CABDA (Chicagoland Area Bicycle Dealers Association) is an association that promotes advocacy, best practices, education, and social events for Independent Bicycle Dealers. The CABDA Expo Midwest will take place on February 12-13 in Chicago and our Hometown Leadership Team will be in attendance, learning about tons of cool bicycle stuff! Those lucky dogs! Because so many key staff members will be out of town, please be aware that Hometown will be CLOSED from Tuesday, February 11th through Thursday, February 13th, and will re-open at 10 AM on Friday, February 14th.
Our Winter Clinic Series continues!
Come out to the shop to learn the ins and outs of caring for your bicycle at our informative winter clinic series. For all skill levels!
All clinics are held on Saturday mornings in Hometown’s Community Room. There is NO COST to participate. Clinics are one hour unless otherwise specified.
Bike Fitting Basics: Saturday 2/8 from 11 AM – 12:30 PM Guest speaker, Vinnie Baylerian, PT, DPT of Pro-Motion Physical Therapy, will cover bike fit that maximizes efficiency and minimizes discomfort. Learn about the mechanics of your body, and how it interacts with your bicycle. Vinnie is a certified Level 2 Clinical BikeFit Pro. Sign up HERE!
Bike Maintenance (After the Ride Care): Saturday 2/15 @11:30 AM In this second of a two-part clinic, we’ll talk about how to care for your bicycle AFTER you come back from your ride. We’ll show you what you need and how to use it. Sign up HERE!
Flat Tire Fix: Saturday 2/22 @11:30 AM This clinic covers everyone’s favorite — flat tire fixes! Bring along your wheel for some hands-on practice, or use one of ours. Sign up HERE!
Emergency Bicycle Repairs: Saturday 2/22 @11:30 AM This clinic is hands-on! We’ll cover quick, on-the-go bike fixes to help you avoid a long walk home. Sign up HERE!
Where to Ride in Michigan Potluck: Saturday 3/14 from 5:30-7:30 PM Details coming SOON!
Saturday, February 29 from 6-8 PM
Hometown’s “Winter Sucks” Soup Competition
Who’s fed up with winter? Show of hands! WE ARE! If you’re not fed up, there’s something wrong with you, and you need soup even more than the rest of us!
Whip up your favorite batch of warm-our-bellies soup and come chow down at Hometown Bicycles as we vote on THE most delicious soup in town.
Meet our new Ride Coordinator: Neal Glazebrook (Part One)!
Tell us about your role as Ride Coordinator. What are some of your goals for this year? I am excited to take on this role. Last year, I was asking many questions about rides and events, and sweeping and leading rides even in my first year on Team Hometown. With this role, I now have the direction to act on improvements and adjustments to the Team and processes. I am heavily involved in our community and am looking forward to having the Team as partner in helping our community be a safe place to bike and recreate in.
I want to build our Team and promote our rides and events in new ways. I am, with my operational and marketing backgrounds, going to bring some efficiencies and benefits, and get us set up for a successful path to the future of the Team and Hometown as a whole. I want us to have our old school Hometown feel, have a great inclusive environment, make great friendships, see our Team up on more podiums and in the news. I will work with each one of you to make that happen.
Where is your favorite place to ride? And do you have a favorite ride/race in Michigan? My love is mountain biking, although I will rock out some gravel frequently and touch the tarmac a few times a year. With that in mind, I would have to say my favorite local place to ride right now is Highland Rec. Following “Mudman 2019”, Iceman is my favorite race. I have never had that much fun on a bike!
How did you first get involved with Hometown? What made it feel like a good fit for you? My first interaction was at the Doc May ride in 2016. It was my first ever ride with a group of people and what got me to start to dive deeper into group events. I enjoyed that ride, my interactions with the Team Hometown members on the ride, and with Shaun at the bike corral that day.
I first officially met Shaun and Dawn when I applied for a Service Manager position at Hometown. I was impressed with their shop, but things did not work out for me to take the position. Over the years, we talked off and on about opportunities and they always nudged me to come ride with the shop and join the Team.
I really saw the value of the Team and the community environment they created in 2018 when I participated in Tour de Livingston for my second year. I restored a 1968 Sears & Roebuck 10-speed to ride my first ever century in loving memory of my dogs Milo and Monte who had passed away just a few short months before. Monte’s passing was the first sign that Hometown was the place for me. Out of the blue, a package showed up from Hometown. Dawn and the team had sent us a Christmas ornament that had Monte’s name with a rainbow bridge on the other side. My wife and I were beside ourselves; the compassion shown by Hometown blew us away…
… to be continued in Part Two in our next e-newsletter…
Coffee or tea? I drink TONS of coffee… tons.**
**He’ll fit right in, folks.
Team News!
On January 20th, Paul Wrona(below left) and Cooper Coatsworth(below right) attended the 2020 Tour deTroit MLK Memorial Ride in Detroit. Approximately 50 riders gathered at the McGregor Memorial Conference Center on the campus of Wayne State University to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy.
The ride was a nine-mile loop that included sights of some of Detroit’s historic churches and buildings, the remnants of Joe Louis Arena, Cobo Hall (TCF Center), the amazing waterfront park, warehouse district, and the Dequindre Cut trail.
Join this gathering of like-minded warriors to activate your energy with meditation, mantras, music and movement. Bring a yoga mat, water, and journal. $20 drop-in.
First Sunday of every month from 9:30-11 AM in the Hometown Community Room.
Ten incredible years of sharing memories and adventures with you makes my personal message to you today bittersweet…
As of January 1st, I will be moving on from my CEO position here at Hometown.
Many of you already know Shaun’s and my history. When Shaun first asked for my help with Hometown over 10 years ago, it was at the level of brainstorming, building, and marketing our new venture. As the shop grew and expanded, so did my role. Our kids were born, and became part of the evolution and revolution that was and is our shop. And then, two years ago, I accepted my most challenging company position to date – as Hometown’s CEO.
With your help, we’ve earned Livingston Daily’s 2019 People’s Choice for Best Bike Shop, Vote 4 the Best’s 2019 Best Bike Shop, and League of Michigan Bicyclists 2019 Bike Shop of the Year. All of this tells me that we are on the right track, and we are going places.
Am I proud? YES!!!
I never anticipated being here this long, or in this capacity, but WOW, what a ride. Best 10 years of my life, bar none.
Through my experiences here, I’ve developed opportunities for myself; it’s time for me to take advantage of those opportunities. I’m ready and eager for the next adventure…
In the meantime, I leave Hometown in the very best of hands – Shaun’s, our Crew’s, and yours. The foundation is laid. You all know what Hometown IS; I’d like to ask for your help now in making it what it can BECOME. Limitless potential, my friends… limitless.
I am still Hometown through-and-through, so you’ll still see me here often. Hometown will always be my second home, and I adore my fellow Hometownies. Plus, I happen to love the owner 🙂
Thanks so much for being a part of my story, for being integral to my family’s life, and for the privilege of being your Hometown CEO.
With love and gratitude,
Dawn Bhajan
Merry Christmas, Hometownies!
Your Hometown family wishes you and yours a truly magical Christmas and a New Year filled with hope, joy, laughter… and lots of cycling. Thank you for the most fantastic 2019. Cheers to another year of adventure ahead!
We close at 3 PM on Christmas Eve and reopen at 10 AM on Friday, January 3, 2020. We hope you enjoy this time with the people who mean the most to you.
With love and warmest wishes… Your Hometown Crew
Team Night 2019… and what a night it was!
On Sunday, December 15th, current and prospective Team Hometown Bicycles members gathered at the shop for a fun, informative evening celebrating all things cycling.
Shaun and Dawn shared this year’s success stories and thanked our Team Sponsors — we are so appreciative of their support! Team Awards were shared with our cycling ambassadors who went above and beyond to give to the cycling community. And we are geeked to announce that all of our Team Sponsors and our Team Captains, Joe Ostervikand Mike Dyer, will be continuing into 2020. YAY!
Team Night was a great display of community and camaraderie, support and gratitude, and love for the incredible sport of cycling. Over 30 riders signed on to be part of 2020 Team Hometown Bicycles at the event alone!! What about you? Will you join our friendly group of non-competitive and competitive riders?
Stop by the shop to learn more about our mission, team expectations, and team benefits… and to pick up a membership application. You may also download an application HERE.
For information on online ordering of the Team Kit, click HERE.
Coming Soon: Winter Clinic Series
Beginning January 11, 2020, we will kick off our highly informative and, many times, hands-on Winter Clinic Series!
All clinics will be held on Saturdays at 11:30 AM at Hometown Bicycles. Stay tuned for more details and sign-up information.
Here are the topics for 2020:
Fat Tire Fix
Emergency Repair
Bike Maintenance – Before the Ride
Bike Maintenance – After the Ride
Bike Fitting Basics with Vinnie Baylerian, PT, DPT, Certified Level 2 Clinical BikeFit Pro
Nutrition: Get Healthy, Get Fit
Where to Ride in Michigan
To our fearless leader, Dawn,
There are no words to describe how much you will be missed in your role as CEO of Hometown. We are all beyond grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside you, and under your guidance, to make Hometown truly THE BEST BIKE SHOP. We know you will do amazing things, whatever you set your mind to, and we will always be your biggest cheerleaders.
Hometown is an official drop-off site for the Toys for Tots drive. Between the Marines and Salvation Army, 800 families in Livingston County have a Christmas they wouldn’t have otherwise, thanks to programs like this and the generosity of supporters like the Hometown community.
Toys are for kids up to age 14, and must be new and unwrapped. No stuffed toys, please.
We’re having a Roadies vs. Mountain Bikers competition — fill the boxes! (Currently, the MTB-ers are beating the Roadies 39-22. Step it up, Roadies!)
A room full of Entrepreneurs is a beautiful sight!
Over 25 entrepreneurs and small business owners joined us on Tuesday 12/10 for our Marketing Yourself & Your Business forum. Our Community Room was filled with creative-minded go-getters, a combination of Livingston County business owners and newbies ready to bring their dreams to fruition!
A huge thank you to our wonderful panel of speakers:
This engaging group shared information on building your brand, internet marketing, putting together a cohesive marketing strategy, the importance of networking & more!
Your Hometown ladies, Dawn and Leslie, are big supporters of entrepreneurship so you better believe our next forum will be coming up in early 2020. Keep your eyes peeled!
Hey, Fatties! Thanks for your support of Global Fat Bike Day!
Team Hometown had a fantastic day riding on Saturday 12/7 — it was the 2019 Global Fat Bike Day. Our shop ride headed to Island Lake Recreation Area, with Team members Gary Kulhanek and Gary Weak serving as ride lead and sweep. They were joined by Team members Jeff Wirth and Dennis Doherty and five newbies who were geeked to head out on their first fat bike ride with Hometown.
Other Team Hometown members headed to Sleepy Hollow State Park: Co-Captain Mike Dyer, Tom Hermann, Erik Frazier, and Andy Showerman with his two sons.
Coming Soon: Winter Clinic Series
Beginning January 11, 2020, we will kick off our highly informative and, many times, hands-on Winter Clinic Series!
All clinics will be held on Saturdays at 11 AM at Hometown Bicycles. Stay tuned for more details and sign-up information.
Here are the topics for 2020:
Fat Tire Fix
Emergency Repair
Bike Maintenance – Before the Ride
Bike Maintenance – After the Ride
Bike Fitting Basics with Vinnie Baylerian, PT, DPT, Certified Level 2 Clinical BikeFit Pro
Nutrition: Get Healthy, Get Fit
Where to Ride in Michigan
Ring! Ring! We have a new phone system …
Do not fear. Change is sometimes good!
When you call, you now have the option of choosing which department you wish to speak to:
Press 1 for Service and Parts Press 2 for Retail or any other questions
Same great service, but now we get you right to where you want to be!
