Hometown Bicycles

I’ll admit, I was a little apprehensive when we made the decision to start Hometown Bicycles. Who isn’t when it comes to launching their own business?

For that reason, I am very thankful for the people that have made this shop a growing success. 348 repairs later, I am still amazed by the support I have received from the local community, my friends and family.

I am also grateful for the encouragement that fellow local bike shops have offered – shops like Cycletherapy in Waterford and Ann Arbor’s Wheels in Motion.

“But,” you’re wondering, “aren’t they competition?”

Actually, no. I’ve known these shops for years, as well as the people who work there, and I have great respect for their passion to put people on bicycles.

Competition isn’t another bicycle shop. It’s a Play-station, it’s a Quad-runner… it’s something that doesn’t give back to you like a bicycle does.

Like Hometown Bicycles, these shops want you to have a good time; they want you to have a great experience; they want you to receive the best service they can offer. And ultimately our common goal is the same: We all want you to RIDE YOUR BIKE!

So thank you, all of you, for the enthusiastic welcome to the cycling community. We look forward to fueling your cycling passion for a long time to come!

– Shaun Bhajan, Hometown’s Head Honcho & Expert Mechanic

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Should my bike get a tune-up?
This question has, not surprisingly, been asked frequently over these past couple weeks. And our answer?… NO.

Now you’re thinking, “What do you mean ‘NO’?” Well, if your bike spends more time parked in your garage than your car then, NO, you don’t need a tune up – you need to sell it!

But if you ride – or intend to ride – your bike, then that’s an entirely different story.

What is a Tune Up?
Excellent question: A tune up falls into the same category as a dental cleaning, an oil change, or even clearing out your house gutters; it’s preventative maintenance. A tune-up is the action you take to either offset costs in the long run, or to give yourself more time between the inevitable…  a REPAIR.

What is a Repair?
According to Dictionary.com, it is a Verb (used with object) meaning To restore to a good or sound condition after decay or damage; mend: to repair a motor. A repair, then, is a root canal, a motor swap or a new roof. Every bicycle needs a repair at some point or another.

The frequency with which you tune up your bicycle, by the way, often gives you a good timeline of when the eventual repair may need to happen. More tune-ups equals less repairs, and vice-versa.

So, back to the original question: “Should my bike get a tune up?”
YES. If you want to enjoy your bicycle, and put your energy into climbing “Mount Kensingtonjaro” instead of troubleshooting a bike breakdown, then get your bicycle tuned up regularly!

Make your bicycle maintenance my problem, not yours. That’s why we’re here… to get you back to “your happy place” on a working bicycle!

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