bike clinics | Hometown Bicycles

“How to Market Yourself & Your Business” Clinic Tuesday 12/10 + Team Night 12/15!

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Shaun

Hot Topic Clinic for Entrepreneurs: MARKETING!
Tuesday, December 10 from 6-8:30 PM

SIGN UP HERE TODAY!

Join us at Hometown Bicycles for a fun, engaging and informative program aimed at business owners, start-ups, and entrepreneurs who want to enter the new year with a solid marketing plan.

Meet Our Speakers!

There will be time for a Q&A session following the speakers, plus refreshments and time to chat with like-minded folks in our community. Can’t wait to learn alongside you!

Toys for Tots at Hometown!

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 37-20. Egads, Roadies! Santa is watching you!)

Team Night!

Sunday, December 15 from 5:30-7:30 PM
It’s that time of year ALREADY?!
Time to think about joining Team Hometown Bicycles for the year 2020!

We’re having a grand celebration to recap this year’s triumphs and contributions to the cycling community, distribute awards to our existing (and very awesome) Team members, present information to prospective members on what it means to join Team Hometown, and eat loads of Gus’s mostaccioli and breadsticks!

This event is open to ALL — you will have the opportunity to learn what Team Hometown is all about, join the 2020 Team, and sign up to be a Ride Volunteer. Come one, come all for a fun, interactive and all-around feel good evening celebrating YOU.

Sign up HERE!

Filed under: Hometown Bicycles | Tagged: Abovo Visual Communications, best bicycle repair, best bicycle service, best bike repair, best bike service, bicycle clinics, bicycle rentals, bicycle repair, bicycle service, bicycle shop, bicycles, bike clinics, bike rentals, bike repair, bike rides, bike service, bike shop, bikes, Blair Bradford, Brighton, Colleen Fitzgerald, cycling, cyclists, fat bikes, fat tire bikes, fitness classes, Global Fat Bike Day ride, group rides, Hometown Bicycles, Hometown Bikes, Hometownies, Island Lake Recreation Area, Lake Trust Credit Union, livingston county, marketing for entrepreneurs, Michigan, Mike Langford, Nicole Dietrich, Roadies vs. Mountain Bikers, shop rides, Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park, Susan Pominville, Team Hometown Bicycles, Team Night, Toys for Tots, Turtlehut Internet Marketing | Leave a comment »

Closing for Inventory on 11/19 + Chili Champions + Marketing for Entrepreneurs

Posted on November 14, 2019 by Shaun

We will be closed for inventory on TUESDAY 11/19.

Fitness classes will still be running at the shop:
6 PM: HIIT
7 PM: Pound

Entrepreneurship Event: MARKETING!

Tuesday, December 10 from 6-8:30 PM

Attention all Go-Getters! This one is for you!

Men and women of all ages, join us at Hometown Bicycles for a fun, engaging and informative program aimed at business owners, start-ups, and entrepreneurs who want to enter the new year with a solid marketing plan.

A panel of experts will present information on print marketing, graphic design and how to truly capture the spirit of your business, web/online presence, and general promotion and marketing must-knows! There will be time for a Q&A session following the speakers, plus refreshments, takeaways, and time to chat with like-minded folks in our community.

So that we can fully focus on YOU, we will be closing the shop early for this event.

SIGN UP HERE!

Our 4th Annual Chili Cookoff was a saucy, spicy, succulent good time!

What a terrific turnout on Saturday 11/9 — thank you all for coming out to join our kickoff fat bike friendly ride, share your fantastic chili recipes with us, provide an inquisitive audience for Guinness World Records contender Bill St. Onge, and for choosing our Chili Cookoff winners!

DRUM ROLL PLEASE…

OVERALL WINNER: Ann & Miles Janicki’s Chili Cornbread Casserole

MILD WINNER: Ann & Miles Janicki’s Chili Cornbread Casserole

MEDIUM WINNER: Gary Kulhanek’s Happy Tongue Gourmet Chili

SPICY WINNER: Mike Dyer’s Dirty Brat Chili

Many thanks to Miles Janicki for capturing some of these fun images!

Save the date for next year’s Chili Cookoff:
Saturday, November 14, 2020, one week post-Iceman!

Filed under: Hometown Bicycles | Tagged: Ann and Miles Janicki, best bicycle repair, best bicycle service, best bike repair, best bike service, bicycle clinics, bicycle rentals, bicycle repair, bicycle service, bicycle shop, bicycles, bike clinics, bike rentals, bike repair, bike rides, bike service, bike shop, bikes, Bill St. Onge, Brighton, chili cook off, closed for inventory, cycling, cyclists, entrepreneurship event, fat bike friendly mountain bike ride, Fat Bike Friendly Shop Ride, fat bikes, fat tire bikes, fitness classes, Gary Kulhanek, group rides, Guinness Book of World Records, HIIT, Hometown Bicycles, Hometown Bikes, Hometownies, Leslie Barrett, livingston county, marketing for entrepreneurs, Martha Soraruf, Michigan, mike dyer, Pound, shop rides, Team Hometown Bicycles | Leave a comment »

Happy Halloween! + Meet a Guinness World Records Contender!

Posted on November 4, 2019 by Shaun

Happy Halloween, Hometownies!

We wish you a scary, happy, spooky, festive, full-of-candy Halloween!

Halloween Hours:
9 AM-5 PM

Welcome November… Here’s what’s cookin’!

Saturday, November 9th from 4-7 PM

The name tells the tale! Celebrate 4 years in our “new” location, swap harrowing Iceman stories, kick off our famous winter fat bike friendly shop ride, and eat and judge chili!

Stir up your favorite recipe and drop it off at the shop by 4 PM. People’s Choice judging will begin at 5 PM, and the winner will be announced by 7 PM. Be sure to bring your garnishes and serving utensils, and your recipe ingredients written on an index card for allergy-conscious diners.

When you sign up, don’t let us know what kind of chili you’re bringing. It needs to be a surprise! We are all about unbiased voting, folks!

Enter your chili HERE!

PLUS meet Guinness World Records contender, Bill St. Onge, before his round-the-world bike trip!

Bill will be at the shop with his bike and gear to talk about long-riding in general, and specifically his upcoming journey to take on the official Guinness World Records title of “Oldest person to circumnavigate the planet by bicycle”. Bring your curiosity and questions!

Words from Bill: “This coming December, I leave to cycle around the world… that’s “cycle,” as with a pedal-bike. The ride will start and stop in Palm Springs, CA. It will take up to 14 months and cover a total of 34,000 miles across 28 countries. This is a self-supported effort, meaning I’ll travel without the aid of a support team or support vehicle. When finished, I’ll be 71 years old and my knees will probably hurt.”

Check out his blog HERE!

Entrepreneurship Event: MARKETING!

Who: Anyone interested in learning about Marketing! Business owners, entrepreneurs, start-up endeavors,

students… come one, come all… men and women, all ages!

What: Informative and FUN evening on a hot topic!

Tues, December 10 from 6-8:30 PM

Where: Hometown Bicycles! We will be closing the shop early to focus on this event!

Why: Because your Hometown ladies, Dawn and Leslie, really love supporting entrepreneurs!

Coming in a future email: Our fantastic lineup of speakers and the link to sign up! Keep your eyes peeled!

Filed under: Hometown Bicycles | Tagged: 4th Annual Hometown Bicycles Anniversary Party Post Iceman Fat Bike Friendly Mountain Bike Ride and Chili Cookoff, best bicycle repair, best bicycle service, best bike repair, best bike service, bicycle clinics, bicycle rentals, bicycle repair, bicycle service, bicycle shop, bicycles, bike clinics, bike rentals, bike repair, bike rides, bike service, bike shop, bikes, Bill St. Onge, Brighton, chili cook off, cycling, cyclists, Dawn Gaden, entrepreneurship event, fat bikes, fat tire bikes, group rides, Guinness Book of World Records, happy halloween, Hometown Bicycles, Hometown Bikes, Hometownies, intenSati, livingston county, marketing for entrepreneurs, Michigan, Sati, Sati Yoga, shop rides, Team Hometown Bicycles | Leave a comment »

Show Hometown Love at the Velodrome & Spice Things Up at Our 4th Annual Chili Cook-Off

Posted on October 18, 2019 by Shaun

SPORT THOSE HOMETOWN COLORS, AND JOIN SHAUN, DAWN AND YOUR FELLOW HOMETOWNIES on October 19th at the Lexus Velodrome in Detroit, where the League of Michigan Bicyclists (LMB) will recognize the outstanding contributions of cycling advocates from around the state with a night of exciting indoor cycling races.

The 64,000 square foot, $4 million Lexus Velodrome is the most talked-about venue in the U.S. cycling world – and it’s right here in Michigan!

HOMETOWN BICYCLES IS A FINALIST FOR LMB’S SHOP OF THE YEAR AWARD!

Hometown is one of five bicycle shops in the running for the Shop of the Year Award, alongside Pedal Bicycles – Portage, Brick Wheels, Sweet Bikes, and Kids Repair Program.

Winners will be announced during a pre-race reception at 5 PM (heavy hors d’oeuvres and cash bar), followed by the Velodrome’s Saturday Night Rumbles at 7:30 PM.

Get in on the action, and buy your tickets HERE!

Did someone say chili?!

It’s almost time for Iceman… do you know what that means?

It’s time to get your recipes simmering for our 4th Annual Chili Cook-Off! Our annual tradition is always the week following Iceman and we are stoked to consume copious amounts of chili with you!

SAVE THE DATE! On Saturday, November 9th, you can enter to win one very special (and kinda gaudy, but that’s what makes it fabulous) traveling trophy. Take home the bragging rights of being the 2019 Hometown Bicycles “Great Bowls of Fire” Chili Cook-Off WINNER!

Stir up your favorite recipe and drop it off at the shop by 4 PM. People’s Choice judging will begin at 5 PM, and the winner will be announced by 7 PM.

Enter your chili HERE!

We are also planning a pre-chili Fat Bike Ride, so stay tuned for details. That way, you can burn off a ton of calories before you add them all back!