Lake Trust Credit Union | Hometown Bicycles

FREE WINTER STORAGE with Tune-Up!

Posted on December 4, 2020 by Shaun

FREE WINTER STORAGE with Tune-Up!
Bring your bike in anytime between now and December 23rd for a tune-up and we will store it at the shop until spring! This means your bike will be all set to roll come those early days of cycling weather in March. No wait, no hassle… just freedom to get out there and ride.

We have room to store up to 220 bikes, so take advantage of this opportunity while space permits. For $25, we can even deliver your bicycle to your door this spring!

Gift Certificate Trade-Up!
We are so grateful to our Hometown community for supporting our shop during what has been a tough year. We’ve received an outpouring of encouragement and generosity to keep us Hometown Strong. People still ask what they can do to support the shop as we enter the off-season, and with the holidays coming up, we have the perfect answer to that question — gift certificates!
We are offering a Gift Certificate Trade-Up program this holiday season, through December 23rd.

Here’s how it works:
Buy a gift certificate…
Get an accessory certificate on us!

The accessory certificate is for 10% of the gift certificate you purchase. For example — you buy a $200 gift certificate and we give you a $20 certificate to use on accessories. The cyclist in your life is sure to love it!

Toys for Tots!
We are a Toys for Tots collection site!

Your donations make a huge difference for children in Livingston County. This year, there is a greater need than ever before.

Drop off a new, unwrapped toy, game, or book for kids up to age 16, through December 19th.

If you aren’t up for shopping, you can make a cash donation at the shop and our Events Coordinator, Leslie B, will play the role of Santa’s elf and shop on your behalf!

THANK YOU for your generosity.

Congratulations to Team Hometown Bicycles sponsor, Dream Kitchens, on their fantastic new location!

Visit their showroom at 5728 Whitmore Lake Rd, Brighton.

Check out the “Transformation” page on their website to see how they create beautiful, functional spaces that match your style.

Hometown Bicycles Ornaments!
Need a great stocking stuffer? Stop by for these custom-made Hometown ornaments! We have several designs available. Prices range from $10-$15.

We’d love to see photos of your Christmas trees donning a Hometown ornament! Send them to events@myhometownbicycles.com. We’ll feature them in a future newsletter.

Mobile Handyman Service by Joe Ostervik LLC

Did you know our Team Hometown Co-Captain is an exceptionally talented handyman?

Joe Ostervik is a fully insured, local handyman with over 30 years of experience in rough carpentry, roofing, siding, decks, and much more.

You can reach Joe at (517) 548-1954 or joe.ostervik@gmail.com. To see his work, check out his Facebook page HERE. Be sure to like/follow his page for updates!

Metroparks 2021 Annual Passes
The unique gift of a 2021 Metroparks annual pass is the gift that keeps on giving. With an annual pass, you have access to all 13 Huron-Clinton Metroparks every day of the year.

Now through the end of December, you can get a 2021 annual pass at a discounted rate of just $35. For seniors (62+) the deal is even better, with a senior annual pass costing only $24. Take advantage of this great opportunity before year’s end.

Purchase online HERE.

Hometown Giveaway Challenge!
We have a challenge for our Hometownies! Take a selfie with the Shaun & Dawn billboard (you can access it from Dorr Road, near the Humane Society). Post it on social media, tagging Hometown Bicycles and Lake Trust Credit Union. Stop by the shop to show off your selfie and get a FREE tube!

Filed under: Hometown Bicycles | Tagged: best bicycle service, Bicycle Adventure Center, bicycle ride, bicycle service, bicycle service industry, bike ride, bike service, Christmas countdown, Christmas Deals, Christmas ornaments, Dream Kitchens of Brighton, holiday shopping, Hometown Bicycles, Hometown Bicycles Gift Certificates, Huron-Clinton Metroparks, joe ostervik, Lake Trust Credit Union, Mobile Handyman Service, Toys for Tots, Tresa O’Rourke, Winter Bicycle Storage | Leave a comment »

The Power of Possibilities: Thank you, Lake Trust!

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Shaun

How cool is this?!
It’s not every day you see yourself larger than life while cruising down the highway. Imagine our surprise to discover Shaun and Dawn hovering high above I-96 at Dorr Road!

We have a challenge for our Hometownies!

Take a selfie with the billboard (you can access it from Dorr Road, near the Humane Society)
Post it on social media, tagging Hometown Bicycles and Lake Trust Credit Union
Stop by the shop to show off your selfie and get a FREE tube!

What a HUGE (literally!) honor — THANK YOU, Lake Trust Credit Union!

Winter Tune-Up with a Bonus! FREE WINTER STORAGE!

Avoid the spring rush and waiting, waiting, waiting for your bike to be serviced when everyone else is doing the same — be the early bird who gets the proverbial worm. How?

Bring your bike in anytime between now and December 23rd for a tune-up and we will store it at the shop until spring! This means your bike will be all set to roll come those early days of cycling weather in March. No wait, no hassle… just freedom to get out there and ride.

We have room to store up to 220 bikes, so take advantage of this opportunity while space permits. For $25, we can even deliver your bicycle to your door this spring!

Gift Certificate Trade-Up!

We are so grateful to our Hometown community for supporting our shop during what has been a tough year. We’ve received an outpouring of encouragement and generosity to keep us Hometown Strong. People still ask what they can do to support the shop as we enter the off-season, and with the holidays coming up, we have the perfect answer to that question — gift certificates!

As you know, we like to give too. We are offering a Gift Certificate Trade-Up program this holiday season, through December 23rd.

Here’s how it works:
Buy a gift certificate…
Get an accessory certificate on us!

From the Les Cook Chronicles: Iceman NO Cometh 2020

For those of us who trail ride and for anybody that does anything else for that matter, 2020 is messed up. When the outdoor events started to be canceled, you knew things were bad. But we held out HOPE for the Bells Beer Iceman Cometh Challenge 2020. After all, this is the oldest point-to-point Mountain Bike race in the country from Kalkaska to Traverse City and this would mark year 31. Our hopes were dashed when it was canceled because of the dreaded Covid-19.

Then the rumors began to stir our hearts with hope. We could still ride the course informally, and the Iceman No Cometh 2020 was born. So we planned our trip and it was a blast. They sent out an app with this year’s course that could be downloaded into a Garmin and you could ride at your leisure. Anyone who has ridden the Iceman knows that the year after the worst years is the best year to ride.

This year was no exception. It was 70 degrees, I wore my summer kit, the trail was perfect, and it was fast. A lot of people showed up starting from many different locations. It was never crowded but I’ll guess that between 500 and 600 people participated. My brother and I enjoyed the perfect weather and trail condition. My Jamis Portal performed flawlessly. For the first time, I was able to climb ALL the hills, regularly hit downhill speeds of 30 mph, and got through all the sandpits. The new piece of singletrack is a real hoot when you can ride it instead of march single file through the mud. Of course, this may have been because there weren’t 5000 other people in the way. I can’t wait until next year and hope all of you out there can come to enjoy one of the best weekends in mountain biking. — Les Cook

Brown Bag Lunch Series

The first-ever county-wide Livingston County Trails Plan was completed and released in late June 2020. Join in this virtual Brown Bag to learn about the various components of the plan. Following the presentation, local park providers and municipal leaders will discuss the desired trail implementation strategies of their park system or municipality.

Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Time: 12:00-1:15 PM
Via Zoom with meeting number 399 700 0062 and password LCBOC

Congratulations to Running Lab! After 10 years in downtown Brighton, they are moving — but not far — just across the street!

Click HERE to check out the plans for their new store, opening in Spring 2021. Looks amazing!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. We wish you all a safe holiday filled with turkey, football, naps, family, and all good things. You may even get out there for a bike ride!

We will re-open on Black Friday, our usual hours of 10 AM-5 PM.

Filed under: Hometown Bicycles | Tagged: bicycle, bicycle gifts, bicycle repair, bicycle shop, bicycle tune up, bicycles, bicycling, Hometown Bicycles, Iceman Cometh Challenge, Iceman No Cometh Challenge, Lake Trust Credit Union, Leslie Cook, Running Lab, Thanksgiving, Winter Bicycle Storage | Leave a comment »

Team Night THIS Sunday 12/15 at 5:30pm!

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Shaun

Want to join Team Hometown Bicycles? Join us at Team Night!
THIS SUNDAY, December 15 from 5:30-7:30 PM

What happens at Team Night?

We honor our 2019 Team Sponsors
We congratulate and celebrate our 2019 Team and Team Captains
We announce 2020 Team Sponsors and Team Captains
We talk about the roles and responsibilities of joining our Team
We distribute awards to very cool people
We EAT, laugh, socialize and share the cycling love

Sign up HERE!

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 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:

Susan Pominville, Abovo Visual Communications
Mike Langford, Turtlehut Internet Marketing
Blair Bradford, Sky Zone
Nicole Dietrich, Lake Trust Credit Union

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

Filed under: Hometown Bicycles | Tagged: Abovo Visual Communications, Andy Showerman, 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, cycling, cyclists, Dawn Bhajan, Dennis Doherty, entrepreneurship event, Erik Frazier, fat bikes, fat tire bikes, fitness classes, Gary Kulhanek, Gary Weak, Global Fat Bike Day ride, group rides, Hometown Bicycles, Hometown Bikes, Hometownies, Island Lake Recreation Area, Jeff Wirth, Lake Trust Credit Union, Leslie Barrett, livingston county, marketing for entrepreneurs, Michigan, mike dyer, Mike Langford, Nicole Dietrich, phone system, Roadies vs. Mountain Bikers, shop rides, Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park, Sleepy Hollow, Susan Pominville, Team Hometown Bicycles, Team Night, Tom Hermann, Toys for Tots, Turtlehut Internet Marketing | Leave a comment »

“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!

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!