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Mid-May Musings
It's mid-May, and we already have a couple of updates to our E-Blast so, rather than clog your mailbox, we'll make use of this bloggage thingie. This Friday, May 16, is Bike to Work Day! The routes and timings are mapped out HERE. There will be a leader and sweepers on each route provided by Wheelhouse along with other event supporters. After the ride, there will be swag galore in Grand Circus Park from 7 to 9 a.m.
The annual Ride of Silence is set for Wednesday, May 21 at 7 p.m. We are meeting up at Shelter 2, and this year there is a new route. More info HERE.
We continue to add more tours to our summer schedule. Stay up-to-date on our Tours Page.
NEW BIKE IN STOCK! The Origin 8 Intersect is a sleek city steed of 7 speeds. Deep V rims, 700x28 tires. $429.
We got a nice write -up in BLAC Magazine recently. Here's a link to a PDF of the article: BLAC0514
That's all for now - hope to see you soon!
Misc. Bloggage
Just a few notes for the week:
- We are launching a Featured Item of the Week that will be broadcast to our Facebook Fans. The item will be on sale and will be a product that we heartily recommend -- as in, we use it and believe in it. This week it's a light set, but you have to become our Fan to get all the deets!
- Ladies, the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals has launched a survey called "Writing Women Back into Bicycling: Changing Transportation Culture to Encourage More Women to Cycle More Places More Often." Here's what they have to say:
- We got some nice coverage in Real Detroit Weekly!
While it is an exciting time in the U.S. as many new bicycling projects are being installed, women continue to participate in bicycling at lower rates than men. We are conducting a survey of women and girls to hear from them about the many possible factors influencing their cycling decisions. Take the survey (open until May 15, 2010 – women and girls only please) at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/womencycling. We would like to hear from non-cyclists as well as current and past cyclists. Final results will be available after May 15, during National Bike Month.
Extensive bike riding in a city that centers around the fundamental tenets of car manufacturing is, of course, no small feat of accomplishment. But encouraging riding as a form of personal transportation and fostering a more healthy community identity are some of the core principles practiced by the owners of Wheelhouse Detroit, along with the shop’s devoted following of wheelie worshiping disciples. The Detroit biking tours, especially, are a landmark way for Detroit area dwellers to step off the confines of their front porches and really take in the classic, pristine beauty of some of Detroit’s forgotten architectural majesty.
Check it out here.
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.
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!
Karen's Detroit
Karen was profiled by Next American City and Model D. Awesome article!
Karen Gage says the best way to travel Detroit is by bike. The entrepreneur and community development star isn't just saying that because she started the city's first bike rental business a year ago. Karen's bike is her main mode of transportation. She says the city's flat, wide streets and sparse traffic make for great conditions for those who prefer two wheels to four.
"People ask me all the time if I feel safe, and I just want to be like, 'No. No I don't. And it sucks. That's why I ride my bike every day,'" Karen says, with an ironic deadpan.
Read the whole thing here.
Curious about our tours?
Wheelhouse was featured in Sunday's Detroit Free Press. The article talks about our tours and there is an accompanying video of our Creekside tour.
From the article, City cycling is a challenge and a treat:
Throughout the spring and fall, and occasionally in the summer, the store -- run by Detroiters Karen Gage and Kelli Kavanaugh -- hosts bike tours that range from about 10 miles to 30 miles or more.
"We have so much fun biking around the city, just going out and experiencing it and seeing new things," said Gage, 33. "Detroit has a lot of cool neighborhoods and interesting people and great architecture. These bike tours are allowing us to present that."
You can watch the video at the Freep site or via the column on the right-hand side of this page!
Dequindre Cut Re-Cap
The opening of the Dequindre Cut was truly lovely. Can't say much about the speechifying, because we were too busy transporting (where was Jason Statham when we needed him?) 10 bikes from the shop over to the Cut! Two of our cruisers were used to string the ribbon across the Cut for the grand snip. After the ceremony, there was a parade down the Cut with marching bands, walkers, roller bladers and, yes, bikers! Then we offered free 1/2-hour rentals so folks could ride to the end and back. We estimate we did about 35 or so -- and between that and the wind knocking our bikes over, Alex and Kelli were busting butt the whole time! But well worth it -- it seems like good times were had by all.
Read more about it at the Metro Times or watch this video!
The Last Word
Kelli & Karen had "The Last Word" in this week's Real Detroit.
Here's a sample:
What was the most exciting thing about being down here finally and what was the biggest challenge that you faced?
KK: The challenge was to get the word out, get people to come down here and see biking as a feasible entertainment option — not just for people who ride regularly. One of the most exciting things is when we rent to people from other places. You go to most major cities and renting a bike is not abnormal. They come here and expect to rent a bike and have Detroit deliver for them — it’s not a radical experience for them. Getting to see a city by bike is awesome, and allows a fair view of this town that not many visitors get to see. KG: On the flipside, I love it when Detroiters and residents and local people come in and are like, “Whoa! That’s whats up.”
Check the whole thing out here!
Also, remember to come out tomorrow between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for the grand opening of the Dequindre Cut! We'll be at the Woodbridge (south) entrance with free bike rentals, coupons and of course, info about tours, group rides and all that kind of fun stuff.
We're famous! (Relatively speaking...)
USA Today has an article out about 10 places to check out in Detroit, and the Riverfront and lil ol' Wheelhouse got name-checked!
Detroit Riverfront Stop by the Detroit Riverfront for some serious off-court action. "The 2009 NCAA Men's Final Four weekend in Detroit wouldn't be complete without 'The Big Dance,' " Monforton says. "Three days of free musical concerts will take place, including performances by the Pussycat Dolls, Gavin DeGraw, Fergie, Staind, Gym Class Heroes, Jesse McCartney, N.E.R.D., Janelle Monáe, Keith Sweat and emcee Ryan Seacrest." Best part? The celeb-filled fest is free. The Cullen Family Carousel and the Wheelhouse Detroit bike rentals also will be open.
Well, we can safely say we never dreamed of the day we would be mentioned in the same paragraph as the Pussycat Dolls.
Read the whole thing here.
We also got some local love from the Metro Times this week, with a mention of our tour in the Night & Day section as well as some individual recommendations in their Final Guide. We like this suggestion:
Ryan Hertz, Executive Director HOPE Hospitality & Warming Center
The riverfront and Eastern Market by bicycle: Explore the riverfront, then rent a bicycle from Wheelhouse Detroit and take the Dequindre Cut up to the market to shop and explore.
Congrats to our friends + bailout for bikers
Congrats to our two (other) favorite Metro Detroit bike shops, Continental and The Hub, for being named 2008's best by Metro Times staff and readers, respectively. Kudos! Wheelhouse was mentioned as part of "Detroit's Best Step Forward" category, which the RiverWalk won.
Once a terribly neglected resource, Detroit's riverfront has been transformed into a true gem — we'd say a sapphire, given the sparkling blue waters now easily accessible because of the lovely promenade constructed in recent years under the guidance of the nonprofit Detroit RiverFront Conservancy. When completed, the walkway will stretch from the Ambassador Bridge to Gabriel Richard Park (just past the MacArthur Bridge leading to Belle Isle). The first phase has focused on the 3.5-mile section that starts at Joe Louis Arena and continues east; nearly 3 miles of that portion are complete. New features added this year at the Rivard Pavilion — site of the Cullen Family Carousel — include the Wheelhouse Detroit, which provides bike rentals and tours, and RiverWalk Café. If you haven't walked the riverfront lately, now's the time to check it out. You won't be sorry.
Cool! Read more of the MT's Community Chest picks here and The Glories of Capitalism here.
Buried in the fine print of the economic bailout package is good news for bike commuters: a tax credit for commuting to and from work. It's not a lot, up to $20 per month, but maybe it's a start. From treehugger:
It allows for a "qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement" for "reasonable expenses incurred by the employee during such calendar year for the purchase of a bicycle and bicycle improvements, repair, and storage, if such bicycle is regularly used for travel between the employee’s residence and place of employment"- your bike expenses, up to 20 bucks a month, can be covered by your boss as a benefit tax free.
Read more here.