A Team to Write Home-townies About
LET ME TELL YOU WHAT YOUR TEAM DID…
Last weekend marked the first annual Team Picnic social, held at the beautiful Riverbend picnic area in Island Lake. Our Team gathered for an afternoon of cycling, potluck, grilling, socializing… and astonishing me and Shaun! With Bond-ian stealth, our Team coordinated a surprise 8th birthday gift for Hometown Bicycles – an emergency defibrillator wall unit – and presented it at the picnic. Thanks for the brilliant addition to our shop, Team – we’re feelin’ the love… and it’s mutual!
Key players: Team Social Sponsor, Sean Lowry of Lowry Solutions (top left), was the catalyst behind this event, and we were thrilled to meet his growing family. (Thanks again, Sean!) A Hometown favorite and long-standing, outstanding Service Lead Andrew (top middle) dropped by between grad parties to hang with his Hometownies. Grill masters Steve (bottom left) and Jim (bottom middle) were heroes to all of us hungry cyclists. Our awesome Ride Coordinator, Laura (bottom right), was mastermind and MC for this event. And a shout out goes to Hometown’s newest Events Coordinator and long-time Zumba queen, Leslie, for leaping in head first to set up one seriously successful picnic!
TEAM NEWS: HANSON HILLS, T-SHIRT RIDE & CYCLISTS GONE FISHIN’
Missing the Team picnic in the line of duty (i.e. representing in the Hometown kit), our thanks and kudos goes to Linc Wehrly, who placed a respectable 5th at Hanson Hills Challenge Mountain Bike Race up in Grayling.
Team Co-Captain Jim Cleer toured Grand Ledge in his unmistakably Hometown apparel at the annual Tri-County Bicycle Association T-Shirt Ride.
And Steve Wortley did some lake-side promotion, wearing his Team gear for a recent fishing trip. Must have brought him some good luck, too, by the looks of it. Nice catch, Steve!
Thanks for spreading the love, Team!
TOMORROW (6/10): TAKE A KID MOUNTAIN BIKING!
What could make a more perfect Sunday than to rev up the next generation of cyclists with a day devoted solely to making mountain biking fun for kids!
We ♥ ♥ ♥ the PotoMBA’s annual Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day celebration and event. There’s food, families, trail fun, and Hometown will be there, proudly supporting the creation of future cycling fanatics! We’ve been honored to be an ongoing part of this awesome event – offering support, safety checks, and mini-cyclist education – and can’t wait to see you and your young’uns at this year’s to-do.
For details and info, CLICK HERE. Event runs TOMORROW, JUNE 10 from 10am-2pm!
HOMETOWN’S NON-HOSTILE MILFORD TAKE-OVER
RIDE WITH SHAUN IN BRIGHTON’S JULY 4 PARADE!
This year, the whole family – Shaun and I and the kids – will be riding in Brighton’s 4th of July Parade, and we’re calling on all families with kids ages kindergarten through 5th grade to join us! There’s no charge!!
Brighton Optimist Club is the annual host of this well-loved Bike Decorating Contest & Parade Ride, and Hometown has enjoyed the privilege of helping their program grow year by year. In addition to hosting bike decorating parties at our shop and offering complimentary bike checks and helmet discounts to participants, we’re also providing free bicycle delivery and pick-up service to and from the parade! Details of this event can be found here, but here’s our mission…
Hometownies, let’s BLANKET this parade in bicycles!! Sign up now to be a part of making this the biggest bike entry in the history of the parade!
SAVE THE DATE: HOMETOWN JULY JUBILEE (7/15)
Leapfrogging off the fun that was had at last year’s July Jubilee, we’re celebrating this year’s Sunday, July 15th event with a day of cycling, sales, family activities, food, sweets, games, prizes, special guests, and then kicking it up a notch with a special evening concert starring Hometown’s CycloDan Tribble and his Progressive Blues & Rhythm Band. Add it to your calendar, and stay tuned for details!REGISTER FOR POSES, PEDALS & PINTS: JUNE 23
This local favorite is just around the corner – have you already registered… ???Poses, Pedals & Pints: Summer 2018 registration is nearly here! The event opens with beginner-friendly yoga, courtesy of Tocca Massage & Yoga, followed by a leisurely and scenic ride with Team Hometown, ending with a long, cool pull from the taps of Brewery Becker. We’ll save you a chair!
MORE FUN THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR BICYCLE
This one’s for the beginner rider who wants to increase mileage and speed. We’ll ride the well-known “to-the-Green-Dumpster-and-back” loop (~12-15 miles), or more for those who are ready. A and B groups will average 10-15+ mph. Road bikes only! Please have some experience on your bike, along with basic shifting and braking skills for the safety of the group. Beyond that, we’ll share some tips to make the hills easier and the flats faster! Check Facebook for ride confirmation and changes!
Come enjoy beautiful, HILLY country roads and wonderful ride company. Expect several TOUGH, LONG CLIMBS, at an average 14 – 15 MPH pace for all 28.2 miles. The group may split into 2, with the front pack averaging > 15 mph. (Check out Dan’s Gravel Grinding 101 ride for a less grueling option.) Cross/Gravel, Mountain and Fat bikes are welcome. Meet in the Hartland Twp. Hall lower parking lot (turn right once in the drive) at 2655 Clark Rd. Check Facebook for ride confirmation and changes! Check Facebook for ride confirmation and changes!
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Join your Hometown Crew for our beginner-friendly mountain bike trail ride, which encourages riders to explore new trails as their skill level increases. This week, we’ll enjoy 9 – 15 miles of Island Lake single track over the course of 1.5 hours. All levels welcome – NO DROP RIDE. Mountain and Fat Bikes are encouraged. Riders under 15 must remain with their guardian throughout the ride. Be mindful that the trail has several hills and some minimum level of fitness will be helpful to make for a positive experience.Check Facebook for ride confirmation and changes!*** RENT A FAT BIKE AT THE SHOP! ***
This one’s for the beginner rider who wants to increase mileage and speed. We’ll ride the well-known “to-the-Green-Dumpster-and-back” loop (~12-15 miles), or more for those who are ready. A and B groups will average 10-15+ mph. Road bikes only! Please have some experience on your bike, along with basic shifting and braking skills for the safety of the group. Beyond that, we’ll share some tips to make the hills easier and the flats faster! Check Facebook for ride confirmation and changes!
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Want to learn to ride with a peloton? This ADVANCED, road warrior training is led by our Team racers! You’ll learn and practice: draft lines, hill repeats and intervals. Come ready to work hard at an average 20mph pace. Bring a cadence sensor, speed sensor, and heart rate monitor. Check Facebook for ride confirmation and changes!………………………………………………..
Ladies’ Road Ride
TUESDAY, JUNE 12 | 7:00PM (MEET BY 6:45PM) | FROM HOMETOWN
Ladies, this one’s just for you! This weekly, road ride is for gals of all ability levels. We’ll ride the well-known “green dumpster” loop at Island Lake (~14 miles) at a conversational, 10mph pace. All bikes welcome, NO DROP RIDE. Afterward, relax, connect, and rehydrate with your new biking friends. BYOB!Check Facebook for ride confirmation and changes!
Gravel Grinding 101
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13 | 6:00PM (MEET BY 5:45PM) | FROM HOMETOWN
Ride with your Hometown bike guru, CycloDan Tribble! Front and rear light required, as we end at dusk. This ride weaves through and around Island Lake, covering 13+ miles of pavement, dirt trails and gravel roads (a few hills just for fun!) at an average 12-13 mph. Expect a “puddle” or two of sand and a few face slappers on the trails this time of year. Nothing our gravel, adventure or mountain/fat bikes can’t easily handle. Skinny tire bikes will NOT work for this ride. All levels welcome – NO DROP RIDE. Check Facebook for ride confirmation and changes!
*** RENT A FAT BIKE AT THE SHOP! ***
Ladies Only Beginner Mountain Bike Ride
THURSDAY, JUNE 14 | 6:30PM (MEET BY 6:15PM) | FROM HOMETOWN
Ladies, come learn beginning mountain bike skills! We’ll tackle the trails in manageable bites, with the empowering support of skilled and supportive Hometown women. We’ll ride together to Island Lake Recreation Area, and focus on taking the fear and uncertainty out of riding the trails! NO DROP. Check Facebook for ride confirmation and changes!
*** RENT A FAT BIKE AT THE SHOP! ***
FITNESS CLASSES AT HOMETOWN BICYCLES
$5 drop in / $5 equipment rental – With Martha Soraruf
Click to learn more
ZUMBA | Mondays at 6:00PM & Thursdays at 9:30AM
$8 drop in or “10 classes for $50” punch card – With Leslie Barrett
Click to learn more
A good day is a good day. A bad day is a good story. At the end of the day, it’s all good.
~ Glennon Melton
Filed under: Hometown Bicycles | Tagged: 4th of July parade, andrew jackson, bicycle repair, bicycle service, bicycle shop, bicycles, bike decorating contest, bike repair, bike rides, bike service, bike shop, bikes, Brewery Becker, Brighton, Brighton Optimist Club, Brighton Recreation Area, Cardio Drumming, cycling, cyclists, Cyclo Dan Tribble, Events Coordinator, fairs, festivals, fishing, fitness classes, group rides, Hanson Hills Challenge, Hometown Bicycles, Hometownies, Island Lake Recreation Area, Jim Cleer, July Jubilee, Laura Faunce, Leslie Barrett, Linc Wehrly, livingston county, Lowry Solutions, Martha Soraruf, Matt Fitzhorn, MCMBA, Michigan, Milford Bike Fest and Trail Challenge, mountain bike race, Poses Pedals and Pints, PotoMBA, Progressive Blues and Rhythm Band, Pure Michigan, Ride Coordinator, Riverbend picnic area, SAG, Sean Lowry, Shaun Bhajan, shop rides, Steve Steinberg, Steve Wortley, T-Shirt Ride, Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, Team Hometown Bicycles, team picnic, TKMBD, Tocca Massage and Yoga, zumba | Leave a comment »
