General FAQ
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Heck yeah! Detroit is an excellent city for cycling. There's lots of room on the road, great neighborhoods to explore, and 140+ miles of bike lanes. Plus, it's relatively flat so you can cover lots of ground quickly.
People who haven't spent much time in the city lately will be pleasantly surprised as to how much is going on in the Greater Downtown area. Wheelhouse will be pleased to give you ideas of where to go and the best routes to get there. And if you're not ready for the road, the RiverWalk and Dequindre Cut are tons of fun to cruise.
Feeling adventurous, but not sure where to go? Visit our tours page for a schedule of upcoming tours or our Detroit Bike Rides page for information on local group rides.
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While you should use your discretion, we feel pretty confident that you’ll be just fine. Watch out for potholes, follow the rules of the road, and use illumination at dusk and beyond. We provide helmets at no additional charge. We do recommend locking your bike up by the frame even when you are leaving it for just a minute.
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Yes...to local businesses, residences and institutions with which we have made arrangements. These currently include:
AAA Members
USA Military Active Duty/Veterans
Members of the Detroit and Hamtramck Police and Fire Departments
Canine to Five employees
Detroit residents: 25% discount on walk-in cruiser rentals Monday-Thursday *Valid ID required
Detroit Riverfront Conservancy staff and members
League of Michigan Bicyclists staff and members
Group rentals (groups of 6 to 20 with deposit paid 48 hours in advance)
Contact us for more info on how we can partner with your group or workplace.
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We certainly do, in any denomination! Swing by the shop or fill out our online form and we can mail you a traditional gift card.
We can also create a gift certificate for a tour or a particular service, like a tune-up. If you prefer to buy a gift certificate exclusively for bike rentals or tours, we have online certificates available HERE. By using our online gift certificate form, you are able to designate a giftee email address and even choose a custom delivery date. A unique code is sent that can be input into our reservation system at check out for any tour or rental at the giftee's convenience, rather than having to contact the shop to reserve with a traditional gift card or certificate.
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We have in the past and may again, but not at the moment. Sorry.
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The Wheelhouse is a small business started in 2008 by two Detroiters who love their city and their bikes: Karen Gage and Kelli Kavanaugh. Read more about how the shop got its start here.
In 2015, Wheelhouse became solely owned by Kelli with able management from Tatiana.
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"That's in our wheelhouse" is a saying that Kelli and Karen like because they love baseball. Plus, wheels...bikes...yeah, you get it.
Our logo is actually a map of Detroit. The circle is Campus Martius and the spokes are the main radial streets: Fort, Michigan Ave., Grand River, Woodward, Gratiot, and Jefferson.
Our logo was inspired by our friend Colin Hubbell, who passed away in August 2008. Read more about him and the actual "logo story" in this Model D tribute.
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Nope. Just bikes!
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There is a parking lot adjacent to our store off of Atwater Street. Sometimes, especially on beautiful weekend days, it fills up. If that's the case, there are several parking structures within walking distance and limited on-street parking in the Rivertown neighborhood. More info at GM Ren Cen Parking Guide.
SERVICE FAQ
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Absolutely! Our mechanics are really good at it, too! We pride ourselves on fair prices, quality work, and quick turnaround. We are also very experienced with vintage bikes.
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No.
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A standard tune-up is $75. It includes brake adjustments, gear adjustments, slight wheel true, and we tighten and lube all the moving parts of the bike and wipe it down. This is recommended to be done once a year.
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It includes everything a standard tune-up entails and we will also clean and tighten the bottom bracket, take the wheels off the bike and true them on the stand, replace all cables and housing, and replace front and rear brake pads.
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Surely. All of our service prices can be found HERE.
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Yes! Our bicycle assembly fee starts at $90 and includes a full tune-up. You will be responsible for all manufacturer and warranty communication issues. We do reserve the right to bill for additional hours of consultation as necessary.
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Bike disassembly starts at $40; for an extra $50, we can package it and box it up for you. Most people choose to arrange their own bike shipping — we recommend using shipbikes or bikeflights. We are able to arrange shipping for the cost of shipping plus an administrative fee.
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No doubt. Head right over HERE to arrange for a service pick-up and/or drop-off.
BIKE RENTAL FAQ
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12 hours minimum. Head right HERE to do so.
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Absolutely! Please remember that we cannot guarantee availability without a reservation, though!
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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.
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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.
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We have to cover our credit card processing and administrative costs.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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For two hour rentals, we require a valid ID, which we will hold onto until your return. For anything longer, we will authorize your credit card, but not charge it, when you rent the bike for the value of half of the replacement cost of the bicycle. The manual authorization slip will be destroyed upon your return the bicycle undamaged. 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.
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We think that is a great idea! Lights, a helmet, and lock will be included with your rental. A credit card authorization for deposit will be required. We recommend that you do not leave a bike outside, even if locked, overnight. Most hotels will let you bring a bike inside.
Check out our rental rates HERE. If you wish to rent a bike for multiple days, email us at info@wheelhousedetroit.com to set up and confirm your reservation.
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We have a lost key fee of $50. If the bike is u-locked somewhere, you will be responsible for a locksmith charge so we may acquire our bicycle(s) back. If you've lost the set of lights we've loaned you there will be a $20 charge.
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The world is your oyster! But lots of people want to cruise the Riverwalk, Dequindre Cut, &/or Belle Isle. A great map to save to your phone can be found HERE.
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Normally, any rental that is kept overnight is considered a two-day rental and can be picked up anytime between open and close on the first day of the rental and returned anytime we are open on the second. But, if you have a shorter window of need, we do have a way to save you a bit of cash: if you pick up the bike within two hours of closing and return it within two hours of the next day's opening, we can offer you the price of just a full day rental rate. If you're looking to do just this, please reserve your bike for the 2-hour rental rate and request your bike pick-up two hours before business closing hours, you can pay the difference upon arrival.
We can also accommodate an after-hours drop-off. Please indicate at pick-up and we will share our procedure.
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Yes! We do rent child accessories and kids bikes, so come on down and we will set you up with a kids bike, seat, trailer and/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. All minors (under the age of 18) must have a parent or guardian sign the rental waiver. No grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, friends, or cousins are allowed to sign the waiver for the child. If you are planning a rental without the minor's parent/guardian present, you can have the parent/guardian sign the waiver ahead of time HERE and bring it with you.
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Only with a parent or guardian present to sign the rental waiver. No exceptions.
GUIDED TOUR FAQ
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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.
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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.
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We have to cover our credit card processing and administrative costs.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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Tips are very much appreciated and are pooled evenly among tour staff.