The Illiterate Cyclist
Custom Bikes, Bicycle Service/Repair, Parts/Accessories, and Event SAG Support.
Building our area a better bike shop and cycling community, one rickety step at a time.
Hours
Come Visit
(Calls Taken During Hours Listed, ONLY. No Appointments)
Mon-Tues-Thurs-Fri (10-8)
Wed (Closed)
Sat (10-5)
Sun (11-5)
**Note: Motorized Products (Gas/Electric) are not welcome at the shop in regards to anything. No trikes/recumbents for size limits and quality concerns.
***See our "SERVICES" Menu. We offer service on new/old Bikes from Real Bike Companies and Real Bike Parts Manufacturers, not fake and unsafe goods from Ebay/Wish/Amazon/Etc.
A Little Background Noise
18 year Veteran of the Bike Industry going it alone to offer the Detroit Metro area and beyond the best and most comprehensive bike service I can. I have run many bike shops across the country, lead multi-store service departments, been a Rep in the Recumbent world (we're not talking about it), a wheel builder, suspension tech, Inside and Outside Territory Manager for a few bicycle parts distributors, a Dealer Account Coordinator for helping shops globally build their repertoire for their local consumer needs, a multi-time organizer of Cranksgiving events, and highly proud to be a SAG Mechanic and Donor for Make-A-Wish Michigan and the WAM300 ride. I have been across the country quite a bit, but the Detroit area is where I want to lay the groundwork for supporting our bike community with the best mechanical support they deserve. Please see my Services section to get a better grasp. Also, please follow my often maniacal ramblings on Instaham
Highlander
There Can Be Only One
Balthazar Impresario
What's in a name?
Seam's people are either offended by the company name, or find it goofy and get a bit confused. But, there's a story in it all. I had an idea about a decade ago that if I were to open my own shop one day, it would more-so be in a larger urban area, catering to the Commuters and Fixter types (Bipster?). A hip, eclectic shop that was at its core a 100% reliable service driven shop, with the parts and accessories an actual cyclist would want. And maybe carry a small, unique bike brand or two, like State, Fairdale, or Pure Cycles. At the same time, I read a book every other month. So, why not incorporate a used book store into it? A place an every-person could come and get their mental and physical fix! "What in the World are you calling that?" The Illiterate Cyclist. Where are books? Hey, things cost money!
As Balthazar Impresario, one of the last of the great Stage Show Runners; here comes the curtain call, time to rattle the boards one last time.
Brands We Carry
Traveling With Friends! Yay!
*Other Custom Options: Ritchey, New Albion, DMR, Identiti, NS, All City, Surly, Octane One, Pake, Handsome, RideFarr
Soma Fab
Illiterate Cyclist approved! Amazingly adaptable Tange steel frames for custom built gravel, cx, bike-packing, commuting, road racing, fixed gear, monstercrossing, and hardcore hardtail wants and desires. Plus, a genuinly excellent parts and accs. catalog.
Velo Orange
Elegant steel frames for custom B-Road, Gravel, Sportif, Commuting, and Bike-Packer's boutique build dreams. Plus, a huge line of amazingly crafted and well curated parts and accessories to spice up any bike.
FYXATION
Milwaukee based. Hip urban Single Speed and geared steel bikes, as well as one heck of a Gravel/Bike-Packing rig and Velodrome/Street-Shark Track Bike. And plenty more accessories.
Boyd Cycling
A handcrafted revolution in cycling wheels. South Carolina made, premium level carbon and alloy wheels for every venture and race scenario at killer prices. Tinker Juarez and Gravel Cyclist approved!
Rolf Prima/Astral
Crazy light and strong paired spoke carbon and alloy wheels, and even more bestoke creations through Astral Cycling. Handmade in Oregon, on White Industry hubs. Gravel, Road, Track, Tri, Tandem, MTB...all with customizable color combos!
Bikes At The Store!
TIC Bike Shop is more of a specialist shop, than standard bike shop. But, here are a few custom in-house builds and a few basics. Custom builds and basic bikes always include a Free 1-Year Tune.
Soma
Pescadero (Medium)
SOLD
Little old-fashioned in your styling, need to smooth out the roads, but still want a proper road bike? Road/CX geometry. Clearance for up to 42c tires! Extremely light Prestige frame and Infinity fork. Approx. $1800-2000 built.
New Albion (Soma Cycles)
Privateer (54/55cm)
SOLD
(Builds Starting $1600)
Gravel, Commuter, Light Tourer, Jack of All Trades. Origin8 Tubeless Wheels with Kenda Booster 40c Tires, Advent Wide Range Drivetrain and Raceface Crankset, PDW Donut Tape, Cardiff Leather Saddle.
Fyxation
Pixel 7 (58cm/Large)
$450
Just a simple, steel commuter bike, with a pretty nice component spec. Double-Wall Rims w/ Sealed Cartridge Hubs. Shimano 7sp Drivetrain. WTB Thickslick Tires. WTB Saddle.
WAM Tune
Benefiting Make-A-Wish MI
- NOW AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND!
- Meat N' Potatoes Tune w/ A Side of Good
- $100 (Split 50/50 with MAW through Aug)
Need a Tune-Up, but want to help me make Wishes come true?
With WAM being cancelled for the 33rd and 34th annual running's ('20/'21)...the thousands of us Donor's, Sponsor's, and Wish granting Rider's did what we could to work within a "Virtual" context instead of a massive 3 day tour. Holding solo rides, small group rides, or holding our own 500 mile Team events on WAM Week in July '20, to garner donations for kids across the country that are fighting insurmountable health issues. I'm typically the SAG Mechanic for this crazy grouping of cyclists, normally raising over $2 million a year...but then the World fell apart. So, I came up with this Tune until we get the WAM Family back together in '22, and for beyond.
Repair Menu
Be it a proper bike tune-up, more singular and basic tweeks, custom wheel builds, suspension overhauls, and beyond; The Illiterate Cyclist has you covered.
Disclaimer: Motorized products not welcome, ever. No warranties, refunds, guarantees of safety or functionality, and we retain the right to refuse work on any/all bikes purchased at Dept Stores. Fake/Knock-Off Amazon/Wish style components will not be installed...TIC Bike Shop supports the actual Bike Industry.
* 6/14/21: Amazon/Wish/Alibaba/Ebay "Bikes" are not being accepted for service. Only real bikes purchased from bike shops (GT/Diamondback/Raliegh/REI/Novara included) or actual bike companies that are boutique or dominantly consumer direct (State/Bikes Direct/Intense/Pure/Canyon/YT/Yeti/Seven/Fezarri/Fairdale/Etc) will be serviced.
Meat N' Potatoes Tune ($70)
Everything You Need, Nothing You Don't
Gear Adjustments, Brake Adjustments, Wheel Truing, Bearing Adjustments Where Applicable, Bike Cleaning, Cable and Housing Lubrication, Lite Chain Cleaning and Lubrication, Greasing Of Touch-Points, and General Safety Check and Bolt Torque. Parts extra.
*See Make-A-Wish Tune for a our $100 WAM Tune to grant WISHES!!!
Kitchen Sink Services
Ala-Carte Labor
Tire/Tube Change ($10),
Front and Rear Gear or Brake Adjustment ($20)
New Cable and Housing Install with Adjustment ($15 per Brake/Shifter)
Hub Overhaul Clean N' Grease ($20)
Bottom Bracket Overhaul or Install ($20)
Wheel True ($20)
Custom Wheel Build ($60 per Wheel)
Hydraulic Brake Bleed ($20 per Brake)
Suspension Overhaul ($25Rear/$50Front)
Custom Bike/Frame Build ($140)
Accessory Install ($10 per)
* Ask about anything else not listed.
Bits N' Bobs
Parts/Accessories/Etc.
Bought a bike online, and need to get it built, tuned, and prepped to be safe and secure...($70/Boxed Bike Build).
The Illiterate Cyclist is a new and growing business on a thread-bare budget. We will be bringing in a good mix of parts and accessories to fill out the shop and offer the what's and wears you and your bike needs for your adventures. As an actual cyclist myself, I assuredly stock products I can stand behind, and have outlets to get you much more than you can see or imagine
SAG Support
Make-A-Wish Michigan's WAM300 Bike Tour
The Illiterate Cyclist's Cranksgiving
Monroe Cycling Club's Lake Erie Fall Classic
and beyond! Contact me about your cycling event...if the cause is good, I'm likely interested!
***Bike's left after 30 days of completion (and customer contact) will be disposed of at Owner's loss.
Hip Hop Anonymous, Hiphopopotamus?
We've Gone To Thing Doing
Event stories, now that I've figured out how not to break the website, again.
WAM 300
Make-A-Wish MI: Wish-A-Mile 300 Bike Tour (Rider Sponsor, Tour Mechanic, Donor).
WAM Tour 2022 (July 28-31): LIVE
For the past 35 years, Make-A-Wish Michigan has had a Wish-A-Mile Bike Tour across Michigan the final full weekend of July. Started as a challenge among a few riders in the 80's to raise funds to grant Wishes for children born with life threatening conditions; has now grown to a near 2000 rider strong group of people from across the Country (the World, really), raising on average $2.25 Million Dollars each year. Normally, I'm the SAG Mechanic for the three day 300 mile tour from TC to Marshall, MI. But, the World got flipped upside-down in 20'/21'.... Most riders have done smaller solo/virtual riders, or more singular rides with their respective Teams. Not to be undone, Monroe Wish Riders and local Gym Rats devised an advanced route to do the ride as planned, in legacy of the original riders and to keep the flame burning for the kids. Adding two extra days with a Mackinaw starting point, we traversed MI to the Ohio boarder for near 500 miles in '20. Unplanned, my new SAG Vehicle for the business blew up right before reaching Traverse City (picture of me catching the group riding into TC, and their first mechanicals). Butts rubbed raw from heat and hills. Shaky interactions with gun and knife toting Rednecks in otherworldly parts of the State, getting runoff the road by reckless motorists and truck drivers, and "Satanists" with time to kill...this was the darkest of timelines. I was even asked to hop on my bike and join the Team as we shot to the OH boarder. In the end, Monroe Wish Riders neared $40,000 in donations to Make-A-Wish.
For '21, we devised a hybrid 300 WAM Tour to get more riders back. Luckily, I think other WAM Teams saw what we did in '20, and we got to see many WAMr's on the road.
Through my own accords, I offered my own WAM Tune, splitting $100 50/50 with Make-A-Wish MI.
Cranksgiving
Global Bike Based Scavenger Hunt: To Collect Food To Feed Those In Need.
Sunday before Thanksgiving: You (Yes, You!) are going to be rippin' up the streets on your bike and best portaging device. Riders will be given a multi-choice list of non-perishables and essentials to help fight hunger and help those in need. All goods will be donated to Gleaner's Food Bank of Michigan the week of Thanksgiving. This is now a 20 year strong Gobal event, doing a heck of a lot more good, given the even greater struggles our communities have gone through during '20/'21.
Where: Well, the bike shop, of course, at 10 am. About $15-20 to buy "Cranksgatherings", and you can buy more as you desire. Costumes welcomed, and some bonus elements...prizes at the end?!
See Facebook for event write-ups.
FB4K Detroit
Free Bikes 4 Kidz (FB4K) is a non-profit organization running in a handful of major cities across the US. The main objective is to collect and refurbish children's bikes (12-24" wheeled bikes) from Oct-Dec; and then donate those bikes through partner organizations to help provide bikes to those families and kids most in need for a healthier and happier childhood....right around the Holidays!
Bring your gently used kids bikes (or those needing a slight touch of TLC) between Oct-Nov. I'll do what I can with sprucing them up, and then deliver them to FB4K on the day's I'm closed (Wed). Very petite 26in bike's are OK, too. I brought in 28 fully ready bikes with me in 2020 (9 in 2021), volunteer while I'm there over the three months, and we work as a collective to make them ready for the holidays. Over 2400 bikes were given away to kids in 2021. If you can change a tube, turn a wrench, or do some tlc; come join us at the new Piston Group home in Corktown.
Click the logo to bounce to their site.
Gulable? More of a Gula-Calf: The Things I Get Roped Into.
Lake Erie Fall Ride (Sept. 18): Hosted by Monroe Cyling Club. An awesome "Choose-Your-Own-Adventure" around Michigan's Cornerstone, Monroe. Proceeds go towards ALS of Michigan (Lou Gehrig's Disease). 100 Mile Road/100K Road/100K Gravel/50K Road. Great food, SAG Support (Me!), and free beer from Pavlov's Brewing.
Tour De Livingston: Oct. 10 (Howell High School). Now on it's 14th Annual Riding (2021), this is a day long Pick-Your-Own-Journey Bike Tour around Livingston County (Howell, MI). Road and Gravel options, with many routes available, up to 100miles. Proceeds going to support United Way of Livingston County, and those struggling in the region. Pancake Breakfast!
Bike Dearborn First Dozen: Title is right on the nose, albeit a slightly frosty one. '21 marks the 50th Annual, first established by Cycling Saddlemen in the 70's, now hosted by Bike Dearborn. Just a nice, 12 mile jaunt around West Dearborn, leaving from Qahwah House, a mighty fine Yemeni's coffee house. Draws a lot of local cyclists of all abilities, and family friendly!