Our Photo Tour of the “Tour” 

Let’s set the scene… Sunday, October 9th. 8:00am. Mt. Brighton lodge. Nearly 800 cyclists laughing and chatting, grabbing a final breakfast bar and topping off their water bottles. Tour de Livingston time…

We were up extra early packing bikes, gear and tools at the shop (left). James and Amanda manned the Hometown tent at the Tour (Amanda wheeling out a Jamis Hudson Cruiser, right). James, Amanda… you are awesome. Thank you both!

Hometown’s tent was hopping with last minute bicycle repairs and deflated tires. (Shaun, left. James, right.)

We snuck in a little time to build our Bicycle Tug of War. Of course, we had to test it out first… you know… to make sure it was fun enough. It was. (Valiant knights, right. Trusty steeds, left.)

At the Tour, willing volunteers made sure our tug-of-war bikes were working properly (left). Then, let the games begin! Jack watched on to make sure there was no monkey business (right).

Tour directors were launching cyclists in waves for a variety of short and long, road and trail loops (right). We grabbed a quick photo op with our 500 Mile Challenge superstars, Steve and Jill (left). (Read more about their success story below.)

Dawn and I set off a little late, but rarin’ to go on our 100-miles-on-a-tandem-1-day-before-our-1-year-wedding-anniversary adventure! We encountered all kinds of roads…

And all kinds of scenery…

And all kinds of ‘wildlife’ (cows, left – horses, right).

Our favorite rest stop was Dexter Cider Mill (left), where we chowed down on fresh donuts and cider (with zero remorse). Tour planner and coordinator (and the evil mastermind behind the 62-mile loop, Ann Arbor hill climb), Jim Gilligan of Snedicor’s Cleaners, was there to welcome cyclists with refreshments and good cheer (right).

Our last 38 miles benefited big time from the awesome company of Hometownie, Barry Wynn. A flat (left) didn’t stop us for long. Neither did Michigan’s infestation of orange barrels (middle). Most of the ride was smooth sailing (right).

On the final stretch, when we were questioning our sanity, Tour Director Peter Bowen’s creative road markings in front of our shop (left) inspired us to go the distance. Victory was sweet. 100 miles, baby!! That’s definitely something to smile about (right).

So, who’s ready to ride with us next year??

The 500 Mile Hometown Challenge: ACCOMPLISHED

Remember when Shaun challenged two, innocent customers to ride 500 miles in one summer on their new bikes? Since then, Jill and Steven have become local superstars, pedaling all over the county. They conquered their last 38 of the 500 miles at the 2011 Tour de Livingston. Their letter says it all:

“When Shaun asked us to ride 500 miles, our first thought was, he wants us to do what? This challenge was pushing us out of our comfort zone.

We traveled to more places that I did not even know existed. There were many Sundays we would go to church with the bikes packed and head off to an unknown destination. We [even] took a bikecation to the west side of the state.

Our vacations and summers will never be the same, now that we have our bikes, and I (Jill) have challenged myself to ride 1,000 miles!

We will always be forever grateful to the staff at Hometown!

P.S. We are NOT done riding… there are some more beautiful days ahead, we are going to take advantage of them!”

Congratulations, Jill and Steven! You’ve inspired all sorts of people with your determination… including us!!

“A nice day for a little ride with several hundred of our closest friends.”

               – Tour de Livingston 2011, TdL Facebook Page

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Hometown ‘Hearts’ Tour de Livingston 

Seriously, if you haven’t already…

It looks like it’s going to be perfect cycling weather this weekend! Dawn and I will be there riding our tandem. Plus, YOU GET 10% OFF ANYTHING IN THE SHOP when you bring in your registration to Hometown before the 2011 Tour de Livingston.

So, what are you waiting for? Sign up today!!

Iceman Cometh Challenge 2011

Cyclists take on Winter in this infamous 27-mile, point-to-point mountain bike race through the Traverse City trails on

SATURDAY, NOV 5TH
VISIT THE ICEMAN WEBSITE

It’s all mud, ice, guts and glory at this mad event, and we know many of you cool cats are taking on the challenge!

Check out CJ’s Monday Iceman Training Ride at right for a chance to hone your cold weather racing skills.

Hometown ‘Photos Within a Photo’ of the Month

OLYMPIC PHOTOGRAPHY AT HOMETOWN:  Thanks to local cyclist and pro photographer, Karen Huckabone of Limiteditions Photography, Hometown’s bicycle fitting room has gone from great to downright gorgeous! It’s worth a special trip just to see her stunning Olympic and Italian photography.

Karen gives us the scoop on her photo series:

“The U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO is headquarters for the U.S.O.C. administration and the training center.

I interned at the center in 1983 following graduation from Indiana University. My job as a journalist was to write a story about the athlete visiting and send the story about his experiences back to his hometown newspaper. This is all before computers and instant news, emails, tweets and blogs. The story was written and photo taken, then the information mailed to the local paper of the athlete.

Twenty-eight years later the Olympic Training Center provides training facilities to 557 coaches and athletes every year.”

Hometown Training Tip: Too hot for comfort  

As the weather cools, the temptation will be to layer up like an Eskimo for your bike rides. Fight the urge!

If you’re warm to start, you’ll be broiling mid-ride. Aim for chilly, and you’ll reach that happy medium.

No need to roast or freeze. We’ve got the right gear for any cycling season. Stop in and check it out!

“Put the negative behind you; go out and give it a try.”

               – Mike Hoffner, 1,000-Miles-in-60-Days Cyclist

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Well, THAT was a successful trip! In addition to daily Elvis sightings, Hometown toured row upon row of the coolest, newest cycling products on the market.

We placed some orders, set some goals, got some terrific ideas and got psyched. 2012 is going to rock. You can hold us to that.

And what a compliment to the shop! We learned the happy news that Hometown is one of QBP’s top Michigan retailers and a Jamis Michigan retailing rockstar. Frankly, that’s due to you and your continued patronage, so congrats, Hometown peeps! You’re turning us into one heck of a bicycle shop!

Hometown Photos of the Month

MAKING NEW FRIENDS:  One of our favorite parts of Interbike was meeting remarkable people. Here, Dawn and I are sitting pretty with Jamis President and CEO, Carine Joannou (left), who gets where we’re coming from, appreciates where we’re at and is geeked about where we’re going. We came out of that meeting inspired to take on the world. Perfect example of why we love Jamis!

DESERT RIDE @ INTERBIKE 2011:  Dry heat didn’t stop cyclists from participating in an Interbike desert expedition. We caught this cyclist on camera along the route to Red Rock Canyon. Wow, right?

Tour de Livingston

Dawn and I are revving up to be a tour de force at the 2011 Tour de Livingston on our tricked-out tandem. Come out and join us for our epic 100 mile ride, one day before our 1-year wedding anniversary!

PRE-REGISTER before October 3rd to be automatically entered to win the Hometown-donated, Jamis Earth Cruiser (see photo above). Even if it’s not quite your speed, it could just be the perfect holiday gift for someone special! (All Tour proceeds go to Livingston County’s United Way.)

GET 10% OFF ANYTHING IN THE SHOP when you bring your registration in to Hometown before the 2011 Tour de Livingston.

Hometown Tech Tip: How to Earn Your Racing Stripes

Racing stripes traditionally bring to mind glory, awards, accolades and general awesomeness. But in cycling, it means that skunk stripe of mud running up the back of your shorts and jersey from wet weather riding. Cool, but rough on your clothes.

There is a way to save you from frequent trips to the laundromat. Fenders!

There’s a fender for every shape, size and style of bicycle. If light and sleek is your preference, it exists. If retro funky is more your speed, it exists. If you want to check out the possibilities for your bike, stop in and we’ll help you find the perfect protective gear to keep your mud-slinging wheels from striping your kit.

NEW HOMETOWN HOURS

TAKE NOTE: Our hours have changed with the season, but we’re still here 7 days a week to help keep you riding!

MON – FRI : 9AM – 7PM

SAT – SUN : 9AM – 5PM

591 REPAIRS IN 69 DAYS…
THINK WE CAN DO IT???

Of course we can! But we’re going to need your help…

You sure stepped up to the plate in 2010 to catapult us past our goal of 1,000 repairs. And you’ve been TERRIFIC this year, rocketing us up 1,420 repairs toward our goal of 2,011 repairs in 2011.

Now the rubber meets the road. Just 591 repairs to go. Tell your family. Tell your friends. Tell your neighbors. Heck, tell strangers.

We promise to impress them all, and make you look good for recommending us!

Visit Us on Facebook!
We’re almost at the big 5-0-0 fan count. Betcha there’s at least 2 more of you who would love to “Like” our Hometown Facebook page!

Hometown Happenings
SHOP RIDES:
WEDNESDAY ROAD RIDE:
Location: Start & end at shop
Times: 6PM, every Wednesday
Distance: 15+ miles
Pace: Fast
Terrain: Paved road, Island Lake/Kensington

SUNDAY MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE:
Location: Start & end at shop
Times: 5PM, every Sunday
Distance: 15-18 miles
Pace: Fast
Terrain: Single track at Island Lake

CJ’S ICEMAN TRAINING RIDE:
ALL CONDITIONS RIDE – RAIN OR SHINE. This is training, baby!!
Location: Start & end at shop
Times: 6PM, every Monday
Distance: 25+ miles
Pace: Fast & furious!
Terrain: Single track at any and all of the surrounding parks & dirt roads!

RUNS:

Dawn’s in training. Join her these next few weeks at Runnin’ Gear’s Thursday Night Free Run Clinic, where you run first, then learn cool things after from local experts:

Location: Runnin’ Gear of Brighton
Times: 6:00pm RUN every Thursday (Call ahead to confirm – 810.844.0180)
Distance: 3 mile RUN
Pace: Pick-your-own pace
Terrain: Paved Roads/Sidewalks

Future Hometown Runs will be posted on our Facebook page, so stay tuned.

OTHER EVENTS:
CLICK HERE to check out our Calendar of Events. Be sure to bookmark it!

“An accomplishment is making just one more pedal revolution.”

                            – Shaun, Your Hometown Bike Guru

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