Red Bull Weekend

Wheelhouse will be open this weekend only to people with tickets for the Red Bull Air Races. Which kinda blows, but the good news is that all of our bikes are rented out for the weekend — some by Red Bull for their staff to get around and some to a Metro Detroit company that will be hosting a party near Tricenntennial State Park.

Our hours will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. No tours this weekend.

Great news! Our tandem has arrived! Call us to reserve a slot, we have a hunch it will be quite popular! The prom king and queen at Cliff Bell’s “Enchantment Under the D” party on Sunday night win a half-day rental — good times.

Have a great weekend!

Oh what a weekend

Wow. Um, kind of glad it is over. We have been busy, busy, busy — especially on Sunday! We wrapped up lots of service, rented bunches of bikes and sold some fun stuff like baskets and racks and horns and lights.

Speaking of lights, have you seen the Knog Frog? It is very stylish and Karen attests that it is bright!

They come in 12 colors and have red or white LED lights. You can wrap them around your handlebars, seat post or helmet. We sell ‘em for $14.95 each.

One of our customers this past weekend hails from a town in Italy where Abici bikes are hand-made. We only mention this because, um, they are gorgeous. And it was cool to rent a road bike to a visitor from across the pond.

We also rented to some girls from the UP and a guy from Idaho, who probably expect to be able to rent a bike when they are visiting a city. But the families from Detroit that we rented to were thrilled to have a recreational amenity in their own back yard. And we are thrilled to be able to provide it!

Lastly, we were name-checked in an interesting blog, Google Maps ‘Bike There’ — an Austin-based effort to encourage Google to add an option when giving directions for how to bike to your destination. We love the concept and hope Google takes the advice!

WheelHouse was mentioned in a post about broader cycling advocacy, that bike-sharing and rental are good ways to get non-cyclers back onto a bike. We think so too. Some of the people we have rented to haven’t been on a bike in decades. And it reminds them how much fun it is and what a good workout it is. We reckon some of those people might be more inclined to buy a bike.

So, yeah, we signed his petition.

We are closed tomorrow for our Memorial Day, but will re-open on Wednesday at 10 a.m. See you at the Wheelhouse!

What better way?

…to celebrate Memorial Day Weekend then by riding a bike?

Some suggested rides:
Rivard Plaza to Belle Isle with a picnic lunch…
Cemetery tour: Elmwood, Mt. Elliott then head over to Woodmere.
On Saturday, shoot up to Eastern Market for lunch then head east to West and Indian Villages.
Ride along the RiverWalk then cut up to Corktown — grab dinner and at Slow’s, or a bit further west for some Mexican. The patio at Los Galanes is very pleasant indeed.

Tour Reminder: Check out our Saturday and Sunday tours at 1 p.m. The Saturday one is 2 hours and shows you downtown highlights. Sunday’s is 3 hours and adds in Midtown sites. Bring your own bike or, for $10 extra you can get one of ours for a full 4 hours.

Advocacy opportunity

From the League of MI Bicyclists:

Are you tired of vehicles buzzing too close to your
bicycle? Do you think our roads should have wide
shoulders or designated bicycle lanes? Do you dream
of a day you can ride in traffic and feel safe?

The Lucinda Means Advocacy Day is your chance to
affect change!

On June 5, bicyclists from around the state will join
forces for a RIDE & RALLY at the State Capitol building.
Our goal is to show state policy makers that bicyclists
have a collective voice. And that voice is concerned
about bicyclists’ safety on roadways.

Just by showing up you will make a difference, since
there is truly strength in numbers! You will learn
which issues LMB is targeting and how you can reach
out to your state legislators. We will arrange for you
to meet with them that same afternoon.

If you’re a bicyclist who wants to improve the state
of cycling in Michigan, come rally with us. Afterward,
enjoy lunch on the Capitol grounds, compliments of the
League of Michigan Bicyclists. There is no charge for
this event. Proceeds from the Lucinda Means Advocacy
Fund are funding your participation.

Please pre-register online so we can make sure we have
lunch for you. Invite your friends to join you.

http://www.lmb.org/pages/Events/bikeparade.htm

Rite On

Wheelhouse hearts Rite On Remodeling for coming out this week and finishing up the last minute construction on the shop — just in time for our 7-day-a-week schedule. Thanks to Derek and his cohort Rock!

Stolen bike

A stolen fixie — the second high-end one stolen in Detroit in the last month — this time from outside CAID on Friday night. It was custom built and painted by our very own Ron Shelton. It belonged to Vanessa Miller for less then a week. Pics and more info up at Fixed Gear Gallery. It is a gorgeous bike, and we hope that it is recovered.

Countdown to techno

It’s less than a week until this year’s Detroit Electronic Music Festival and Wheelhouse is preparing its ears for beats 24-7 for 3 days straight. We can’t wait to see a bunch of crazy techno kids riding around on our bikes.

Check out some cute pics at Metromix. A couple documented their “Detroit is for Lovers” date-night that included dinner at Slow’s, a bike ride at the Wheelhouse, bowling at the Magic Stick and drinks at the Park. (Sounds like an awesome date BTW!)

Summer hours

Starting Friday, May 23, we will roll into our full summer hours.

Wheelhouse will be open:

Monday through Thursday: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Afribike

Wheelhouse is sponsoring the 1st semi-annual Afribike, a group ride that will benefit Giving Spirit, an organization that works to provide education to at-risk youth in South Africa. Afribike riders can rent an Africa Bike for $15, a discounted rate. We will open at 9 a.m. on Sunday, May 17 for the event.

The Afribike ride has been rescheduled for May 31. Unfortunately, Wheelhouse will be unable to participate due to the Red Bull Air Races taking place the same day.

We’re blushing

Thanks to Nicole at D-Tales for literally the nicest blog post ever about the Wheelhouse.