In just a short period of time, the Wheelhouse Detroit has garnered some serious fandom. During a recent talk at the Green Garage, I mentioned them and the crowd broke into well-deserved applause.

So the Free Press is showing them a little bit of love too with this article.

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.”

The emphasis on guided tours and bike rentals are more examples of how the Wheelhouse has broken the mold for bike shops in Metro Detroit. They’re not just selling bikes.

They certainly taking advantage of Detroit’s relatively high density of unique and historic sites that are never too far of a ride from the bike shop.

The Free Press also included this video coverage from one of their recent Detroit tours.

And like many other of the small, entrepreneurial businesses in the greater Downtown area, they’re accepting Detroit Cheer.

Disclosure: I am a volunteer guide for two Wheelhouse tours this summer.

This past week had a concentration of biking-related news and events in Detroit.

And if it weren’t for the dire automotive news and the thrilling Red Wings results, we may have had a bit more media coverage.

Monday: Bike Registration

Detroit City Council’s Public Health and Safety committee held a public hearing on a new voluntary bike registration program. MTGA, The Hub, and Detroit Bike Riders United were gave public testimony in support of the new ordinance. The ordinance passed and went before the full council on Tuesday. We did not yet hear the results but expect it was passed.

Thursday: Dequindre Cut

Detroit’s newest greenway, the Dequindre Cut had its official grand opening.

It was a very exciting, event-filled, and sunny day. One could not ask for a better kick off.

Though just on the job for his fourth day, Mayor Bing attended and spoke positively about this trail. That shouldn’t be unexpected as Mayor Bing is a board member for the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy.

As he hustled off to another appointment, I caught up to him and gave him a copy of the new Detroit Greenways Network brochure.

Media coverage: Metro Times and Click on Detroit video

Later that evening, the Green Garage hosted the Model D Speaker Series. Tom Woiwode from the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan spoke about the Dequindre Cut, Bil Lusa highlighted the Detroit biking scene and Tour de Troit, while I covered the status of greenway development in Detroit.

There was a very solid turnout (over 190 had pre-registered).

Friday: Bike to Work Day

We had two groups ride this year, one starting in Royal Oak and the other in Grosse Point. Each had about 25 riders and both ended at Campus Martius.

The weather was perfect.

And we had bike commuters looking “normal” in blue jeans, baggy shorts and cotton T-shirts.

Detroit Synergy, American Cycle & Fitness, and a host of other sponsors made these rides (and the cool T-shirts) possible.

Media coverage: Metro Times

Near the end of last month, Grand Rapids hosted a successful bike summit according to Pedal GR.

With 60 bicycles crowding the Bike Valet Parking area and around 200 attendees inside to learn how to make Grand Rapids into a Bicycle Friendly Community, I would call the first ever Grand Rapids Bike Summit a big success! In the crowd there were young people, old people, roadies, mountain bikers, casual bicycle riders, hardcore cyclists, fixed gear riders, government officials, politicians, and many others.

Their main keynote speaker was Bill Nesper from the League of American Bicyclists. Nesper leads their Bicycle Friendly America program and spoke about how Grand Rapids can achieve Bike Friendly Community status.

For more details on this summit, visit the Pedal GR web site.

Last year Kathyrn Underwood of the Detroit Planning Commission suggested Detroit host a bike summit. That is certainly an idea worth considering. Grand Rapids has given us a model to follow.

The Free Press has another Dequindre Cut article in today’s paper which includes photos and this video.

Although the video shows motor vehicles on the Dequindre Cut, those are just performing last minute maintenance. The Cut will not be open to the motoring public.

The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy has announced the many activities planned for Thursday’s much anticipated grand opening of the Dequindre Cut.

A community parade. The MLK Band. Guided tours. Cooking demonstations. Free pizza.

Just like the trail itself, the grand opening will be world class.

And in preparation for this event, the unwelcomed grafitti tagging on the call boxes has been removed. The asphalt which was damaged during the Antietam Bridge construction has been replaced. Landscaping is being cleaned up.

Speaking of grafitti, prior to the trail’s construction, we documented the best grafitti art in the Cut. Those photos are now on-line. Unfortunately some of that grafitti was destroyed during the trail’s construction.

The Free Press and Model D have published articles about the opening as well.