(Hometown Bicycles ran the “Pedals” portion of the event, including bike valet, route design, and quite possibly the world’s best route marking job!)

LAST WEEKEND’S POSES, PEDALS & PINTS WAS A RAGING SUCCESS…  
…with an invigorating Vinyasa yoga start courtesy of Tocca Massage & Yoga, a Hometownified fun roll through the subdivisions of Brighton, and a cool pint at Brewery Becker to bring it all home.

Our love and gratitude to the fantastic Team peeps that made this event possible, manning Hometown’s bike valet, keeping participants on course, greeting, registering, you-name-it-they-helped… you are a credit to your jersey!! Thanks, too, to Ride Coordinator Jean for orchestrating the volunteer participation!

(Team Hometown Bicycles raised the awesomeness bar – and a glass – for a job very well done!)

Shout out to Terry McNamara, who took fantastic photos of the event, and is offering them HERE for download, free of charge!

Hometown proudly donated its share of the event proceeds right back to the Yoga Strong Scholarship, founded by Ashley of Tocca, that annually supports the collegiate ambitions of highly driven female athletes from Brighton High School.

(Give this gal a hug! Ashley Knuth, owner of Tocca Massage & Yoga and founder of Poses, Pedals & Pints, kicked it all off with the yoga portion of the event.)

Missed out? You’ll be SO glad to know that we’re already planning a September 30th revisit for Poses, Pedals & Pints. Stay alert – when registration opens, spots will go fast!

(Team Hometownie Marilyn – left – greeted participants at the door of the gorgeous Brewery Becker of Downtown Brighton, owned by Brewmaster Matt Becker – right – and wife Christina. What a perfect location for this event!)

SPRING SNOWMAN PUTS A SPRING IN ADAM’S STEP

Adam, congratulations, you’ve won… (cue Bob Barker) A NEW BIKE!!!
For the past several emails, you’ve seen us promote the Spring Snowman Run/Walk. It’s hosted annually by the Eric Hartwell Foundation, a remarkable organization created by the much-loved Hartwell Family (a particularly awesome group of Hometownies) to raise money to “directly support children, diagnosed with Leukemia and other blood disorders, being treated at C.S. Mott’s Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan.”

We’ve donated a bicycle to this deeply worthy event for years now. Our congrats this year goes to Walled Lake’s Adam Shinabarger, who is head-over-heels for his new ride! Welcome to the Hometown and Jamis families, Adam. We wish you many, many miles of adventures!

And congrats, too, to the Eric Hartwell Foundation for another phenomenal event! Your next chance to win a bike will be at next year’s race on May 12, 2018. Start training!

THIS SUNDAY: ISLAND LAKE CHALLENGE MTB RACE

If Island Lake is your mountain biking mothership, the Island Lake Challenge Mountain Bike Race on Sunday, May 21st is SO for you!! You’ll be lapping the locally-loved Yellow Loop for a chance to win home-turf bragging rights. Be sure to keep a weather eye out for the unmissable Team Hometown jerseys. We wouldn’t miss an opportunity to race in our own backyard!

MCMBA KEEPS ‘EM COMING – MILFORD BIKE FEST

Hot on the heels of the MCMBA Demo Day, Hometown’s hitched it’s sponsorship buggy to MCMBA’s Milford Bike Festival & Trail Challenge!

This June 3rd event gives you a day of family-friendly trail/path riding, guided rides (new this year!), live music, food, raffles, and beer. It’s only $20 pre-registered or $25 day-of, with all proceeds benefitting the MCMBA, which VERY actively preserves, protects, and promotes our local parks and mountain bike trails. That’s a worthwhile cause we’re proud to support!

CLICK for details or to register now!

(Images at left courtesy Rocco Mularoni)

MEET THE CREW: ROCCO MULARONI

Rocco is another returning rockstar, who’s stepping up this summer to co-lead our Service Department to new and glorious heights. With a heart of gold and strong family values, Rocco is an extremely welcome addition to our Hometown Crew. Rocco says:

I’ve been riding bikes since kindergarten, when I used to spend weekends at Waterford Oaks racing BMX. My dad got me into mountain biking around that time as well and I always enjoyed riding with him. Sports began consuming most of my time, with football, hockey, and lacrosse so I had less time for riding. In high school I was playing football and lacrosse for Detroit Catholic Central. Senior year I decided to drop football and was looking for something else, so I picked up mountain biking again and have only gotten more passionate since. I am playing lacrosse at Hope College now, but still enjoy getting on my road or mountain bike as often as possible. Besides bikes I also enjoy working on cars, a skill that I learned from countless late nights in the garage with my dad. I love working at Hometown because it allows me to work on bikes which I’ve always loved, and it allows me to do it with some of my closest friends which is even better.

(This Friday Night Lights GoPro video came by way of Kevin Machuga – thanks, Kevin! No FNL this week, but we meet up again next Friday for a night loop of Brighton Rec – stay tuned!)

HOMETOWN BICYCLES UPCOMING SHOP RIDES

THURSDAY SOCIAL RIDE (5/18)
10:00AM (meet at 9:45) from Hometown Bicycles
Join us as we explore our local park roads, paved paths and sometimes – a bakery! All bikes welcome. Expect to average 10 mph for 1.5+ hours as we cover 13 – 18 miles. NO DROP RIDE.

NO FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS – Join our Brighton Rec night ride next week!

SUNDAY HARTLAND GRAVEL GRINDER (5/21)
9:00AM (meet at 8:45) from Hartland Township Hall
Scenic, very HILLY dirt roads with a few miles of pavement for connectors. Expect to venture across a changing route of 25 to 40 miles at a 13 – 15 mph pace. (Did I mention it was hilly?)  All types of bikes are welcome on this NO DROP RIDE. Hartland Twp. Hall lower parking lot (turn right once in the drive) 2655 Clark Rd, Hartland, MI 48353

SUNDAY EXPLORING TRAILS MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE (5/21)
4:30PM (meet at 4:15) from Hometown Bicycles
Beginner friendly mountain bike trail ride which will encourage riders to visit new trails as their skill level increases.  Expect to venture out past Island Lake throughout the season to Brighton’s Murray Lake, Milford, Maybury, and Waterloo’s DTE Trail. If Poto is your goal, this is the weekly ride to get you there by the end of the season!  Save 1.5 hours of your day to cover 12 – 16 miles of trail with the Hometown crew. NO DROP RIDE.

MONDAY BEGINNER FRIENDLY ROAD RIDE (5/22)
Sponsored by Pro-Motion Physical Therapy
6:30PM (meet at 6:15) from Hometown Bicycles
This is a NO DROP Beginner Friendly road ride. We’ll be traveling the Island Lakes park roads to the well-known “Green Dumpster” and back. ~ 12 – 15 miles. Sound like too much for you? No worries – there will be an early turn-back option for a little less mileage. Bring a light if you have one, though we’re not expecting to need them. Road bikes recommended. All level riders are welcome.

TUESDAY GRAVEL GRINDING 101 WITH ‘CYCLODAN’ TRIBBLE  (5/23)
6:30PM (meet at 6:15) from Hometown Bicycles
Join Hometown service guru, Dan ‘CycloDan’ Tribble, for this unique, gravel grinding adventure ride.  We’ll tackle road, singletrack, and gravel, including portions of Island Lake, hopping a guardrail, sand “puddles”, and a few hills just for fun! Plan initially for just over an hour, covering 13+ miles at a 12 – 13 mph average pace, with the intention to lengthen the distance as sunset grows later. Gravel, adventure, or mountain/fat bikes required (not appropriate for skinny tires). All levels of riders are welcome – NO DROP RIDE.
WEDNESDAY HAMMERFEST / SON OF HAMMERFEST (5/24)
This is a DROP RIDE!
6:30PM (meet at 6:15) from Hometown Bicycles
**New Addition! Meet “Son of Hammerfest” for those that would like to build up to the original Hammerfest.**
SON OF HAMMERFEST:
Rolling at 6:30 from Hometown Bicycles. This will include 25 miles (1 lap of ILRA & the Kensington Loop). Average pace targeted at 17 – 18 mph, with flats of 20+ mph.
HAMMERFEST:
Bring your “A” game, and see if you can stay on this crazy train of talented individuals as they push each other to find new limits. You’ll want the fastest road bike you own, as the pace averages 20 mph through 2 laps (40 miles) of the roads of Island Lake. Expect the flats pace to range 24 – 28 mph!

THURSDAY MORNING SOCIAL RIDE  (5/25)
10:00AM (meet at 9:45) from Hometown Bicycles
Join us as we explore our local park roads, paved paths and sometimes – a bakery! All bikes welcome.  Expect to average 10 mph for 1.5+ hours as we cover 13 – 18 miles. NO DROP RIDE.

For ALL SHOP RIDES, be sure to FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK for ride confirmations and updates!

(Photo cred: Yoga pic at left courtesy Ashley Knuth of Tocca Massage & Yoga)

FITNESS CLASSES AT HOMETOWN

Hey, Hometownies! Mark your calendars for these fantastic fitness programs running right here at your favorite bike shop:

CARDIO DRUMMING | Wednesdays at 6:45PM
$5 class fee / $5 equipment rental – With Martha Soraruf
Click to learn more

DYNAMIC YOGA | Fridays at 9:00AM (starting June 16)
$10 class fee – With Ashley Knuth of Tocca Massage & Yoga
Click to learn more

ZUMBA | Mondays at 6PM & Thursdays at 9:30AM
$8 drop in or “10 classes for $50” punch card – With Leslie Barrett
Click to learn more

Not all those who wander are lost.

– J.R.R. Tolkien

Filed under: Hometown Bicycles | Tagged: Adam Shinabarger, bicycle shop, bicycles, bike shop, bike valet, bikes, Brewery Becker, Brighton, cycling, cyclists, Eric Hartwell Foundation, fitness classes, group rides, Hometown Bicycles, Island Lake Challenge MTB Race, Jamis, Jean Steinberg, jersey, livingston county, Matt and Christina Becker, MCMBA, Michigan, Milford Bike Festival and Trail Challenge, Pedals and Pints, Poses, Ride Coordinator, Rocco Mularoni, shop rides, Spring Snowman 5K, Team Hometown Bicycles, Tocca Massage and Yoga, vinyasa yoga, volunteers, yellow loop | Leave a comment »