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.

We know we are dorks.

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.

We’re number 3!

We’re pleased as punch to have come in Third Place in the ClickOnDetroit 4 The Best contest. Thanks to all who voted for us!

Thanks, Supergay! + City Council Hearing

Our charming, articulate, well-dressed friend Supergay Detroit has put together a slate (how ‘08 of him!) for the annual Metro Times Best of Detroit contest. And (swoon) Wheelhouse made it not once, but twice! What lucky girls are we! And, by the way, we support the whole darn slate. It’s comprised of some of the best indie stores and services Detroit has to offer. So vote often, vote Supergay!

On Monday, the Detroit City Council’s Public Health and Safety Committee will be discussing the Detroit Non-Motorized Transportation Master Plan. This plan has never been brought before City Council for their approval — a necessary step before groups like MDOT will recognize and help implement the plan.

When: Monday, September 8th at 11:15 AM

Where: City Council, 13th floor of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, Jefferson at Woodward

This plan takes inventory of the many cycling destinations across Detroit, including parks, schools, cultural centers, recreational centers, etc. It looks at how to best connect them with a network of on- and off-road bike facilities — trails, bike lanes and shared signed routes. The plan calls for nearly 400 miles of bikes lanes across the City of Detroit that could be implemented during normal road maintenance by simply re-striping existing roads. The authors of the plan, Giffels-Webster will be there to give a presentation on it. The city’s Traffic Engineering Division, the city department that is ultimately responsible for implementing this plan, will be at the meeting as well.
Public comment from cyclists, walkers, and other residents are needed to voice their support for this plan!

If you want to be certain the meeting is still on as scheduled, call the Office of the City Clerk at 313-224-3266.

Thanks to Todd Scott of the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance for keeping us informed about important stuff like this.