Cycling in the City
Detroit might be known as the Motor City, but you won’t need a motor to tour with us! Hop on a Public Bike Tour with Us
Bring your bike (or rent one from us) and join our engaging guides as they steer you around the streets of Detroit. Our public tour offerings differ in distances, lengths, themes, and routes.
With so many different offerings, you won’t be able to choose just one!
LET’S ROLL!
Choose your tour (details below)
Pick a day and time
Arrive and Ride
Tour Options
Want to learn more about each tour? Select the one you’re interested in to find out more!
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This informative overview of significant architecture in and around Downtown Detroit is one of our most popular tours. Led by architect Chris Gongora, this tour utilizes Detroit's architecture and unique urban plan to trace the city's long history from a remote trading post to a global industrial powerhouse. You will also see the many new developments in the works as the city experiences its renaissance.
Sites include Hart Plaza, Financial District, Cass Corridor, Eastern Market, Milwaukee Junction, New Center, and the Dequindre Cut. The discussion centers on architecture in relation to urban planning, past and future developments, and the social implications of architectural design, good and bad, in Detroit.
Ride Distance: 15 miles
Ride Length: 3 hours
Cost: $45/$55 with bike rental
Max Capacity: 10 riders
2026 Architecture Schedule: 5/10, 6/7, 7/12, 8/2, 9/20, 10/11
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Discover how Detroit became the center of the automotive industry on this tour.
The tour takes in the Globe Building, Dequindre Cut, Packard Plant, the GM Detroit-Hamtramck (Poletown) Assembly Plant, Milwaukee Junction with a stop at the Piquette Plant, New Center (old GM Headquarters and Fisher Building) and TechTown, where we will learn how industry is evolving with advanced technology. On the return trip, we will pass the Michigan Theatre, the location of Ford’s original workshop, the Bagley Garage.
This tour is conducted in partnership with Ford Piquette Avenue Plant and Motorcities National Heritage Area.
Ride Distance: 12 miles
Ride Length: 3 hours
Cost: $45/$55 with bike rental
Max Capacity: 10 riders
2026 Auto Heritage Schedule: 5/2, 6/20, 7/11, 8/15, 9/5, 10/3
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Explore Detroit’s island gem, including the Flynn Pavilion, the Boat and Yacht Clubs, Scott Fountain, and the Casino. Depending on weather and the group’s interests, potential stops include the Belle Isle Aquarium, Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, Dossin Great Lakes Museum, Oudolf Garden, the Nature Center, Livingstone Lighthouse, the Iron Belle Trail, and the wet-mesic forest area.
The route to and from the island includes a ride along the Detroit Riverfront, including the newly opened Uniroyal Promenade.
Ride Distance: 12-15 miles
Ride Length: 3 hours
Cost: $45/$55 with bike rental
Max Capacity: 10 riders
2026 Dates Coming Soon!
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Explore Detroit’s vibrant book scene! Stops may includeJohn K. King Books,27th Letter Books,Source Booksellers,Vesper Books & Wine,Detroit Specials Used Books,Sip & Read, andVault of Midnight. We’ll also pay a visit to the gorgeous Main Branch of the Detroit Public Library.
Ride Distance: 13-15 miles
Ride Length: 4 hours
Cost: $55/$65 with bike rental
Max Capacity: 10 riders
2026 Books & Bikes Schedule: 4/25 (Independent Bookstore Day!) - More Dates TBA
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Join Wheelhouse's Architecture tour guide and board member of Preservation Detroit, Chris Gongora, on a visit to one of Detroit's most prestigious and architecturally significant neighborhoods, Boston Edison. Points of interest will include Voigt Park, the Berry Gordy and Kresge mansions, and a stop at The Congregation, a charming neighborhood cafe housed in a former church.
The ride to and from the neighborhood will take in the Riverfront, Midtown, New Center, Virginia Park, Piety Hill, the North End, Milwaukee Junction, and the Dequindre Cut.
This tour was developed in conjunction with Preservation Detroit in 2025.
Ride Distance: 15 miles
Ride Length: 4 hours
Cost: $50/$60 with rental
Max Capacity: 10 riders
2026 Dates Coming Soon!
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Get inside info on the oldest neighborhood in Detroit. Check out Victorian homes, historic churches and buildings, vibrant and dynamic businesses and urban farms. Stops include Most Holy Trinity, North Corktown and several of its community gardens and urban farms, the West Riverfront, the site of Tiger Stadium, Michigan Central Station, the Southwest Detroit Greenway, and Roosevelt Park.
Discussion centers on historic demographic changes, urban renewal and the impact, good and bad, of current development in the community. Wheelhouse owner Kelli Kavanaugh will be your tour guide. She lived in Corktown for 19 years, wrote the book "Detroit’s Michigan Central Station," and previously worked for the Corktown Citizens District Council and Greater Corktown Development Corp.
Bring cash for a stop at a neighborhood watering hole.
Ride Distance: 10 miles
Ride Length: 3 hours
Cost: $45/$55 with bike rental
Max Capacity: 6 riders
2026 Dates Coming Soon!
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Celebrate Halloween with the Wheelhouse! This tour combines some ghostly anecdotes with factual historic info about Harry Houdini, the Nain Rouge, Elmwood Cemetery, and the St. Aubin Street Massacre. We will also visit a few spots rumored to be haunted, including the Fort-Shelby and Leland Hotels, The Whitney, and the Masonic Temple. The route includes Rivertown, Elmwood Park, Poletown, Midtown/Cass Corridor, and Downtown.
There will be time for a beer or coffee stop, per the group's preference.
Ride Distance: 13 miles
Ride Length: 3 hours
Cost: $45/$55 with bike rental
Max Capacity: 10 riders
2026 Haunted Detroit Schedule: 10/24, 10/25, 10/31, 11/1
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Music originating from Detroit has been innovative and impactful, spanning many genres that include techno, rock, rap, soul, punk, and, of course, Motown. This tour will take in many relevant sites, including the Masonic Temple, Michigan Theater, St. Andrews Hall, Detroit Opera House, Music Hall, Chin Tiki, the site of the Gold Dollar, United Sound Systems Recording Studio, Submerge, and the Motown Museum.
There will be a beverage stop at one of several options per the group’s preference. Options may include Motor City Brewing Works, the Gold Dollar, or SPKRBX.
Ride Distance: 12 miles
Ride Length: 3 hours
Cost: $45/$55 with rental
Max Capacity: 10 riders
2026 Dates Coming Soon!
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One weekend only! This tour will take in the near east side neighborhood known as Poletown because of its ethnic heritage. The group will visit several churches, including St. Stanislaus, St. Hyacinth, St. Albertus, and Sweetest Heart of Mary -- and learn about its overall history including depopulation, urban agriculture, and the legacy of the Poletown Plant.
Riders should bring cash for the highlight of the tour: a prolonged stop at the annual Pierogi Festival at Sweetest Heart with opportunity for Polish food and beer, a church tour, live polka music, a rummage sale, and carnival games.
Ride Distance: 12 miles
Ride Length: 3 hours
Cost: $45/$55 with bike rental
Max Capacity: 15 riders
2026 Poletown Schedule: 8/7, 8/8, 8/9
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Detroit has a plethora of amazing public art, and this tour travels from the Riverfront through Greater Downtown, Midtown, and the East Side to take in a wide variety, ranging in scale, material, and era. This tour was redesigned in 2024.
Ride Distance: 12 miles
Ride Length: 3 hours
Cost: $45/$55 with bike rental
Max Capacity: 10 riders
2026 Dates Coming Soon!
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Explore the vibrant area of Southwest Detroit. The tour may include stops at the West Riverfront, Riverside and Clark Parks, Delray, 27th Letter Books, Basilica of Ste. Anne de Detroit, the Mexicantown restaurant district, and Michigan Central Station. The conversation will include a discussion of demographics, greenways and parks, historic districts, the Ambassador and Gordie Howe bridges, and current development plans. Bring cash for a rest stop where options include ice cream and fresh squeezed juice from La Michoacana or coffee and baked goods from Mexicantown Bakery.
Ride Distance: 13 miles
Ride Length: 3 hours
Cost: $45/$55 with bike rental
Max Capacity: 10 riders
2026 Dates Coming Soon!
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Detroit is one of the nation’s best sports towns, and this tour will visit some of the venues that contribute to that designation. Stops include the site of Recreation Park, former home of the Michigan Wolverines; Turkey Stearnes Field at Hamtramck Stadium, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and was home to the Detroit Wolves and Stars; Keyworth Stadium, home of the Detroit City Football Club; the sites of Tiger Stadium, Olympia Stadium, and Joe Louis Arena.
Neighborhoods visited include Corktown, NW Goldberg, Midtown, Hamtramck, and Downtown.
Bring cash for a stop at Nemo's, ranked the third best sports bar in the nation by Sports Illustrated.
Ride Distance: 15 miles
Ride Length: 3 hours
In 2026, Sports Heritage will only be offered as a private outing. For more info and to book, please visit wheelhousedetroit.com/private-tours.
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This tour will bring to life the beats that electrify Detroit. Spend an afternoon in the saddle visiting Detroit’s historic electronic music sites, including the Warehouse District, The Music Institute, and the Packard Plan, and Submerge/Underground Resistance. A beverage stop can be included, with top choices including SPKRBX and Spotlite.
Ride Distance: 20 miles / Ride Length: 4 hours
Cost: $50/$60 with bike rental
In 2026, Techno will only be offered as a private outing. For more info and to book, please visit wheelhousedetroit.com/private-tours.
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Join us for a tour of the eastside of Detroit with a focus on the history and aesthetic of Pewabic Pottery. Learn the story of co-founder Mary Chase Perry Stratton and how a humble kiln business grew into the legacy tileworks still operational and influential over a century later.
Brief informational stops will be made at Elmwood Cemetery, Church of the Messiah, the Fitz Goebel Residence and Frederick Stearns House, Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church, and the Broadhead Naval Armory. Featured stops include The Shepherd, a church (with a Pewabic tile installation!) that has been repurposed as a contemporary art space, and, of course, Pewabic Pottery itself, which will include live music, food trucks, and time to shop the retail space and explore the curated historic exhibit.
This tour was developed in conjunction with Pewabic Pottery’s education department in 2025.
Ride Distance: 15 miles
Ride Length: 4 hours
Cost: $50/$60 with rental
Max Capacity: 10 riders
2026 Dates Coming Soon!
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Our Tuesday tour is short and sweet and showcases the area's greatest hits, including the Detroit Riverwalk, Milliken State Park, Dennis Archer Greenway, and Dequindre Cut. There's also an opportunity to hop off the saddle and explore Eastern Market's murals, vendors, and specialty food shops.
Ride Distance: 6-8 miles
Ride Length: 2 hours
Cost: $25/$35 with bike rental
Max Capacity: 6 riders
2026 Tuesday Tour Schedule: 6/9, 6/16, 6/23, 6/30, 7/7, 7/14, 7/21, 7/28, 8/4, 8/11, 8/18, 8/25, 9/1, 9/8
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Detroit was an important station on the Underground Railroad, and the final American stop prior to freedom across the River in Canada for many escaped slaves. Stops include the Underground Railroad memorial sculpture on the Detroit Riverwalk, historic Second Baptist Church, the site of Finney Barn, Elmwood Cemetery, and First Congregational Church. Historical figures to be discussed include Thornton and Lucie Blackburn, Frederick Douglass, John Brown, and George DeBaptiste, among others.
This tour was completely redesigned and reconsidered in 2022.
Ride Distance: 10 miles
Ride Length: 3 hours
Cost: $45/$55 with bike rental
Max Capacity: 10 riders
2026 Dates Coming Soon!
2026 Public Tour Season
Public tours will be scheduled for (almost) every Saturday and Sunday from mid-April through October as well as some weekdays.
As of March 6, dates are bookable for the following tours: Architecture, Auto Heritage, Books & Bikes, Haunted, Poletown, and Tuesday Tours.
To book a private tour at the day and time of your convenience, email bookings@wheelhousedetroit.com.
To stay informed, follow us on Facebook, sign up for our newsletter at the signup box at bottom of page, and check out the Google calendar of our tours HERE.