Leslie Cook | Hometown Bicycles

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!

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!

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 »

Kiosks, shoes, dogs, and focus groups – just a typical day at Hometown!

Posted on September 13, 2019 by Shaun

Countdown to Tour de Livingston!
Sunday, October 6th
There are only THREE weeks until the 2019 Tour de Livingston! The excitement is building!

As the major bike sponsor, Hometown is very invested in the success of this event! To make things convenient, we have set up a Tour de Livingston Kiosk in the shop for any and all of you to register for this scenic ride!

This fully supported ride includes hospitality tents, a full breakfast, snacks along the route, and a hearty meal prepared by the chef at Mt. Brighton.

All proceeds from this event help to: bridge the gap for local hardworking families struggling to meet their most basic needs; prepare every child to be ready for success; and build a healthy community for all residents via the Livingston County United Way Basic Needs Programs. Since its start in 2008, the Tour de Livingston has raised over $400,000 to address the community’s most critical needs. The Tour de Livingston is organized and run by the Howell Rotary Club.

Click HERE to register or raise funds!

LMB Awards: Get Your Nominations In!

The League of Michigan Bicyclists (LMB) is gearing up to recognize the best of Michigan cycling at their annual awards to take place October 19, 2019 at the Lexus Velodrome in Detroit. 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!

But first things first — get those nominations in by September 16th by clicking HERE!

Check out the categories and nominate the worthy folks who are making Michigan bicycling better:

Changemaker of the Year
Shop of the Year – with your help, this could be Hometown Bicycles!
Club/Team of the Year – with your help, this could be Team Hometown!
Business Champion of the Year
LMB Volunteer of the Year
Outstanding Infrastructure Award
And more!

Ignite the Spirit
Let’s help our friends at the Brighton Area Fire Authority!

On September 14, 2019, Ignite the Spirit will begin a week-long bicycle ride from Chicago to Toronto, averaging close to 80 miles of biking each day! All proceeds will benefit the Ignite the Spirit Cancer Fund.

The Chicago Fire Department spearheads Ignite the Spirit. Because of the inherent dangers that firefighters and paramedics face on a daily basis, they are exposed to known and unknown carcinogens. While many of their Brothers and Sisters are surviving in remission and leading normal productive lives, the fact remains that this calling to serve has taken the lives of far too many First Responders. The Ignite the Spirit Fund was created with the idea of providing financial help when they are faced with battling cancer.

The cyclists will be hosted by the Brighton Area Fire Authority for dinner on September 16th, as they pass through Livingston County. If you would like to ride in and out of Brighton with these cycling warriors, contact the fire station at (810) 588-7845.

This is what community is all about!

It is quite an honor that Hometown’s own Shaun Bhajan has been invited to participate in the Pathways & Parks Focus Group as part of Brighton Township’s Master Plan Update. The purpose of the group is to discuss ways to better connect the community and enhance recreational opportunities, and we have so many ideas to share on this subject! Read more about the Master Plan HERE.

“Thank you Brighton Township for investing in our community. I am proud to be part of this group to look at infrastructure, business development and recreation in our area. They are embracing the core values of the township. I’m really excited for the good work that is being done for the direct benefit of the residents,” states Shaun.

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In other community news, we are a drop-off site for the Brighton Area Schools fundraiser to support Brighton’s Pack of Therapy Dogs and less fortunate people around the world. Simply donate your gently used (or new) shoes, cleats, slippers and boots. Over 2800 pairs of shoes have been collected community-wide so far and there is still time to help!

Place shoes in a bag (with laces tied where applicable) and place in the collection bin near our front counter. Spread the word and help make a difference to the social-emotional learning dogs who make such a difference in our schools.

FITNESS CLASSES AT HOMETOWN BICYCLES

Cardio Drumming | Wednesdays 6 PM and Saturdays 9:45 AM$5 drop-in / $5 equipment rental – With Martha Soraruf |Click to learn more

Power 30 | Wednesdays 7 PM
$5 drop in – With Martha Soraruf | Click to learn more

Zumba | Mondays 6 PM and Thursdays 9:30 AM
$8 drop in or “10 classes for $60” punch card – With Leslie Barrett | Click to learn more

Zumba GOLD | Mondays 9:30 AM and Sundays 10:30 AM
$8 drop in or “10 classes for $50” punch card – With Tresa O’Rourke | Click to learn more

Filed under: Hometown Bicycles | Tagged: best bicycle repair, best bicycle service, best bike repair, best bike service, bicycle clinics, bicycle repair, bicycle service, bicycle shop, bicycles, bike clinics, bike rentals, bike repair, bike rides, bike service, bike shop, bikes, Brighton, Brighton Area Schools, Brighton Therapy Dogs, Brighton Township Master Plan Update, Cardio Drumming, cycling, cyclists, Dawn Gaden, fat bikes, fat tire bikes, fitness classes, focus group, fundraiser, group rides, Hometown Bicycles, Hometown Bikes, Hometownies, Howell Rotary, Ignite the Spirit, intenSati, Kem Krest Employee Wellness Fair, League of Michigan Bicyclists, Leslie Barrett, Leslie Cook, Lexus Velodrome, livingston county, Livingston County United Way, LMB Awards, Martha Soraruf, Michigan, Pathways and Parks, Shaun Bhajan, shop rides, Team Hometown Bicycles, Tour de Livingston, Tour de Livingston kiosk, Tresa O’Rourke, zumba, Zumba Gold | Leave a comment »

Tour Kick-Off THIS WEEKEND + Ride in the Parade NEXT WEEK

Posted on June 27, 2019 by Shaun

**THIS SUNDAY!! 6:45 AM!**
Tour de Livingston Kick Off Ride
Join Hometown Bicycles and the Rotary Club of Howell bright and early at this Sunday’s annual Tour de Livingston Kick Off Ride!

Cyclists will meet at the Livingston County Courthouse in downtown Howell, with the ride starting at 6:45 AM. There will be 5, 10 and 25 mile loops available. All riders will have the opportunity to watch the balloons fly in to the Michigan Challenge Balloonfest and will also receive a commemorative water bottle. Helmets required, please. FREE event!

Mark your calendars for the Tour de Livingston on Sunday, October 6th! Since its inception in 2008, this event offers riders enjoyment of outstanding fall colors during the peak color season in southeast Michigan. This fully supported ride includes hospitality tents, a full breakfast, snacks along the route, and a hearty meal prepared by the chef at Mt. Brighton. All proceeds from this event help to: bridge the gap for local hardworking families struggling to meet their most basic needs; prepare every child to be ready for success; and build a healthy community for all residents via the Livingston County United Way Basic Needs Programs.
Team Hometown will be there, loud and proud!

Ride with Hometown in the 4th of July Parade!
Downtown Brighton, NEXT Thursday at 8 AM

Each summer, we really look forward to the Brighton 4th of July Parade — in a collaboration with Brighton Optimist Club, Hometown Bicycles leads a family-friendly ride down Main Street for all ages! It’s a fantastic red, white and blue display of awesomeness to see so many people on bikes, enjoying this tradition with their children and grandchildren.

You have two great options for participating:

Decorate your bike at home and meet us at the contest site at 8 AM. Judging of decorated bicycles will take place at Lynch & Sons, located at 600 E. Main Street in downtown Brighton. Then join our procession in the parade at 10 AM!
Bring your bike and decorations to Hometown Bicycles between Saturday 6/29 and Wednesday 7/3. Decorate your bike at the shop and leave it with us — we will deliver it to the contest site on the 4th! This is a super convenient option so that you can park and easily make your way over to Lynch & Sons without needing to lug your bikes with you. We will also transport your bikes back to Hometown, allowing you to stay downtown and enjoy the festivities.

Click HERE for all details and to sign up!
You’ll be riding in the Parade with Hometown’s own Shaun, Dawn and kids! Bring YOUR kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, and join them for a ride down Main Street!

Hometown Bicycles is nominated: Vote 4 the BEST!

Hometown Bicycles has been nominated for the BEST bike shop in the Click on Detroit Vote 4 the Best Contest!

Please show us your Hometown LOVE by voting for us!

Voting begins on Tuesday, June 18th at 11 AM and runs through Sunday, July 14 at 11 PM. You can vote often and much… every hour, in fact… we know that’s a heck-of-a-lot of voting, but anything you can do to help is so appreciated!

To vote:

Visit the Click on Detroit website HERE
Choose the Sports & Recreation category
Select Hometown Bicycles

It’s that simple! Add it to your bookmarks to make it even easier.
Let’s rock this, Hometownies!

Helping our future generations be safe at Safety Town!

Hometown loves Safety Town!

Each summer, we spend several hours with 4-5 year old children at Hilton Elementary School in Brighton. We cannot say enough about this wonderful program!

Above: Shaun preps the tires for a participant

Safety Town is an early childhood safety education program designed to introduce all types of safety conditions to children preparing to enter Kindergarten. Kids role play in simulated and actual life situations under the guidance of the Safety Town staff, volunteers, and daily presenters from within the community.

Our Hometown crew teaches bicycle safety. The children use big wheel bikes and other bicycles to practice driving through the streets of a mock town; they also learn how to use crosswalks. It’s super fun for the kids AND for us!

Above: Les helping the kids out on the course

Thank you Safety Town for inviting us to again be part of your amazing community program!

Coast 2 Coast: The challenge with THE MOST!

Imagine yourself crossing the mighty Mitten on your bike, from coast to coast, and you may have a glimpse into what it was like to do the Coast 2 Coast Gravel Grinder on Saturday, June 22nd. We’re talking rugged adventure and heart-pumping challenges in the form of 100 or 210 miles!

Team Hometown members Erik Frazier, Brad Allen, Tom Hermann, Jay Mingis, Andy Showerman and Jacob Henriksen, as well as Brad Allen’s brother-in-law Tony Vega, took it on and SMASHED it!

From Team Co-Captain Mike Dyer:“To all you Homies who finished the Coast 2 Coast race (or even attempted it, for that matter), my hat goes off to you. That is a hell of an accomplishment. I personally can’t imagine being in the saddle for that long. You all make this captain very proud to call you teammates.”

YAY, NEIGHBORS!!
To thank you for shopping locally:

Intro to Mountain Biking: Wednesday, July 17th from 6-8 PM

Island Lake Rec Area, Spring Mill Pond

Calling all beginners! Looking for a new biking experience that goes beyond paved paths? Maybe you are new to Mountain Biking and want to fine-tune your skills?

Join Island Lake Explorer Guide, Becca, and Hometown Bicycles to gain the basics of this exciting sport/recreation activity! This FREE event will focus on mountain biking parts, safety, and lingo and a guided ride. Please come prepared with helmet, closed-toed shoes and your own bike (nothing fancy, but knobby tires will be necessary). Ages 12 and up. All children under 18 must have an adult present.

Don’t have a bike? Inquire about Hometown’s Bike Rental program! We have a variety of bikes and sizes to meet your cycling needs.

FITNESS CLASSES AT HOMETOWN BICYCLES

Cardio Drumming | Wednesdays 6 PM and Saturdays 9:45 AM
$5 drop-in / $5 equipment rental – With Martha Soraruf |Click to learn more

Power 30 | Wednesdays 7 PM
$5 drop in – With Martha Soraruf | Click to learn more

Zumba | Mondays 6 PM and Thursdays 9:30 AM
$8 drop in or “10 classes for $60” punch card – With Leslie Barrett | Click to learn more

Zumba GOLD | Fridays 9:30 AM and Sundays 10:30 AM
$8 drop in or “10 classes for $50” punch card – With Tresa O’Rourke | Click to learn more

Sati Yoga/intenSati Combo | Sundays 9 AM – July 21
$10 drop in – With Dawn Gaden | Click to learn more

Filed under: Hometown Bicycles | Tagged: 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, Brighton, Brighton Optimist Club, Brighton Optimist Club Bike Decorating Contest and Parade Ride, Cardio Drumming, Coast to Coast Gravel Road Race, Conely Auto, cycling, cyclists, Dawn Gaden, fat bikes, fat tire bikes, fitness classes, Fourth of July parade, group rides, Hometown Bicycles, Hometown Bikes, Hometownies, Howell Rotary Club, intenSati, Island Lake Recreation Area, Leslie Barrett, Leslie Cook, livingston county, Livingston County United Way, Martha Soraruf, Michigan, Michigan Challenge Balloonfest, Safety Town, Shaun Bhajan, shop rides, Team Hometown Bicycles, Tour de Livingston, tour de livingston kick-off ride, Tresa O’Rourke, Vote 4 the best, zumba, Zumba Gold | Leave a comment »

We Did It for Dan with ALL of Your Support

Posted on May 10, 2019 by Shaun

With our deepest gratitude, thank you…

(Photo courtesy Miles Janicki)
There are truly no words to capture the incredible outpouring of support and love we witnessed this past Sunday. It was a breathtaking moment to realize that over 550 riders and walkers were present in body, mind and soul at Island Lake to honor fellow cyclist, Dan Horal, whose life was tragically cut short after being struck by a car mid-ride on April 25th.

(Photo courtesy Doug Lapp)

We could not have asked for more… absolutely amazing weather, a beautiful tribute, and a COMMUNITY who came together in solidarity to offer condolences to Dan’s family while also raising awareness about bicycle safety. Thank you so very much.

We offer our warmest gratitude to each of you who had an impact on this Memorial Ride for a great man who touched so many lives. We would like to call out a few particular individuals and businesses that helped take this Ride from meaningful to sheer magic.

Our sincere thanks go to…

The Horal Family – For allowing us to honor Dan’s memory and celebrate his life. Our love and support are with you.

Every cyclist who attended – For helping the Horal Family and cycling community make an unforgettable statement, and for not letting Dan’s tragedy go unremarked.

Cyclists in other States – For implementing your own Do It for Dan Memorial Rides and, in doing so, spreading the message and mission of this Ride beyond Michigan!

The Hometown Crew & Team Hometown Bicycles – For spreading the word so well and so quickly!

Unit Manager Andrew Haapala and Island Lake Recreation Area – For being wonderfully supportive and helpful throughout the process of creating this Ride

The Plotners & Wheels in Motion (at right) – For dropping everything to come out and support this Ride as a family and a team

WHMI – For their helpful promotion of this Ride

Channel 4 & Channel 7 – For making an appearance at this Ride to help spread the message

League of Michigan Bicyclists – For using its vast network to help spread the word

MCMBA – For allowing us to use Demo Day to promote the event

All of the Demo Day participants – For rallying to the cause, and helping get the word out throughout the cycling community

(To all of the amazing vendors at Demo Day, THANK YOU for helping to spread the word about the Ride!)

Kirt Albrecht at Big PDQ – For his contribution toward printing the Ride flier

Robin Fry – For her lightning-fast turnaround on, and her contribution toward, the unmissable Ride t-shirts

Fred Tomczyk – For his skillful rendering of the Ghost Bike Memorial design

Scott Brooks – For his artistry and craftsmanship in the creation of the Ghost Bike Memorial

Joel Hakken of MidWest Bike & Tandem – For his bicycle donation for the Ghost Bike Memorial

Master Blaster – For donation of his services to prep the Ghost Bike for painting

Matt Maximoff – For his invaluable assistance in creating the Memorial plaque

Joe Ostervik of DJ Mobile Rhythms – For emceeing the Ride, and the use of his sound equipment

Mike & Lisa Hartwell of The Eric Hartwell Foundation – For the loan of their bullhorn

Beauchamp Water Supply & Treatment– For generously supplying all of the water for the Ride

Les Cook – For carrying on his tradition of being the world’s most helpful sweep, and assisting cyclists all along the Ride

Jim Plaunt with Bike Tour Vacations – For sharing his heartfelt blog post about the Ride

Miles Janicki, Jill Zamojcin of Jilly Bean Photography, Doug Lapp, and a host of other skilled photographers – For photographic and video documentation of the event

Click to view Miles’s stunning event photos

Click to find yourself in Jill’s Facebook rider collage

Click to view Doug’s awesome Ride video

The Do It for Dan Memorial Ride will now become an annual event.
Mark your calendars for Sunday, May 3, 2020.

With May being National Bike Month, the timing couldn’t be more appropriate. In partnership with the Horal Family, and with your support, we want to finish Dan’s ride year after year.