District. The tour price is $25; with bike rental, it’s $35.
If you are on Facebook, you can check out a great album of photos taken at last year's Long Tour. As you can see, the stop at Underground Resistance HQ was pretty amazing.
We do offer a tour of Southwest Detroit on Saturday and one of Detroit's Public Art on Sunday if you are interested in experiencing other aspects of the city. You can register for any of them at wheelhousedetroit.com/tours. In 2011, most of our tours sold out, so don't wait too long!
Looking forward to seeing you at the Wheelhouse over Memorial Day weekend!
May E-Blast
We believe our monthly email missives are truly the best way to stay up-to-date with Wheelhouse goings-on. Check out our latest and, if you agree, sign up at wheelhousedetroit.com! Hello there, Wheelhouse friend!
We are now fully entrenched in our seven-day-a-week summer schedule. We are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The only day we will be closed this month is May 30, when we'll take a belated day off for Memorial Day. Otherwise, come by during our posted hours and we promise that we will be here rain or shine!
Retail+Service Looking for a new ride? Look no further! We have hybrids and cruisers starting at just $300. We carry Kona, Origin 8 and Sun. For an updated list of bikes currently on the floor, head over to Bikes for Sale.
We stock a wide variety of accessories that can make your bike prettier, tougher, more utilitarian…whatever you desire it to be! We carry pumps, lights, racks, baskets, saddles, pedals, fenders, bells and helmets...and if we don't carry it, we get special orders in weekly.
Never let it be said that we put the cart before the horse: we finally have t-shirts! Featuring our street/spoke logo in white on black and retailing for $15, you'll want to buy a spare!
Tune-ups are back to regular price: 50 bucks. We pride ourselves on quality service and a quick turn-around, so drop your bike off and, when you pick it up, we believe that you will be highly satisfied with the results. And if you are not? We promise to rectify the situation.
Tour the city with Wheelhouse! We blast into our peak tour season with our May roster, which includes at least three tours a week. This weekend features Architecture (5/5 10 a.m.), Underground Railroad (5/5 1 p.m.) and Grandmont Rosedale (5/6 11 a.m.). The rest of the month features Urban Agriculture, Eastern Market, Hamtramck, Belle Isle, Midtown/Woodbridge, Murals of Southwest Detroit, Automotive Heritage, Southwest Detroit/Fort Wayne, Public Art and our favorite Memorial Day Weekend treat: Techno in the 313. Be sure to visit wheelhousedetroit.com/tours to read up on our complete roster of offerings and to make a reservation.
Our tours are a fun and healthy way to explore the city, and we believe that even life-long Detroiters will learn a thing or two on them! To make sure that we have accurate and up-to-date information, we partner with community organizations and then share a portion of the proceeds -- over $6,000 to date -- with the group that helped us design and execute the tour. Some of our partners include People for Palmer Park, Bridging Communities, Automotive National Heritage Area, Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance, the Sierra Club, Villages CDC and the Belle Isle Conservancy.
We also offer 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 or email us at info@wheelhousedetroit.com and we'll set something up!
Fender Bender Maintenance Classes Mark your calendars for our bi-weekly bike maintenance classes taught by our friends at Fender Bender! The two hour Tuesday workshops includes instruction on how to change a flat, patch a tube, adjust your seat and handlebars plus some trouble-shooting tips, Rules of the Road discussion and commuting guidelines. Classes cost just $5 and include a patch kit. Dates are May 8 and 22; June 12 and 26; July 10 and 24; August 14 and 28; and September 11 and 25. They start at 6 p.m. sharp and are first-come, first-serve.
Wednesday Wheelhouse Workouts Every other Wednesday, join us for Wheelhouse Workouts, a 20-mile fitness ride at a casual pace (12 to 15 mph) with a varying route. This ride is offered in conjunction with our friends at FitnessWorks, who will kindly provide participants with a rest and water stop. Dates are May 16; June 6 and 20; July 18; August 1 and 15; and September 5 and 19. This ride is FREE!
Other Great Events There is a great number of exciting rides in Detroit this year, and we wanted to make sure that we at least inform you of the ones in which we are involved!
- Ride of Silence: An annual, national, slow-paced bicycle ride that honors those cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. The 10-mile Detroit Ride of Silence will be on May 16 at Belle Isle leaving from Scott Fountain promptly at 7:00 pm.
- Cycle Into Spring: Join the Detroit Eastside Community Collaborative for this inaugural event on May 19 to raise funds for the Conner Creek Greenway. The 20-mile route will begin and end at Maheras Gentry Park on the shores of the Detroit River; sites include Mt. Olivet Cemetery and Chandler Park. The ride costs $25 or $35 with lunch from Slow's Bar B Q. Join us on the Eastside for a fun ride for a great cause! Registration is open.
- Detroit Up North Ride: We're hitting the road to Port Austin! There are one- and two-day options for this 150-mile haul and you can also choose to camp with us if you so please. Get the deets here and register here.
- Tour de Troit: Registration is open for the Eleventh Annual Tour de Troit. This year, the date is September 15. We're looking at 5,000 participants this year, so lock your spot in early!
We will have more information on other rides we support in future E-Blasts, including Cycle for Literacy (June 16), Bike the Bridge (June 17), Colin Hubbell Memorial Ride (August date TBD), Jcycle II (August 19) and Compuware Motor City Bike Ride (August 25).
One last thing: Wheelhouse will be providing free bike parking at all Detroit City FC home games, which will be held at Cass Tech. The matches are set for May 12 and 26; June 2, 16 and 23; and July 1. We are super excited to support Le Rouge!
See you soon at the Wheelhouse…and on the road!
Looking forward to a great summer, 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!
Summer Hours In Effect!
Wheelhouse is now open seven days a week! Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Our summer hours are in effect from May through September. See you soon!
Watch out Port Austin!
On June 8 and 9, denizens of Detroit will peaceably invade Port Austin, a charming town at the Tip of the Thumb on Lake Huron.
Wheelhouse is organizing a supported group ride with one- or two-day options with optional camping. Find out more here!
WH + Detroit City FC
We are thrilled to announce that we will be providing free bike parking at Detroit City FC home matches, which will be held at Cass Tech. Check out more info at their website and get connected on Facebook.
Sunday is the last day to purchase a $30 season ticket and get a scarf thrown in. What a deal!
You can buy online or head over to Nancy Whiskey's in North Corktown to purchase in-person starting at 7:30 p.m..
Viva Le Rouge!
Bikes for Sale at the WH
We are just getting our 2012 bikes in for sale...Here is a rundown of what we have at the moment. Konas are due in next week.
From Sun Bikes:
Origin8 Cutler. This bike has won us over with its steady handling and recession-friendly pricing. Black 7-Speed $330 - 47, 52, 56, 59 cm in stock; Grey Single Speed $300 56 cm in stock.
Origin8 Folding Bike. 3-Speed In Stock. Perfect for a boat or a frequent traveler!$369
Origin8 Bully. 7-Speed 20". Aggressive styling with a compact design for easy in-and-out of your apartment, house or office.$359
Cruz 7. 7-Speed cruiser in a sharp orange! 18 in$349
Drifter. Classic styling belies its ultra-light frame. Best of both worlds. $360. 16" female frame in stock in pink. 7 speeds.
And, left over from 2011:
Origin8 Brutus. Enormous 700x40 tires. Flip-flop hub. Battleship navy blue roughed-up paint job. $499SALE PRICE: $375 - 54 cm in stock.
March E-Blast
Here is our March E-Blast. It has info about the upcoming season and special tune-up prices and bike sales. If you like what you read, you should sign up on our website! We send out emails once a month that let you know what's up at the Wheelhouse and in the greater world of Detroit cycling. Happy spring, dear Wheelhouser!
We are so thrilled to be kicking off our 2012 season this weekend! We officially open our doors at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 16 and 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 you took full advantage of the mild winter, it more than likely needs a tune-up! This weekend only, we are offering an extra-special deal in honor of the 3rd Annual Marche du Nain Rouge, which will take place Sunday, March 25 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.
Shop local, shop Wheelhouse! In the market for a new ride? Our 2012 stock will be arriving in the next month, so we have slashed prices on any 2011 bikes that remain in stock including an Origin 8 Cutler 7-speed for $255 (Reg. $330) and a single speed for $225 (Reg. $299); Sun Drifter 7-speed step-through in blue for just $310 (Reg. $360); single speed Sun adult trike in white for $330 (Reg. $370); Origin 8 Brutus for just $375 (Reg. $500); Kona Smoke for $350 (Reg. $429); and Kona Jake for $599 (Reg. $899).
We also have a robust selection of tubes, lights, bags, racks, locks, helmets, tires and more so come by and shop Wheelhouse for those accessories your bike has its heart set on!
As featured in National Geographic Traveler! Over the last four years, we have learned what works and what doesn't in terms of bike touring and are committed to fun, informative and safe outings that enhance the communities that we visit. This year, we have over 90 tours on our calendar. Where will we pedal? Southwest Detroit, Hamtramck, Eastern Market, Belle Isle, Indian Village, Palmer Park, the Conner Creek Greenway....and many other fascinating Detroit neighborhoods. What will we discover? Architecture, Urban Farming, Automotive Heritage, Public Art, Underground Railroad History...and lots of other compelling aspects of Detroit's history -- and present.
Last year, most sold tours out, so we recommend visiting our Tours Page today to peruse our calendar of offerings and reserve your spot today. You can also download a handy-dandy one-pager listing here.
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!
What's in the works for 2012 At the shop, you'll see a mix of familiar and new faces. Of course, Karen and Kelli are back, along with Alex, Ron and Rob and our team of amazing tour staff: Brian, Mike D., Todd, Patrick, Mike G., Paul, Marc, Tiffany, Melissa and Jeremy. You'll also be meeting some new employees, including Sarah, Tatiana and Mari in the coming weeks, so be sure to stop by and introduce yourself!
We have a ton of plans for the season, culminating with the Eleventh Annual Tour de Troit, which is set for September 15. There's also the inaugural Detroit Up North on June 8 and Compuware's Motor City Bike Ride on August 25 for starters, so we will be sure to let you know about registration opportunities for them as well as others that are still in the works.
We will also be hosting a FREE bi-weekly Wednesday night ride in partnership with FitnessWorks. Also bi-weekly, but on Tuesdays, we'll be holding low-cost maintenance workshops in partnership with Fender Bender. More details to come!
Last but not least, we are super-excited to be a sponsor of Detroit Bike City at Cobo Center on March 24. We will have a vendor booth at the show and will also be providing free attended bike parking. Hope to see you there!
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!
Holiday News from Wheelhouse Detroit
Dear Friend-of-Wheelhouse, By now, you are probably exhausted from shopping, baking, cooking, eating and drinking but, if you are anything like us, there is still a few more gifts to be gotten. Enter -- we hereby humbly offer -- Wheelhouse Detroit's Holiday Sale!
There are four more days for our Downtown Holiday Pop-Up Shop in the Compuware Building, and we are offering a bunch of deals as we bid a farewell to our holiday pop-up location and, most of all, entice you to spend some of your final holiday dollars with us! We are open Wednesday 12/21 through Friday 12/23, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 12/24 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Best of all, we offer parking validation with any purchase for up to three hours , so come by and shop Wheelhouse before a meal at Texas de Brazil or ice skating at Campus Martius!
It might not be bike-riding weather for most of us softies, but it sure is prime bike-buying season! We have cut prices on any remaining bikes so drastically that it is almost scary. If there is someone on your list with a hankering for a new ride, this really is the most logical time to make that purchase. Here is a rundown on what we currently have available:
- The Origin 8 Cutler is sleek, simple and affordable. We have a 56cm 7-speed for $255 (Reg. $330) and a 56cm single speed for $225. (Reg. $299)
- The Sun Drifter is comfortable and surprisingly light. We have a 7-speed step-through in blue for just $310. (Reg. $360).
- Sun also makes an adult trike perfect for an active senior looking for stability. We have a single-speed with a rear basket in pearl white for $330. (Reg. $370) It can be made into a 3‐speed for an additional $120, or into a 5‐speed for an additional $160.
- Looking for a perfect bike to travel with? How about an Origin 8 Folding Bike? We have a 7-speed for just $300 in-stock! (Reg. $320)
- The Origin 8 Brutus has a hub that can flip between single speed and fixed-gear. It is strong and solid, and you can nab it for just $375. (Reg. $500 - yup, that's $125 off!)
- We love Kona bikes, especially their "Asphalt" line. We ride them, we rent them, we sell them. We have two excellent hybrids in stock: a 46cm Dew for $375 (Reg. $429) and a 22in Smoke (with fenders) for $350 (Reg. $429).
- We also have a super-sharp Kona cyclocross, a Jake, in 58cm marked down to $599!!! (Reg. $899)
And for the rest of our stock, all this week, everything is marked down 20%! That's accessories from Planet Bike and Dimension; locks from Master and Kryptonite; bags from Jandd and Timbuk2; baskets from Wald and Dimension; bike racks from Topeak and Axiom; auto racks from Saris; tools and pumps from Pedro's and Park; tires from Kenda and Continental; and tubes from Michelin and Q...and much, much more. To get some good gift ideas, check out a sampling of our in-stock products...all on sale!
We are also carrying some locally designed bike-themed t-shirts -- from Wound, Bikes & Murder and Detroit Bicycle Co. -- and handmade basket liners and scarves, great gift ideas!
Gift Certificates! Give the Gift of a Wheelhouse Bike Tour
Looking for a great holiday gift? We offer gift certificates that you can purchase at our pop-up shop that are good for any Wheelhouse item or service: retail, repair, rentals or tours.
You can also buy a gift certificate on-line that can be used towards any tour in our sure-to-be-spectacular 2012 tour series! Most tours cost $25 or $35 with a bike rental, so you can choose the number of people and/or tours that you want to gift! For example, two people on a tour riding their own bikes would be $50. One person using one of our bikes? $35. Head to www.wheelhousedetroit.com to purchase with Paypal or any major credit card! Give the gift of Experiencing the Motor City on Two Wheels to your favorite cyclist, explorer or Detroit-lover!
We can't thank our customers enough for a wonderful 2011, and we can't wait to see what 2012 has in store for us!
Have a wonderful and peaceful holiday season, Your Friends at Wheelhouse Detroit
Map to the Compuware Building wheelhousedetroit.com Keep up-to-date at Wheelhouse Detroit Bike Shop's Facebook Page!
Bikes In-Stock
Folks, here is the price list of bikes we currently have in stock at our Compuware Holiday Pop-Up Shop. These are new 2010 and 2011 bikes that are waaaaay marked down.