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Resident Rental Discounts!
New for 2022: Our city dwelling friends can save some rental dough with our new 25% weekday cruiser rental discount!
The deets:
Save 25% on weekday cruiser rentals. Regular cost is $17 + tax, discounted rate is $12.50 + tax. Must have a valid ID with city address (Detroit, Highland Park, or Hamtramck). Walk-ins only, subject to availability; previously reserved bikes not eligible. Not valid on kids bikes or accessories or geared bikes; cruisers only. One ID per bike per discount. Valid Mondays through Thursday during hours of operation.
Bike Infrastructure for Customers & Visitors
Looking for a way to make your business, residence, or non-profit more bicycle friendly for your staff, residents, customers, and visitors?
Easy-peasy! Install a bicycle rack, repair stand, and/or pump! You can have a well-made, warrantied, made-in-the-US 2-bicycle rack professionally installed for approx. $300.
We’ve procured and installed bicycle infrastructure over the years for the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Seva, Bumbo’s, the City of Detroit, Detroit Yoga Lab, the Skillman Foundation, and many others. Early spring is a great time to think about this because lead time on manufacturing and shipping can be up to two months.
Find out more HERE and reach out to Kelli for more information HERE.
Early Season News
We’re gearing up for our 15th Season!
Between St. Paddy’s Day and Easter, we’re offering free service pickups and deliveries within city limits. Hit us up at info@wheelhousedetroit.com.
We will be open Wednesdays and Thursdays starting March 23rd and we’ll add in weekends starting in April. We are also available by appointment at other times. Don’t hesitate to reach out to - you guessed it! -info@wheelhousedetroit.com to set one up.
In the meantime, we are busy with getting tours scheduled, re-inventorying, and all that kind of fun stuff.
Can’t wait to see you!
Keeping Busy in the Winter
People ask us a lot what we do over the winter. I can honestly say I sleep and read a lot more in our off-season. My dogs love it. But we are always finding ways of keeping busy.
We started in November with both Tati and I attending mechanics courses.
Since we’ve both been back home, Tatiana has been focusing on accounting, POS improvements, and website editing. Kelli has been creating a marketing plan and completing an online course in social media marketing. She’ll also start a business bootcamp in marketing with Techtown soon. (Sensing a theme?)
We’re also hoping to add a tour or two to our roster — both IRL and our self-guided ones — and our public schedule should publish in mid-March.
We’re open for service by appointment. We just led a group ride for Bike the Blizzard and on February 26 and will course marshal the PaczKi Run (they’re looking for volunteers!) later this month. Plus, I’m bartending at Abick’s a few days a week and Tati is brightening up the cheese counter at Devries a couple of shifts.
Stay tuned to our blog as we roll out some great stuff for the season, including a referral program, Detroit resident rental discounts, and more branded gear. Plus, many of our back-ordered bikes have been arriving this winter so we will be well-stocked when we open our doors. Can’t wait to see you and some green leaves soon!
Kelli
Kelli Reports Back From Appalachian Bicycle Institute
Kelli was able to attend Appalachian Bicycle Institute’s 5-Day Immersion Class November 17-21. Here’s the story!
I came to open Wheelhouse as a recreational and transportation cyclist who saw a need for a bike shop in Detroit, not as an amatuer mechanic. Over the years, I’ve developed a very rudimentary understanding of bikes, mostly from doing the shop’s parts ordering. I don’t think people realize how complex bikes really are. For example, if you want your handlebars to “be taller,” that may include a new headset as well as all new cables and housing for your brakes and gears. We stock over 30 sizes of tubes. If your old Schwinn has 26x1-3/8 tires, guess what? There are different “ISOs” that come into play, so we have to stock several “26x1-3/8” size tires. We regularly joke at the shop about something being “standard” because there literally is no such thing.
I also don’t consider myself to be very mechanically inclined. I’m handy if need be but honestly I’m too impatient to dink around and figure it out when I always have a brilliant and talented mechanic around to work on my bikes. With that said, I am a firm believer in continual learning through life. I think a lot of people stop learning because it’s humbling to start from ground level at a new skill and humility isn’t something adults are too good at. But I kinda masochistically love it. It’s a small part of why I love to travel alone. There is always an opportunity to make a fool of yourself and that’s when shit gets raw and real and the best parts of life peek through.
So Philosophy 101 aside, I was inspired by Tatiana’s opportunity to attend bike mechanic school so, during the pandemic, I applied for a work education grant from Michigan Works called Going Pro Talent Fund. It’s meant to provide training to new or retaining workers and, since I am definately inclined to retain my job, it worked out.
I could have applied the funds to any bike mechanic school (there are pretty much only 3 that I’m aware of) but I decided to select the Appalachian Bicycle Institute for a couple of reasons: I knew it was woman-run and I’ve dealt with more than enough mansplaining in the bike business to last me for several lifetimes over and I’d been to Asheville once previously and loved it.
In short, I learned a ton. It was gratifying to see in front of my face how complex bikes really are — it’s not me! — to further my understanding of what happens on the stand with our customers’ bikes, and demystify our parts orders. I came home with ideas for better organizing our service area and, if possible, a greater respect for our mechanics.
Things I loved: the Smoky Mountains, our amazing teacher Jenny Kallista and her lunches, WNCW, The Burger Bar, Franny’s Farm, and Dupont State Forest. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity.
Tatiana Reports Back From UofQ Bicycle Mechanic School
As mentioned in our intro post on bike mechanic school for Wheelhouse’s “management team,” Tati and Kelli determined that their own increased mechanical knowledge could only help increase the shop’s overall efficiency. To that end, Tati applied to the Quality Bicycle Parts (QBP) Women’s Mechanic Scholarship…back in 2014…and didn’t get selected. Not to be thwarted, she submitted an application four more times before being selected for a 2020 session at what was then known as Barnett Bicycle Institute (BBI) (est. in 1986).
Things happened pretty quickly at that juncture. QBP itself acquired BBI (now it’s called U of Q Institute). Then, Tati’s March 2020 class was one of the first cancellations of the pandemic (after the NBA season, of course).
After multiple attempts to reschedule, she was finally able to attend November 1 to 12 at the school’s Colorado Springs HQ. After - of course - a flight delay and lost luggage, she began her technical, mechanical, cerebral journey.
In her own words, here is Tati on her experience at UofQ:
I am A.D.D. I am a daydreamer. I am a hell of a multi-tasker. I always say you can't be good at everything. School!? Hard and humbling! I used to think I knew a lot about bikes, being in the industry for almost a decade and all. Nope. It's a good thing that my favorite human emotion is humility: I'm really not afraid of being wrong or taking advice; I got that going for me and, thankfully because of that, I learned so much on my two-week adventure to a place I had never been to, where I knew nobody, and only had a rental bike to get around. Which, by the way - acclimating to elevation is INSANE. I barely slept my first week in Colorado Springs. It was a pattern. Try to sleep, get up, get dressed, ride my bike to class, stay for about 9 hours, seek food (green chili, though!), hit Happy Hour at my home base, the Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort, and study. So much studying on my 'ol reliable laptop that I had to boot a virtual machine on just to run the DX manual* - that's dedication, no?
I learned a lot in school about a lot of things we don't personally, as a shop, see on a daily basis (think fancier and newer). It was awesome. Some of my favorites were Wheel Building/Truing Radial & Lateral/Dish/Tension to manufacturer specifications (okay, Rob and Judith do this stuff all of the time but it was new to me, hahhh!) and, robot derailleurs - yes, robots! Think the Roomba of bike derailleurs e.g., Shimano D2 systems! Hydraulic brake systems, tuning in high-end mountain bike suspension systems, and bleeding brake systems (3 different ways!). All so very cool! So many systems, so many manufacturers, so many specifications. "Why don't bike mechanics get paid more!?" was one of my genuine first thoughts. We were torquing in Newton Meters and getting things fine-tuned to within a millimeter. It was rocket science for bikes - SO much math!All of my instructors were great - I couldn't ask for better instructors. Huge shout out to Jeff, Mike, Seth, and Flash at U of Q! It's almost as if they could read my mind and facial expressions, even while wearing a mask. They knew when I didn't grasp something somehow and came over to personally explain it to me in a different way where my brain could comprehend it. I'm so grateful for them and the whole experience. Jeff, Flash, myself, and Torie of Buffalo Lodge even did a podcast together!
My classmates? Awesome! A nice mix of 4 dudes and 3 of us gals, from all over the US of A. Though sometimes it felt like it was a Hell's Kitchen competition, we stood in solidarity. My favorite moment together besides graduation was our first Friday, at the end of the first week. We made a pact that whoever finished last on their wheel assessment, we would hook them up with a ton of beer after the school day came to an end. Luckily, three of us finished last at the exact same moment. They were all incredibly talented and SWEET human beings and I will never forget them.
I got home and immediately started volunteering for Free Bikes for Kids Detroit. I had to get my bearings (baha) in check for some of the more department-store bike things we see at the shop and, oh, it is so much more difficult than that fancy high-end stuff! My knowledge between three weeks ago and now is exponential overall. I can actually tune in derailleurs with ease and true a wheel with my mere eyeballs. Might I mention toeing brake pads on linear brake sets? Bending steel frames? Milling forks? Re-threading crank arms and bottom bracket shells? Still, so much to learn, always. Time is on my side!
I got in “trouble” my first week being back home for blasting punk rock & psychedelic messes and playing guitar with the amp cranked up way too loud, way too late. Really, that was the only thing I missed besides Detroit, my Cannondale, friends, and family. 10/10, would do again.
*The DX Manual is formally known as the Barnett’s Manual DX, and is long hailed as the world's most comprehensive guide to bicycle repair and maintenance. Barnett's Manual DX features 14,000+ pages of detailed technical information and thousands of illustrative photos. This thorough guidebook is the basis of U of Q Institute coursework, whose students use it as a learning resource and lab guide.
Back to School for Our Management Team!
Wheelhouse has been fortunate to have been blessed with numerous talented mechanics throughout our years of existence. This past year, 2021, was probably our most successful in terms of quick turn-around and a high level of customer satisfaction. All this coupled with the continuing supply chain issues we’ve been facing since the onset of the pandemic is truly impressive. (Yes, a little bit of bragging here we are indulging in.)
We’ve always strived to improve our processes and Kelli (owner) and Tatiana (general manager) agreed several years ago that increased mechanical knowledge on their part could only help our small team succeed. After all, we do the parts ordering and typically communicate with customers through the service process. So, the thinking goes, if we better understand our mechanics’ magic, the shop will operate that much better.
To that end, Tatiana applied for a QBP Bike Mechanic Scholarship a few years back and was awarded one. Set to attend in March of 2020 (ruh roh), it was postponed time and time again; she finally was able to attend UofQ (formerly Barnett Bicycle Institute) in Colorado Springs in early November.
Meanwhile, during the pandemic, Kelli found out about a job training grant available through Michigan Works! and qualified. She was able to attend Appalachian Bicycle Institute outside Asheville in mid-November.
So yeah, November was a major month-of-learning for Wheelhouse. Both Tati and Kelli shared their experiences; links and photos below!
Give the Gift of Cycling!
If you’re looking to give the gift of “buying where you ride” consider the oh-so-convenient gift card or certificate from your favorite neighborhood bike shop!
We have two ways to give the gift of future cycling while supporting Wheelhouse today:
GIFT CARDS
You can purchase a gift card in any denomination. We will mail it free of charge to either the gifter or the giftee. A personalized note can be included as well.
Gift cards can be used towards any retail purchase, any bicycle service (idea: a standard tuneup is $75 so they’ll be ready to roll come Spring), or towards a private tour.
It couldn’t be easier: just fill out this handy dandy FORM and we will call you at the time you request to complete the purchase. NB: Please get us that email by December 13 so we can be sure to get your card to a post office by the recommended Christmas mailing deadline of December 15.
ONLINE GIFT CERTIFICATE
We also offer online gift certificates, which can be used to reserve a rental bike or towards a spot on a public tour. These do not expire and can be emailed to the recipient on a date that you specify.
More info and to purchase HERE.
We truly appreciate each and every purchase this time of year (AKA hibernation). Looking forward to a happy and healthy 2022!
October Tours
Hard to believe that our season is coming to an end. We have just 9 public tours remaining!
If you’ve been hoping to join us all season long, don’t wait! In fact, we are offering a discount on our Urban Agriculture tour set for this Saturday, 10/2! Use the promo code FALLFARMFIVE at checkout to save 5 bucks!
It’s the last Urban Agriculture tour of the season and is absolutely the best time of year for it. Harvest bounty awaits!
Find out more and register HERE; the full roster of tours can be found HERE. Or, if you’d rather book a private tour, reach out to us at info@wheelhousedetroit.com and we’ll get you all the details on that option. We hope to ride with you during the absolute best month of the year to do so!
Shop News September 2021
Just a quick note as we round into (IMHO) the best riding weather of the year: fall!
We have received a handful of bikes from Giant, Kona, and Brooklyn Bicycle Company, and will continue to see a trickle through the end of the season. We keep wheelhousedetroit.com/bikes up-to-date, so keep your eyes on what you’re interested in there — or come on in for a test ride!
Our distributors all tell us that supply chain issues will continue through next year, possibly even until 2024, so things aren’t changing any time soon in terms of our ability to get parts and bikes. But we are doing our best and that’s not half bad these days!
Our fall hours are in effect, we are now open six days a week — closed on Tuesdays.
We are currently operating with a mask requirement in the shop per the City of Detroit’s Health Department recommendations.
Our tour schedule is complete and we’re already seeing some October dates filling up. Our public tours cap out at six or 10 riders — depending on the route — these small groups make for excellent experiences but most do sell out. Visit wheelhousedetroit.com/tours for more info and to book.
Looking to book a private tour? Please reach out to bookings@wheelhousedetroit.com sooner rather than later. We are getting a lot of last-minute requests this season and it’s even more difficult to accomodate than usual because we are, like everyone else, short-staffed. We want to ride with you and the more time you give us, the more likely that is!
Finally, I’d like to thank our amazing team for working their tails off in extreme heat and with, to be honest, too many not-kind people. They’ve performed extraordinarily and I am very very grateful. Kudos to Tatiana, Rob, Judith, Linda, Joseline, Tera, and Blake.
Happy riding, Kelli Kavanaugh (owner)