FAQ: TOURS

I reserved a bicycle or booked a tour and it looks like it might rain. What is your weather policy?

We ride rain or shine! We only cancel our rides or reservations for safety reasons such as extremely high winds, thunderstorms, excessive heat or cold, or other severe conditions. All cancellations are at the discretion of Wheelhouse Detroit.

Refunds will be issued only if Wheelhouse Detroit issues a cancellation. 

I reserved a bike or a spot on a tour and something came up. What is your cancellation policy? Can I change dates?

Our cancellation policy applies to both rental and tour reservations. Cancellations (for a refund less a $10 service fee) or requests to reschedule a reservation (with an additional $10 administrative fee due at check-in) must be made 48 hours in advance. We do not offer refunds or requests to reschedule for any reason once within 48 hours of the scheduled time.

Why do you charge a $10 service fee to refund or to reschedule my reservation?

We have to cover our credit card processing and administrative costs.

What is your helmet policy?

We require helmets on our tours and will provide them at no extra charge. For rentals, we do recommend (and provide for no additional cost) helmets, but they are not required for riders over 18 years of age. We do, however, insist that anyone under age 18 wear a helmet. We have helmets to fit all head sizes and we sanitize them after each use.

What do you recommend I wear while riding?

First and foremost, be comfortable! As long as you are dressed for the weather, wear whatever you want: jeans, shorts, dresses, skirts, saris, leggings, joggers, t-shirts, hoodies, tanks, chinos, slacks, dress pants, sneakers, platforms, sandals, loafers...we mean it, anything goes! 

Headed out on a tour? Our tours are casual-paced and really do not require specialty gear, ie. spandex. We do not recommend clip-ins or flip-flops on our tours.

We encourage riders to dress for the weather — and since this is Michigan, be prepared for it to change. We can lend you a poncho if you think you might need one!

Don't forget your sunscreen!

Do you accommodate private groups?

We sure do! We offer group rentals and private group tours. Both of which make for a great team-building exercise, pre-wedding excursion, or friend and family outing; we also can deliver up to 20 bikes to your event. More information is available HERE.

Tell me about your tours! Where do they start? How long are they? How fast do you ride?

Many of our tours begin and end at Wheelhouse Detroit unless specifically noted otherwise. The location will be stated on our website and in your tour confirmation email.

Most tours are between 8 and 14 miles unless otherwise noted. We can edit tours to make them shorter upon request or as determined by the tour guide.

We ride at a conversational pace of 8 to 10 miles per hour. Since these are tours and not rides, there are frequent informational stops. Some tours include food breaks, but those are always noted in the description. We recommend that you bring water. Learn more about our tours HERE.

What is required to rent a bike while I tour?

A bike rental for a tour is an additional cost of $10. You can reserve one before check out when reserving your tour online. When you sign the waiver, you agree to reimburse us for the cost of the bicycle if it goes missing while you are renting it or for the cost of repair if it is damaged. The bike rental will be due for return at the end of the tour.

What happens if there are serious weather conditions right before my tour is scheduled to leave?

At the discretion of Wheelhouse Detroit, the tour will be delayed no longer than a half hour before ultimately being canceled if the weather does not cooperate. 

Can I bring my child on one of your tours?

In most instances, no, due to safety concerns and tour content. However, we do rent child accessories, so come on down and we will set you up with a kid's seat, trailer, or tag-a-long and send you on your way for an exciting Detroit bike adventure! The Riverfront, Dequindre Cut, Belle Isle, and Eastern Market are all popular family destinations.

Exceptions: Occasionally we allow teens that are accompanied by a parent or guardian, are experienced cyclists, and are able to be respectful at stops to join in. Please email us at info@wheelhousedetroit.com to discuss. 

I can't make the tour I am interested in. Can you give me a map of the route?

We can provide you with a general map (if available) and suggestions but not exact routes or content. Check out our self-guided tours if you’d like a tour experience on your own!

What kind of bike should I bring on my tour?

Most importantly, one in good repair! If your bike hasn’t been ridden since last season or, heaven forbid, “Since I don’t remember when!” and you want to ride your own bike, please drop it off for service a week prior to your tour reservation for a tune-up. Our experienced service team will get her good and ready for your tour!

When it comes to “kinds” of bikes, hybrids are a great bet. Geared cruisers, vintage 10-speeds, touring bikes, and commuters are all good options. Road bikes might encourage you to go a little too fast for our 8-10 mph pace and mountain bikes can have issues with super-knobby tires catching up glass, but both can be just fine with rider cooperation. Tandems can be OK, although we will want to see you ride it to confirm aptitude (both riders need to register); sorry, no trikes. Experienced recumbent riders are welcome.

We will allow E-bikes on our tours but will not be responsible for fixing any mechanical issues if one were to occur. All participants on E-bikes are responsible for transporting their E-bikes back to the starting location and forfeiting their tour experience and expense if a mechanical issue were to arise. We highly recommend pedal-bikes on our tours as we max out our speeds at a leisurely 8-10 MPH with many stops along the way.

We do not recommend clip-ins on our rides due to frequent stops. 

We encourage you to inflate your tires to the recommended pressure prior to leaving your house. That way, if there is an issue with your tube holding air pressure, we will have time to take care of it before the ride. If there is a significant mechanical issue with your bike, we reserve the right to recommend that a rental bike is substituted for a $10 fee. 

Our sweepers carry spare tubes in case of flats out on the road. If your bike tire is of a less common size (ie, fat bike, 29er, 700x18-23 PV, recumbent) we recommend that you bring a replacement tube or purchase one at the shop prior to tour take-off.

What are your fitness requirements to ride on one of your tours?

Riders of many ability levels and ranges of fitness are welcome on our rides. We do ask that a 10 mph pace can be maintained, although there are frequent stops for rest and hydration.

If you haven’t been on a bike in some time, we might recommend that you start with the Eastern Market or Detroit Riverfront tour to gain some miles and confidence before tackling some of the longer tours.

What is the protocol on tipping our tour guide and sweeper?

Tips are very much appreciated and are pooled evenly among tour staff.