May E-Blast

Happy May! Wheelhouse Detroit Bike Shop began operations on May 8, 2008. We are now entering our sixth year of business...in some ways, it seems like just yesterday that we opened our doors and, in others, decades ago! As that wise man Bob Dylan once sang, "I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now."

We'd like to sincerely thank you for being a part of the Wheelhouse family. We would not be here without you, and that's the plain truth.

We have been working hard to make this year our biggest and best ever and, therefore, this E-Blast might be our longest ever. Bear with us, we have some great news to share!

RETAIL

Wheelhouse strives to sell bicycles that are well-suited for urban riding; straddle the line of value and quality; and are made by a reputable manufacturer. We carry the following brands:

• Sun - cruisers, comfort hybrids & adult trikes.
• Origin 8 - Sun's urban offshoot; urban commuters, folding.
• Kona - hybrids, cyclocross.
• Brooklyn Cruiser - retro-styled cruisers.
• Detroit Bikes - locally manufactured urban commuters (avail. in July).

Wheelhouse might be small in square footage, but we've become pretty adept at keeping a robust array of bike goodies on hand for all of your needs and wants. We stock a full range of top bike accessory brands such as Continental, Topeak, Planet Bike, Bell, Giro, Axiom, Saris, Kenda, Park Tool, Knog, Michelin, Timbuk2, Kryptonite, Master Lock, Pedros and Jandd. What do you need? A tube, tire, saddle, bag, basket, pump, mirror, helmet…We’ve gotcha covered! And if you're in the market for a sharp Wheelhouse t-shirt, you can grab one of those on your next visit, or snap one up online.

SERVICE

We recently installed a new POS system, which was an opportune time for us to review our service prices. Rather than merely increasing them, we've broken them down in a way that we believe to be transparent. There's no man behind the curtain here! Check out our full menu of service prices here. Please note that, in almost every case, service requires that you drop off your bike. We will do our best to let you know when it will be ready for pick-up. We all want to see you back riding as soon as possible, but to do things right can sometimes take some time.

We are excited to announce that we now offer Service Delivery! Yep, we can pick-up and/or drop-off your wounded cycle. For pricing, please visit our Service Page.

TOURS

Our tour schedule for 2013 is finalized! A couple of notes worth mentioning: Our Underground Railroad Tour has added a stop at the Detroit Historical Museum to visit their recently renovated Doorway to Freedom exhibit; the Belle Isle tour has included a stop at the Acquarium to the roster; and we've developed a Music Heritage Tour that spans genres -- techno, rock, rap, soul, punk and Motown. You can scroll our Tours Page for details and to make reservations.

We also offer private tours, which are great as a corporate team-building exercise, non-profit fund-raiser, conference activity or pre-wedding excursion. A downloadable PDF with more info can be found here.

RENTALS

We are expanding our rental fleet, adding more cruisers, some comfort hybrids, an adult tricycle and an additional kids trailer. We will also soon have a couple of  Autobikes! Online advance reservations available for a 10% discount.

WEEKDAY WALK-IN SPECIAL: On Tuesdays and Thursdays, a 2-hour cruiser rental is half-off, just $7.50. Fine print: cruisers only, no reservations, subject to availability.

GOT A GROUP? We offer discounts to groups of six to 20 with advance notice and a deposit. More info available at Wheelhouse Group Rentals and Schools & Scouts. We can also deliver bikes to your event; inquire at info@wheelhousedetroit.com.

EVENTS

We have a lot going on, which might be an understatement. Read on...

It's great to see so many health-oriented businesses sprouting up around town, and we are partnering with several of them for some fantastic fun-n-fit activities through the summer months. We have Wheelhouse Workouts every other Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m., a free 12-15MPH ride; bi-weekly Endurance Thursdays, a free group ride that will be paced at 15-18MPH from 6-8 p.m. held in partnership with Detroit Endurance Lab; and a series of fitness tours with True Body Fitness. More info here.

We are also offering Cycle + Stretch with Midtown Yoga Shelter on May 19, register for that on our Tours Page.

A couple of annual rides that we are helping out with is the Ride of Silence on May 15 at 7 p.m. on Belle Isle and Cycle Into Spring on May 18 at Maheras Gentry Park.

Our Basic Maintenance Classes w/Fender Bender are back! This two-hour class will teach you some basic mechanics like changing a flat and go over some basic rules of the road and commuting tips. Classes cost just $5 and include a patch kit. Dates for the year: May 30 - Jun 13 - Jun 27 - Jul 11 - Jul 25 - Aug 8 - Aug 22 - Sep 12 - Sep 2.

As biking becomes more and more visible as a form of transportation, more and more events are adding bike parking as an amenity, and we are happy to help out! You'll find us at Detroit City FC home matches at Cass Tech; Detroit Tigers Bike to the Ballpark on May 22, and Riviere 28's Light up the Riverfront on June 6 and Soiree on the Greenway on July 18. More to come!

We're going to venture up to Port Austin for the weekend of June 7 for Detroit Up North - Take Two. More info about the 75- and 150-mile options, camping and more here!

Hope we see you soon -- and that we've given plenty of reasons for that to occur. Ride often and well.

Thanks, Your Friends at Wheelhouse Detroit