A Detroit-based bike manufacturer is holding its grand opening event tonight. Detroit Bikes is part of a mini-trend of companies like AutoBike and Detroit Bicycle. But it's the only company making bike frames in the city.
The bikes come in one color -- black. They cost about $550. That might sound steep for a road bike, but founder Zak Pashack says investing in a bike could actually save Detroiters money.
"If you take $550 and decide that's going to be your mode of transportation for a summer, you're going to save a lot of money over taking a car," he said. "A $550 bike is going to save you thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars compared to taking a car around. This is a huge economic savings tool for people if they choose to engage it."
Pashack moved to Detroit from Canada. He spent his own money he made in the Canadian music industry to start the company. Pashack's interest in urban planning evolved into a desire for alternative transportation.
"Different city governments are trying to find ways to make cycling more accessible for people and safer for people," he said. "Along with that political trend there's also the potential for a consumer trend to emerge as people who because it's now easier and safer for them to ride a bike around, who will want to go and buy a simple, basic bike to ride around the city in."
Detroit Bikes officially opens its doors tonight at a grand opening party on Cass Avenue. Pashack hopes to sell his bikes not just to Detroiters, but to bike retailers across the country.
-Sarah Kerson, Michigan Radio Newsroom
