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Back to School Sale on Mirrors & Bags!
Whether school is at home or in the classroom — or both — a new bag will help keep your school stuff organized so you can hop on your bike for a quick break or to head to your favorite outdoor study spot! We’ve got some crazy sales so now’s the time!
And let’s face it, every city bike needs a mirror. Snap one up while they’re marked down.
50% OFF Chrome Industries & Green Guru Hip Pouches | REG $40 NOW $20
50% OFF Timbuk2 Messenger Bags | REG $100-$110 NOW $50-55
15% OFF Mirrycle Handlebar Mirror | REG $17.20 NOW $14.62
Picnic Season Bag Sale!
We are of the opinion that autumn is the very best riding season. What better way to celebrate than with a new bag for your rack that will allow to carry your market bounty and/or a park picnic on your bike!
We have some great panniers and trunk backs that are marked down 20%. Check ‘em out!
Ironweed Panniers & Trunk Bags
Ironweed makes well-constructed bags from military-grade canvas, which makes for a classic, sharp aesthetic. The bags are made in the USA and are water-resistant. Click through the gallery below for prices and more info.
Topeak Trunk Bags
The Topeak brand makes an array of quality bicycle products, including an excellent system of bags, some of which are made specifically to work with their brand of rear-mounted racks. Click through the gallery below to see what we have in stock as well as prices.
Axiom Trunk Bags
Affordable and well-constructed, don’t sleep on Axiom trunk bags!
Please note: We do have Topeak racks in stock, but they are regularly priced.
Farewell, Our Beautiful Friend
With heavy hearts, The Wheelhouse family bids farewell to Maria “Ria” Noriega, our friend and the artist that designed and painted the mural on the back of our Hamtramck shop.
Ria was a free spirit, a talented and generous artist, quick to smile, and blessed with a warm and likable personality. We love her and will miss her immensely. We are not alone in this.
I was introduced to Ria in 2016 when I was looking for a mural artist with geometric inclinations as well as one willing to delve into the more spiritual side of art, as I was commissioning it in memory of my sister Kati, who passed away the prior year. We got to know each other intensely and quickly as the mural’s linework “mapped” the life of my sister. No surface topics here.
Part of the payment for the mural was a bike and I often heard stories of rides and how much she loved her bike. That was what the last conversation we had was about, in fact.
My heart is sad for Ria’s family and friends. Times are so tough right now. Let each other know if you need a hand. Let me know.
Ria, I love you. - Kelli
MEDIA RELEASE: Launching a Virtual Tour App!
Wheelhouse Detroit Offers New Tour, in Partnership with Totago, a Techtown Project
Automotive Heritage virtual bicycle tour created with help of new Detroit app development company
DETROIT. September 11, 2020—Wheelhouse Detroit, the city’s bicycle sales, service, rental, and tour retailer, is launching a new virtual tour in partnership with new-to-Detroit app development company, TOTAGO. The tour is available via the TOTAGO app as the first in a series of Wheelhouse tours throughout the city designed and hosted by the new app.
The Wheelhouse Auto Heritage bicycle tour explores the early through recent history of Detroit’s rich automotive heritage. The tour takes in the Globe Building on the Detroit riverfront, now home to the DNR Outdoor Adventure Center, the Dequindre Cut, Packard Plant and other significant locations. It includes a stop at the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant, the home of the birthplace of the Model T Ford, as well as a stop at TechTown, itself an automotive heritage site designed by Albert Kahn. The tour is conducted in partnership with the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant and with MotorCities National Heritage Area.
Kelli Kavanaugh, owner of Wheelhouse Detroit, looks forward to the new partnership. "I’m hopeful that this is the beginning of an even greater opportunity to share Detroit stories with people in their own time and at their own pace,” said Kavanaugh. “One great aspect of this project has been the chance to work with other small businesses in Detroit and with TechTown. It’s real proof that the spirit of collaboration is alive in Detroit.”
TOTAGO (Turn Off The App and GO), recently set up shop in the TechTown collection of businesses. Working with Kavanaugh to customize the content and design, founder and CEO Adrian Laurenzi is optimistic about the app and its ability to showcase Southeast Michigan’s historic and natural features. “Being in Detroit and working with TechTown and Wheelhouse has been a great way to get started and get to know the city well,” said Laurenzi. “There are so many great places to explore here, we’re looking forward to discovering more, and helping our app’s customers discover more about the area too.”
When COVID restrictions inspired her to launch the concept of a digital tour, Kavanaugh reached out to TechTown, which connected her to TOTAGO, one of TechTown’s newest tenants. “TechTown is where Detroit-based startups and local businesses are empowered to develop, launch and grow. Now more than ever, entrepreneurs are operating in both the tech and retail space – and we are excited to see that individuals and businesses participating in various programs through our nonprofit are making connections with TechTown as their common thread," said Kimberly Palter, TechTown's director of marketing and communications. “The relationship fostered between Kelli and Adrian is the perfect example of one of TechTown's serendipitous collisions."
The app’s development and launch were supported with a grant from nonprofit MotorCities National Heritage Area. MotorCities links the world’s largest collection of cultural and labor organizations, museums, archives, factories, auto collections and events to preserve the story of how tinkerers became titans and how auto and labor helped build the middle class while transforming manufacturing worldwide.
Tour tickets are purchased through the TOTAGO app. Once the app is downloaded and the tour is purchased, riders will have access to the full detailed map and directions. At each stop, a virtual video tour guide joins participants. The tour costs $15. Links to download the app and preview the tour can be found at wheelhousedetroit.com/virtual-tours.
About Wheelhouse Detroit
Wheelhouse Detroit, located on Detroit’s riverfront, was established in 2008 and is Michigan’s only woman-owned bicycle shop. Wheelhouse offers retail, service, tours and rentals and has been named one of America’s Best Bike Shops for five years running by the National Bicycle Dealers Association. Wheelhouse offers small private and public bicycle tours with social distancing protocols in place. The shop is currently open by appointment only and offers discounted pickup and delivery. For more information, visit wheelhousedetroit.com.
About TOTAGO
TOTAGO (Turn Off The App - Go Outside) is a mobile and web app that can help anyone to have a fantastic experience outside. TOTAGO recently launched information and maps covering more than 600 parks in Southeast Michigan. The app includes detailed recommendations for hiking, nature walks, bicycling, and paddling experiences. For more information, visit totago.com
MEDIA CONTACT: Mickey Lyons, mlyons@robarpr.com
Pre-September Stuff
Just a quick check-in as we roll into September…
We have spaces on a few public tours in the next week: Public Art (8/29), Historic Places of Worship (8/30), and Eastern Market (9/1). We are taking out only 4 to 6 riders per tour, so they can sell out quickly with just one or two bookings. Find out more and book at wheelhousedetroit.com/tours.
Speaking of tours, we have three openings for private tours Labor Day weekend: Friday (9/4), Saturday (9/5), and Sunday (9/6) at 1 PM each day. Private tours can be custom routed to your preferences, including a stop at a brewery, winery, or cafe if so desired. We can work with groups of up to 6, and the bikes are included in the $250 price point. But if you book one of these slots by Friday (ie, deposit is placed), we’ll knock $25/10% off! Reach out to bookings@wheelhousedetroit.com.
As supply chain issues continue and, in some cases, even escalate, we’re happy to have a decent supply of the basics like tubes and tires. We keep slotting some used bikes into the mix, keeping an affordable, diverse selection of used bikes available for sale. Keep checking wheelhousedetroit.com/bikes as we keep it updated daily.
Our service turn-around times are currently same day for tube/tire changes and 4-5 days for most other services. Set up your appointment for drop-off or for us to come pick up your bike via info@wheelhousedetroit.com.
Ch-Ch-Changes
2020 will go down as the year that challenged our notion of what being adaptable and flexible looks like. But here we are, about half-way through our season, and we have to share a handful more pivots. Some, you may be thrilled to read about while others, not so much, but trust that they are necessary. Read on for the nitty-gritty.
Service:
We continue to strongly recommend appointments for service drop-offs. You can email us at info@wheelhousedetroit.com to do so; same- and next-day appointments are often available and we are very responsive. Appointment holders will always take precedence over walk-ups and, since only one customer is allowed in the shop at a time, it saves everyone time to adhere to an appointment schedule.
Service pickups and deliveries within the city limits (Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park) will now cost $5 each way.
We have raised a handful of our service prices, including a basic tuneup, flat change, brake and gear adjustment, cable installation, and assembly. This is primarily due to increased costs across the board and the difficulty of sourcing parts. Our prices are still at or below the area standard.
Not a change, but rental reservations are still required. Head to wheelhousedetroit.com/rentals and remember to do so by midnight prior to the day you want to ride.
Test Rides for bicycle purchases are still required. Visit wheelhousedetroit.com/bikes to check out what we have and, if anything catches your eye, email us at info@wheelhousedetroit.com to set one up. The supply chain is expected to continue to be decimated into 2021 so supply is limited, to put it mildly. In the meantime, we are adding used bikes (including some from our rental fleet!) into the rotation and we do have small orders from Haro, Brooklyn Bicycle Company, and Kona that should arrive soon(ish). We do update the website regularly as bikes are sold and others become ready to be sold so, if you are in the hunt, check back on the regular!
Tours:
As of this weekend, a very limited selection of our public bicycle tours will begin to be offered. We’ve got Auto Heritage, Architecture, Eastern Market, Riverwalk/Dequindre Cut, Corktown, and Historic Places of Worship on the roster. They are being limited to very small groups and masks will be required at check-in and at each stop. More info and reservations at wheelhousedetroit/tours.
We will continue to offer small private group tours for up to 4 adults. Details:
These small group tours will cost $200 on weekdays (Tues to Thurs) and $250 on weekends (Fri to Sun).
Our bikes will be used (included in cost) so that any repairs needed on the road will be easily handled and sanitation procedures can be done ahead of time.
Helmets are required; you may bring your own or make use of one of our (sanitized) helmets.
Masks will be required to be worn at check-in and at all stops.
Tours will be three hours in length. Food and/or drink stops can be arranged either within the 3-hour period or, if a time extension is necessary to accommodate, for an additional fee.
Possible tours at this time include Near East, Corktown, Near West, Auto Heritage, and Riverwalk/Dequindre Cut. Historic Places of Worship can be booked prior to September 19. Special requests can be considered. Reach out to bookings@wheelhousedetroit.com to get rolling.
We appreciate your patience and support!
Checking In + Supply Chain Update + Staff Break August 3 to 10
For the time being we are going to continue on the path we’ve been on this past month, which includes:
By Appointment Only. You can make an appointment to shop, for curbside drop-off or pickup, pickup or delivery to or from your home or workplace, or to test ride a bicycle for purchase. Considering our small space, we have found this allows us to provide efficient, safe, and attentive customer service. Email us at info@wheelhousedetroit.com; same-day appointments are often available.
By Reservation Only. We are operating with a limited rental fleet. All reservations must be made by midnight prior at www.wheelhousedetroit.com/rentals. No walk-up or day-of reservations at this time.
Small Private Group Tours Only. We will be happy to book a private tour for up to four adults at this time. Yes, we are being extra cautious. More info HERE, reach out to bookings@wheelhousedetroit.com to get your small group safely rolling!
Free Pickup & Drop-off Continues. We will continue to offer complimentary bicycle pickup and drop-off service within the city limits (Detroit, Highland Park, Hamtramck). People have asked why we keep doing that, we should start charging. Here’s how I think about it. I’ve been averaging 32 a week (that’s both ways included). That is 32 fewer contacts at the shop for staff. When you’re out working with the public, it’s all about limiting exposure. The Riverwalk is already a busy place and our delivery service is keeping everyone a bit more apart so it’s worth it to me. Schedule at info@wheelhousedetroit.com.
Service Turn-Around Remains Pretty Great! We are currently at same or next-day for simple repairs (changing a flat &/or tires, brake or gear adjustment) and 7-8 days for most other repairs, including a tuneup. We are in decent shape with tubes, tires, cables, and brake pads but special order parts are very hard to come by. This is the year to make what you already have work and we are there for it!
Supply Chain is Still a Hot Mess. You’ve probably heard that there’s a national bicycle shortage. We’ve been operating with information that the supply chain for bikes, parts, and accessories would begin to look better in August and September. Not so, it turns out. We do have a few small pre-orders from Haro, Kona, and Brooklyn Bicycle that we will see, probably not until fall, but the reality is all our distributors are now in agreement that things are going to be very ugly well into 2021. So we are grabbing stuff when we can and rehabbing bikes to keep some used bikes for sale. Keep your eyes on www.wheelhousedetroit.com/bikes. We literally update it every night. If you see something that catches your fancy, reach out to info@wheelhousedetroit.com to schedule a test ride.
We are closing for a staff break August 3 to 10. We are working extra this week to get all bikes currently in the service pipeline completed.
We appreciate our customer’s support and kindness during this truly unimaginable time.
Thank you,
Kelli
What's Going On With Wheelhouse Tours?
As restrictions are lifting, people are gathering and more and more group rides are happening. So what’s going on with Wheelhouse bike tours? Well, to put it in just a few words, “We remain on the cautious side of things.”
We have spent a lot of time talking amongst our tour staff (all of whom are Detroiters and avid riders) and reading about how the coronavirus is spread and we just do not feel comfortable operating our public tours at this time. Basically it comes down to two things:
The safe spacing we feel to be necessary between cyclists to avoid the spread of the virus while riding would make staying together in a tight pack — something of core importance to our operations — quite difficult. The odds of being separated at lights grows, making the group less safe.
The space needed at stops in order to maintain social distancing would require us to take up a very large footprint. Anyone who has been on one of our tours before knows that we group together tightly — not just so everyone can hear, but so that we are not taking up an inordinate amount of public space. It’s really easy while on a tour to fall into the “we’re alone on this earth” bubble. And that’s not fair to the everyday person just trying to live their life. We don’t have a right to the sidewalk, the Riverwalk, or the Dequindre Cut over anyone else. If we can’t operate in a respectful manner to our fellow Detroiters, we’d rather not do it.
So with all that said, we’ve decided not to run public tours in July. (Fingers crossed for August!) For August update, please see wheelhousedetroit.com/tours.
But we will offer small private group tours for up to 6 adults. Some key considerations:
These small group tours will cost $200 on weekdays (Tues to Thurs) and $250 on weekends (Fri to Sun).
Our bikes will be used (included in cost) so that any repairs needed on the road will be easily handled and sanitation procedures can be done ahead of time.
Helmets are required; you may bring your own or make use of one of our (sanitized) helmets.
Masks will be required to be worn at all stops.
Tours will be three hours in length. Food and/or drink stops can be arranged either within the 3-hour period or, if a time extension is necessary to accommodate, for an additional fee.
Possible tours at this time include Near East, Corktown, Near West, Auto Heritage, and Riverwalk/Dequindre Cut. Special requests can be considered.
If you are interested in booking, please reach out to us at bookings@wheelhousedetroit.com. We look forward to safely riding with you!
New, Expanded Hours + Bike Availability
We will be open Tuesday through Sunday Noon through 6PM going forward.
Our existing bicycle stock stands at 9 adult bikes and 3 kids bikes. Yeah, it’s crazy. We are going to be able to get some Haros in July, and everything else we will be grabbing when we are able. Kona’s supply chain looks like it won’t see any more bikes until fall; everyone else (Giant, Brooklyn, Del Sol) sometime late summer.
In the coming weeks, we will start to have a few used bikes for sale. This isn’t going to be a bonanza by any stretch of the imagination, just a few bikes here and there that we’ve dug up. We work really hard to keep wheelhousedetroit.com/bikes up to date — we are literally editing it every evening — so keep checking there if you remain in the market for a bike.
The same supply chain issues are impacting components and accessories as well. We encourage you to shop within our inventory if you are able. Special orders are taking forever, sometimes become unavailable even after an order is placed due to a lag time in fulfillment, and shipping and handling fees have become quite high. Translation: you find a helmet that fits ya but not in love with the color? Snag it!
We really appreciate our customers that are adapting to this “new normal” with flexibility and kindness. It really makes a difference.
Thank you - Kelli
Another Covid-19 Update
Here’s the latest on the Wheelhouse Rules of Engagement these days.
We are going to continue to operate "By Appointment Only." It truly allows for us to provide the best customer service under these circumstances. Info@wheelhousedetroit.com to schedule.
For the time being, we will continue to offer complimentary service pickup and delivery within city limits. This takes foot traffic out of the store and also takes some of the time it takes to write service tickets out of the hands of the shop staff. Info@wheelhousedetroit.com to schedule.
Our service turn-around is about a week. Tubes/tires same or next day.
Test ride appointments are required for bike sales. Current available stock is at www.wheelhousedetroit.com/bikes.
All rental reservations must continue to be made in advance at wheelhousedetroit.com/rentals.
Masks are required. Period.
Thank you for your cooperation, patience, and respect for the health and well-being of our staff.