WE love what we do, and we hope that YOU love it also. If you do, TELL THE WORLD
Iceman survivors (and all you other winter riders!), just a reminder that our “Iceman Effed My Bike!” Tune-Up is in full swing…
Here are a few of the bikes we’ve resurrected from muddy oblivion:
Filed under: Hometown Bicycles | Tagged: bicycle, bicycles, bike, bikes, cyclists, Hometown Bicycles, Iceman Cometh Challenge, Iceman Effed My Bike, Iceman tune up, tune up | Leave a comment »
We (Shaun and Dawn) started with an idea, a passion, and just enough money to pay for paint and some bike stands. Our dream was to launch a bike shop that would be more than just a store – it would be a rock-your-socks cycling experience.In March 2010, we located a mother ship for Hometown Bicycles in Brighton, and worked into the wee hours of every night, prepping the space for its new role as a Service Shop. 
(We also got engaged!) By Tax Day, we were selling our very first customer a patch kit.By the following year, we were married and bustin’ down walls into our new, next-door retail space. 
Jamis came into our lives – one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.Since then, the Hometown crew has been involved in all sorts of cycling events – including our own – 
launched shop rides and bike clinics, won Best Bike Shop and Best Retailer awards from our customers, our community, and our vendors, and have otherwise woven ourselves into the fabric of the community.
This past Spring, we opened our first satellite service location in Whitmore Lake. 
And the adventures just keep on coming.
The time is coming for a new evolution… one that will help us become the bike shop of your dreams. We’re gearing up to take your Hometown experience to new heights, and can’t wait to share our vision with you.
Until our next email, when we’ll talk about Where We Are Now,
Jim Cleer embodies everything we like most about cycling and cyclists. Since he first dropped by our shop, we’ve seen Jim encourage so many others to get healthy through cycling. He’s always willing to help out, and focuses on what’s really important… the JOY of cycling. In Jim’s own words, here’s why he rides…
“When I was first asked to write about why I ride, I thought no problem. Now that I have actually started to put pen to paper I find it a little more challenging to express why I love riding.
Just a brief background on my riding career is the fact that I have really only been doing this for two years. Of course, I rode a bike as a kid, but hadn’t really been on a bike for 30 years.
Anyway, my buddy Tom talked me into going mountain biking in the fall of 2012. I used his son’s bike and we rode the blue trail at Island Lake. At the time I was working out regularly and running and thought I was in pretty good shape. Well, one hour and 45 minutes later to ride approximately 10 miles of what I now view as a beginner trail proved me wrong.
I was hooked and went out and bought a mountain bike later that week. I love the feeling of being out in the woods. The group rides we do on Wednesday nights. The races I now compete in and the friends I have made while mountain biking. There is almost nothing more rewarding than successfully climbing a rock and root infested hill and then getting the pay off on the other end to scream down the other side while dodging trees, rocks and more roots and if your lucky, catching a little air as you go.
At least, that is what I thought for the first year.
I had a rather jaded opinion of what is commonly called a “roadie”. Mountain bikers as a whole are pretty much laid back. We ride hard, help those in need on the trail and drink beer. I was led to believe that roadies are a little more stuck up and live within all these etiquette rules of riding.
Well, I bought a triathlon bike in the late fall of 2013. I wanted to do a tri in the coming summer and found the bike on craigslist.com for a great price. I didn’t get much riding in on it as we all know what kind of winter we just had. But, spring finally came and I took to the road.
I started riding Kensington and Island Lake on a regular basis. I found the other “roadies” to be just as courteous and friendly as mountain bikers. Sure, they typically may look better in spandex bike shorts, but they gave me a new goal of trimming the waist line a little more.
I even got a flat one early Saturday morning at Island Lake about 6 miles from my car. There I was with no tube or CO2 walking the asphalt in tri shoes, not exactly the best shoes for walking. There were plenty of triathletes out doing training runs that morning and every single one of them asked if I needed help, wanted a tube or CO2. They were all really nice people.
Since then I have purchased a new road bike for racing and have taken to the road more than the trail. I love the speed factor of being on the road. With every ride I find some other way to improve either my form, pedal stroke, climbing, cornering or gear shifting. I realize I love the science part of biking too. I use speed and cadence meters along with my Garmin 310xt, to track my progress and see where I have opportunities to improve. Eventually, I will get a power meter, but they need to come down a little in price first.
To sum it all up, I don’t really have a single big reason why I ride. I ride because I love the people I meet, the camaraderie of the friends I’ve made, the strength and conditioning the sport gives me, the tools I get to use to improve, the knowledge I gain on a daily basis about all things bike, the stress relief it gives me after a crappy day at work and maybe most important, even with the tools I use to improve, it gives me time unplugged from all the non stop noise of tv’s, radio, the internet and work.
So, I highly encourage anyone one to hop on a bike and start pedaling. If after a while your legs start to hurt and you think you can’t go on, just look at them and repeat the immortal words of the legendary Jens Voigt, ‘Shut Up Legs’ and pedal on.”
Now here’s some orange barrels we can get excited about! Last week we talked about Brighton Township’s plans for a new bike path running from Old 23 to Pleasant Valley along Grand River, and eventually connecting at Kensington Road.
Hometown tips its hat to the Township… can you believe construction has already begun!? Just a stone’s throw east of the shop, workers are laying the foundation for the first leg of the path. It’s a beautiful sight… come by and check it out!
Filed under: Hometown Bicycles | Tagged: bicycles, bike lights, bike path, bike shop, bikes, Brighton Township, clinic, construction, history, Hometown Bicycles, Iceman Cometh, Jim Cleer, joy of cycling | Leave a comment »
Below are photos from the event. Be sure to check out the Tour de Livingston Facebook page and Hometown Bicycles’ Facebook page for more posts on one of our favorite local events!
From left: Cyclists gathering at dawn; Shaun & Dawn join Race Director Peter Bowen to draw the raffle bike winner; Congrats to Jack L. for winning our Jamis!
From left: Lining up for take-off; Debbie G. and son rode the Hometown tandem in the Tour; Riders refresh at the Hometown Bicycles Whitmore Lake rest stop.
WHAT: In this clinic, we’ll cover everything from the various styles, features, and benefits of bike lights, to where they go and why, to which lights you need and which you don’t.
Immediately after, anyone who’s interested can join us for a Devil’s Night Shop Ride, where you’ll be able to take our lights for a test spin! This ride will be a short, Island Lake road and trail mash-up for all levels of riders. We’ll finish up with a cozy autumn bonfire back at the shop.
WHEN: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30TH at 6:00PM
WHERE: Hometown Bicycles of Brighton
Although there’s no charge, we do ask that you register in advance, so that we can plan ahead and make this an awesome event for everyone!
Intelligent, fun, bike obsessed… Vicky Vulaj is one of our favorite cyclists! Vicky recently rode the Apple Cider Century – all glorious, vibrant, 100 miles of it – and came out of it smiling ear to ear. Here’s what Vicky has to say about cycling:
“I love being a Triathlete. With each discipline, I learn something new about my body and my will. But, with cycling, I learn so much more about my own self, my drive and perseverance. I started riding casually on my Schwinn, around Kensington mostly (not the road, the path) and it served me well for the time but as I looked more and more forward to getting on my bike, I knew I needed something that was smoother and faster and got my first road bike, my Jamis.
As important as speed is in a Triathlon, I personally look forward to settling into the saddle and gauging my form and strength, once my body and bike are in sync, I feel like the bike is an extension of me and I can relax, take in my surroundings (as I so often do, even in a race) and breath in the air. I love that feeling of forward movement that only comes from a bike, sure we run and swim but it’s so different, so much more rewarding.
My training rides have taken me into Island Lake, South Lyon, Dexter and Chelsea and I love them every bit as much (or more) than any competition. I’ve also ridden a few centuries and a few metric centuries. I’m so grateful to have discovered cycling and hope to keep rolling and improving for a long, long time.”
And here’s what she has to say about the Apple Cider Century:
“Simply stated, The Apple Cider Century is a wonderful, scenic and very enjoyable Fall Ride. The quaint town of Three Oaks, Michigan provided a great overall experience; from the genuinely welcoming locals, easy in-and-out traffic, and most importantly Nelson’s Saloon for great burgers and beer
(however, the ride does include a spaghetti dinner).
Packet-pickup was efficient and well-organized considering they had to roll-out over 5,000 riders. The energy was in high-gear and the weather was a perfect 75 degrees with blue skies for miles and miles. The trails were well marked and maps were provided. SAG support was plentiful with vehicles throughout the course and the SAG stops were plentiful with water, gatorade and snacks for refueling.
Most importantly, for me, the eclectic course provided scenery that kept us constantly in the presence of our surroundings and never bored. From canopies of tree-lined and winding country roads, creeks and bridges to vast fields of grazing land, with beautifully architectured farmhouses, “eau de farmland” included It was a mini vacation; a day to grab your bike and explore the part of our state that takes you away from the daily grind.
The Apple Cider Century is a great ride that offers all the ingredients of an enjoyable day and discussions of next years tour happened on the drive home.”
Have you heard the good news?! Brighton Township is, as we type, laying out bike-friendly pathways that will stretch from Old 23 to Pleasant Valley along Grand River and eventually connect at Kensington Road. The lane will pass right in front of our Brighton store, and we’ve been enjoying the bustle of surveyors as they plot the route. WHOO-HOO!
Want to know more? Check out the links below:
Filed under: Hometown Bicycles | Tagged: Apple Cider Century, Bicycle Retailer, bicycles, bike paths, bikes, Brighton Township, cyclists, Hometown Bicycles, Tour de Livingston, triathlete, Vicky Vulaj | Leave a comment »
Talk about living the dream! Customer Gretchen Klatt came to our shop last winter with an old, steel frame bike and a hankering for pedal-powered adventure. Here’s her story, in her own words…
“I had a 21 year old steel bike hiding in my garage; as a winter project Hometown Bicycles helped me restore her with new components into a touring bike. I talked all summer about taking it out camping and when September rolled around it was now or never. I bought maps from Adventure Cycling and my sweet husband drove me to Sarnia, Ontario and waved good-bye.
For six days I peddled and camped (ok, one night I stayed in a cute little inn!) and learned a lot. Wind isn’t as bad as I thought, a loaded bike is really heavy, I can be more aggressive on the road, looking behind is critical to my safety, Gatorade is important, 50 degrees is not too cold to ride, I got better at hills (big hills) and I love my quads!
I thought I could travel 70 miles a day – I was wrong. I averaged 50 miles a day and by 2:00 I wanted to be done for the day. I left part of my trip unfinished because I ran out of vacation time; but that’s ok, Ontario will be there when I get a yen to ride another section of that map – and ride it I will.”
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS OF GRETCHEN’S ADVENTURE!
Last night’s Friends of Island Lake meeting, regarding both paved and single track trail additions, had an incredible turn-out. The park office was literally overflowing… you can only see a few of the attendees in the picture above.
We were super proud to see Hometownies there in abundance. Way to support the trails you love to ride!
On the agenda were extremely exciting trail developments throughout the park which, by the way, is ranked Michigan’s highest attendance non-camping recreational area. To read more about the Friends of Island Lake’s projects, check out the three links below:
Despite threatening weather, last Sunday’s Hometown Bicycles Tour de Livingston Training Ride out of Howell had great attendance from fans of the much-loved, nearly-here Tour de Livingston event. Keep a weather eye out for ride photos taken by renowned local photographer, Richard Lim, in an upcoming Livingston Daily Press & Argus!
Jamis’ racy, new cyclocross bike has been turning heads around the world. In fact, their 2015 Supernova Team bike recently enjoyed feature face time in Cyclocross (CX) Magazine. This is one bike you cross-fans out there have gotta see!
CLICK HERE to check out the article on CX Magazine’s website.
Filed under: Hometown Bicycles | Tagged: bicycle, bicycles, bike, bike restoration, bikes, Gretchen Klatt, Hometown Bicycles | Leave a comment »
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