misca | Hometown Bicycles

Ride with Hometown in the 4th of July Parade!

Posted on June 21, 2019 by Shaun

Downtown Brighton, Thursday 7/4 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!

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

Congratulations, new BICP Level 1 Coaches!

WE LOVE PARTNERSHIPS!
Thank you to MiSCA for bringing the Bike Instructor Certification Program (BICP) Level 1 certification course to Michigan and for allowing us to be part of it! We were happy to donate the use of our Community Room and shop to keep everyone dry during the torrential rainfall that pelted the Brighton area during your three-day training.

This hands-on training prepares students for leading rides and mountain bike guiding in a group situation. Completion of the course, in addition to passing a practical exam, qualifies an individual to assess the level of each rider in their group, assess and diagnose common errors within each rider’s fundamental skills, prepare and implement action plans in an emergency situation, and make responsible choices in picking trail routes for specific groups.

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 14 and 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, best bike shop, BICP Level 1 Coaches, bicycle clinics, bicycle rentals, bicycle repair, bicycle service, bicycle shop, bicycles, bike clinics, bike helmets, Bike Instructor Certification Program, bike rentals, bike repair, bike rides, bike service, bike shop, bikes, Brighton, Brighton Optimist Club Bike Decorating Contest and Parade Ride, Cardio Drumming, click on detroit, Conely Auto, cycling, cyclists, Dawn Gaden, fat bikes, fat tire bikes, fitness classes, Fourth of July parade, group rides, Hometown Bicycles, Hometown Bikes, Hometownies, intenSati, Intro to Mountain Biking, Island Lake Recreation Area, Leslie Barrett, livingston county, Martha Soraruf, Michigan, misca, Shaun and Dawn Bhajan, shop rides, Spring Mill Pond, Team Hometown Bicycles, Tresa O’Rourke, Vote4theBest, zumba, Zumba Gold | Leave a comment »

Concert at Hometown THIS Saturday + Daily Shop Rides are ROLLING!

Posted on April 9, 2019 by Shaun

Hometown’s Adding “Rock” to Its Roll

THIS WEEKEND!

This weekend marks THE FIRST TIME IN HOMETOWN’S HISTORY…

… that a Team Sponsor will be rocking out the shop!! For all of you who know Vinnie Baylerian of Pro Motion Physical Therapy, prepare to be astonished as your easy-going, rehab and bike fit pro jams on bass to popular rock classics with his talented family! Join us THIS SATURDAY, April 13th from 6:00-8:30 PM for this
FREE evening of music and dancing at Hometown with
DoL (Descendants of Levon) Band!
You’ll enjoy light refreshments and snacks (BYOB) in this musical kick-off to Hometown’s 9th Birthday Celebration Month.

Let us know you’re coming HERE (so we can plan for enough refreshment!)

And speaking of Pro-Motion Physical Therapy…

HIGH FIVES from your Hometownies!!
March 28th marked Pro-Motion’s 8th Anniversary!
Vinnie Baylerian and his crew opened their doors in downtown Brighton to make the community a healthier, happier place. Congratulations, Vinnie, on your success and we look forward to many years of collaboration with you!

SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, April 27th
Hometown’s 9th Birthday Bash & Roll-n-Rock
A Fundraiser for the BHS Cycling Club!

There will be food, music, and all-around positive energy flowing both inside and outside the shop throughout the day… and no Hometown birthday would be complete without a Birthday Ride! (And cake. Let’s not forget cake!)
BIRTHDAY RIDES – LEAVE AT 4PM: Take to the roads with Team Hometown Co-Captain, Joe Ostervik for a recreational beginner road ride, tackle the trails with our very own bicycle aficionado Les Cook on a beginner mountain bike ride, or sprint along single track in an intermediate/advanced MTB ride with Team Hometown Co-Captain, Mike Dyer!

FUNDRAISER CONCERT – 5:30-8:30PM: After hours, enjoy the bluesy rock and roll of Hometown’s purveyor of extraordinary bike knowledge, Dan “CycloDan” Tribble and his Progressive Blues & Rhythm band. Enjoy laid back, funky fun while supporting the Brighton High School Cycling Club!

Sign up HERE for the concert!

Stay tuned for further details about birthday activities!

Who loves Spring? WE DO!

There’s no better way to enjoy Spring than a Hometown Shop Ride on a beautiful sunny day in Brighton.

We offer beginner, intermediate and advanced rides… all skill levels are welcome!

Don’t have a bike? We rent them! Inquire at the shop.

Make sure to print or pick up your Shop Ride schedule!

Monday kicked off our Beginner Road Ride and Tuesday was the inaugural 2019 Ladies Beginner Mountain Bike Ride. Look at those happy faces and sweet jerseys!

We sometimes get asked about the term NO DROP that you see on the Ride descriptions. People wonder if this means you have to register and can’t drop in… no… you can always drop in!

NO DROP simply means that no one is left behind. Each ride had a Lead and a Sweep; the Sweep will make sure that the group stays together and no one gets “dropped”!

MiSCA More Girls on Bikes Game Night & Potluck at Hometown!

Over spring break, we happily hosted a group of girls for a fun night of games, snacks, and a balance bike “race” around the shop!

The girls had the opportunity to learn more about MiSCA. What is MiSCA, you ask? The Michigan Scholastic Cycling Association!

MiSCA works to establish and maintain safe, quality scholastic cycling programs. They also promote the value of cycling to our youth and community as a mode of transportation and as a lifelong sport.

“Let’s get more girls on bikes” is one of their objectives!

Click HERE to learn more about MiSCA and their upcoming events.

FREE Chronic Pain Health Workshop at Hometown

Saturday, April 13th from 11 AM until Noon

Dr. Kyle Conn with Lifetime Family Chiropractic is returning to Hometown’s Community Room to discuss how to beat chronic pain naturally, including:

5 nutrients that support the healing of chronic pain
3 types of foods to AVOID that inflame chronic pain
5 lifestyle changes that MUST be adopted to stop the pain
A missing link to the Chronic Pain & Inflammation Crisis that accelerates healing

To register, call (810) 588-6314 or sign up HERE!

Hometown Business Incubator
We have a major project going on in Hometown’s back room – a buildout that includes a new business incubator rental space!

What is a business incubator? Business incubators are organizations that offer startups shared operation space. In short, they offer fledgling young companies a warm, safe place to grow and prosper.

Our incubator will be ideal for:

Business meetings
Networking groups
Fitness classes
Startup churches
Kids programs
Arts/crafts programs and classes

Hometown’s business incubator will be available for hourly rentals. Incubator Sponsorships are now available. If you would like to learn about rental or Sponsorship, contact Dawn at office@myhometownbicycles.com.

Grand Opening coming SOON!

CURRENTLY SEEKING FULL-TIME SERVICE TECHS
Monday-Friday, 9-5

Stop by the shop for an application.

FITNESS CLASSES AT HOMETOWN BICYCLES

Cardio Drumming | Wednesdays 6 PM
$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 & 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
$8 drop in or “10 classes for $50” punch card – With Tresa O’Rourke | Click to learn more

intenSati | Sundays 10 AM
$10 drop in – With Dawn Gaden | Click to learn more

Did you know? Brighton ATA Martial Arts has set up shop in Hometown’s Community Room 2-3 evenings/week. Sign up for your free trial and learn martial arts at your own pace. 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, birthday bike ride, birthday cake, birthday party, Brighton, Brighton ATA Martial Arts, Brighton High School Cycling Club, Cardio Drumming, Chronic Pain seminar, Cooper and Binkley Jewelers, cycling, cyclists, Dan Tribble, Dawn Gaden, Descendants of Levon, DJ Joe Ostervik, DoL, Dr. Kyle Conn, fat bikes, fat tire bikes, fitness classes, group rides, Hometown Bicycles, Hometown Bikes, Hometown Business Incubator, Hometownies, intenSati, Leslie Barrett, Lifetime Family Chiropractic, livingston county, Mark Binkley, Martha Soraruf, Michigan, mike dyer, misca, More Girls on Bikes, Pro-Motion Physical Therapy, rock concert, shop rides, Team Hometown Bicycles, Tresa O’Rourke, Vincent Baylerian, zumba, Zumba Gold | Leave a comment »

A Bikes & Books Adventure + A Team Sponsor Who Rocks Bass!

Posted on March 21, 2019 by Shaun

(Photo courtesy Lindsay Root, who spotted Shaun on a rainy day walk – thanks, Lindsay!)

As part of the Howell Carnegie District Library‘s BIKE MICHIGAN series, Shaun was invited to present Bike Types, Tips & Tricks to an enthusiastic crowd hungry for information on cycling at a beginner/intermediate level.

We would like to extend a big thank you to Margaret Bigham, Information and Technical Services at Howell Carnegie District Library (and one of our Team Hometownies!), for inviting Shaun to speak and represent Hometown Bicycles in his usual friendly and knowledgeable fashion!

Would your community group like to schedule a speaking engagement/presentation with one of our bicycle aficionados? Contact events@myhometownbicycles.com to discuss!

SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, April 27th
Hometown’s 9th Birthday Bash & Roll-n-Rock Fundraiser!

Your Hometown Events staff is actively planning a fun-filled day to celebrate Hometown turning NINE YEARS OLD! Our baby is growing up!

There will be food, games and prizes, music, and all-around positive energy flowing both inside and outside the shop! And no Hometown birthday would be complete without a Birthday Ride!

After-hours, enjoy the bluesy rock and roll of Hometown’s purveyor of extraordinary bike knowledge, Dan “CycloDan” Tribble and his Progressive Blues & Rhythm band. We’ll open up the dance floor, mix and mingle, and have an overall awesome time while raising money for a great cause!
APRIL 27TH: Details will be forthcoming in the next few newsletters so stay tuned!

And because we like to celebrate birthdays ALL MONTH LONG…

We proudly present Vinnie Baylerian’s band, DoL (Descendants of Levon), on Saturday, April 13th from 6-8:30 PM!

As most of you know, Vinnie Baylerianof Pro-Motion Physical Therapy is the Title Sponsor of Team Hometown Bicycles. While we majorly value and appreciate his vast expertise in physical therapy and bike fitting, we were also thrilled to discover that he plays in the band, DoL, alongside his cousins and other family members.

So, who wants to see our lead Sponsor jammin’ on bass and ROCKING THE SHOP?!

Express your interest HERE!

This will be a FREE family-friendly concert with music, dancing, munchies, and an overall awesome time to help Hometown kick off our 9th Birthday Month! We hope to see you all there!

HELLOOOOOO SPRING!

It’s ALMOST here! Get excited for spring cycling season! Can we get a WOOT WOOT?!

Time to get your bikes ready for the beautiful weather around the corner. Schedule your tune-ups and repairs NOW so you will be ready to roll in April when the majority of our Shop Rides kick off.

Make sure to print or pick up your Shop Ride schedule!

Team Hometown makes its mark at Waterloo!

We didn’t need Wellington to battle THIS Waterloo – way to go, Team!

At least 10 Team members, ablaze in new Hometown gear, competed in the Waterloo G&G Gravel Road Race on Saturday, March 6th in Grass Lake… Joe Ostervik, Brad Allen, Erik Fraser, Ron Szumski, Doug Lapp, Jacob Henriksen, Shannon McKay, Christine Jacob, Lorelei Smith and Scott Simpson.

Brad Allen blasted into 2nd Overall and Erik Fraser into 6th Overall in the Men’s Open 100K Fat Bike, while Team Co-Captain Joe Ostervik(right) placed 4th in age group (of 24) and 47th overall (of 221).

Congratulations, everyone!

Check out those new kits! Don’t they look sharp?

More Girls on Bikes!

Attention all girls! Bring your favorite board/card game and a dish or snack to share… and, ideally, a friend who is new to MiSCA! The evening will be a casual social mixer with no agenda, just fun and camaraderie. Parents welcome! Come hang out with old friends and make some new ones. MiSCA will briefly discuss some upcoming girls’ events.

What is MiSCA? The Michigan Scholastic Cycling Association, a nonprofit organization focused on the coordination of youth mountain biking teams and student-only races.

Sign-up for the More Girls on Bikes event at Hometown HERE.

Hometown’s Business Incubator Rental Space!

We have a major project going on in Hometown’s back room – a buildout that includes a new business incubator rental space!

Our incubator will be ideal for:

Business meetings
Networking groups
Fitness classes
Startup churches
Kids programs
Arts/crafts programs and classes

Hometown’s business incubator will be available for hourly rentals. If you would like to learn more, contact Dawn at office@myhometownbicycles.com.

Grand Opening coming SOON!

CURRENTLY SEEKING FULL-TIME SERVICE TECHS
Monday-Friday, 9-5

Stop by the shop for an application.

FITNESS CLASSES AT HOMETOWN BICYCLES

Cardio Drumming | Wednesdays 6 PM
$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 & 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
$8 drop in or “10 classes for $50” punch card – With Tresa O’Rourke | Click to learn more

intenSati | Sundays 10 AM
$10 drop in – With Dawn Gaden | Click to learn more

Did you know? Brighton ATA Martial Arts has set up shop in Hometown’s Community Room 2-3 evenings/week. Sign up for your free trial and learn martial arts at your own pace. 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, Brad Allen, Brighton, Brighton ATA Martial Arts, business incubator, Cardio Drumming, cycling, cyclists, Dawn Gaden, Descendants of Levon, DoL, Erik Frazier, fat bikes, fat tire bikes, fitness classes, group rides, Hometown Bicycles, Hometown Bikes, Hometownies, Howell, Howell Carnegie District Library, intenSati, joe ostervik, Leslie Barrett, livingston county, Martha Soraruf, Michigan, misca, More Girls on Bikes, Pro-Motion Physical Therapy, Progressive Blues and Rhythm Band, shop ride, shop rides, Team Hometown Bicycles, Tresa O’Rourke, Vinnie Baylerian, Waterloo Grit and Gravel, zumba, Zumba Gold | Leave a comment »

A Bike Shop Within a Bike Shop + Young Women’s Event TUESDAY!

Posted on March 7, 2019 by Shaun

BIG News! (Drum roll, please…)
It was announced at our Where to Ride in Michigan clinic this past weekend, and now we can share our exciting news with everyone!

Hometown Bicycles has partnered with Midwest Bike & Tandem!

Pictured above is Joel Hakken, owner of Midwest Bike & Tandem, which will now be located HERE, with our fearless leader, Shaun. A bike shop within a bike shop?? This much excitement means it’s gotta be Hometown!

How our partnership with Midwest Bike & Tandem benefits YOU!

Enjoy exploring fresh new products and bicycles!
Draw from the deep expertise of industry master, Joel Hakken! Joel will be a regular addition to our shop, where you can tap his ocean of bike know-how.
We’re becoming your Midwest resource for all things tandem!
Know that YOUR BIKE SHOP is GROWING!! In an industry that’s facing weighty challenges and stiff online competition, you can be PROUD that you’re part of a bike shop that’s evolved beyond “just a business” – and has grown into a COMMUNITY.

Stay tuned for a feature on Joel in next week’s newsletter!

Young Women’s Entrepreneurship Clinic

NEXT TUESDAY (3/12) from 6-7:30PM!

Join us for an amazing guest speaker, Q&A panel, refreshments and GIRL POWER!

We are super stoked to announce our guest speaker for this event: Jennifer Matras, Owner and Head Skating Coach at Competitive Edge Skating. With over 25 years of skating and training experience, Jennifer is a highly sought after skill development instructor AND a fabulous female business owner. All attendees will receive a complimentary PDF copy of Jennifer’s book, Building an Uncommon Champion.

Guest panelists include Samantha Brish of Element Chiropractic & Wellness, Phaedra McGaffey of Sea of Myth Entertainment, and Kelly Cieslak of Keepers by Kelly Photography. These ladies, along with Jennifer, will share their journeys and answer your questions about female entrepreneurship and how to turn your dreams into reality.

Sign up HERE!

Our Female Entrepreneurship series is brought to you by your Hometown women, Dawn and Leslie, who are both business owners and big proponents of girl power!

Where to Ride in Michigan Clinic Recap!

Wow, wow and WOW! What a fantastic turnout on Sunday evening at our Potluck Party! Over 90 people attended to learn about the best trails, rides, cycling websites and organizations locally and throughout our beautiful state. We had a mouth-watering smorgasbord of tasty treats and lots of high energy crowd camaraderie.

New and returning Team Hometown Bicycles members gathered to kick off the spring season, and we couldn’t be happier to have seen all of you there.

Huge thanks to ALL of our guest speakers and participants:

Jim Plaunt with Bike Tour Vacations
Sarah Vano with MiSCA
Nick Proctor and Jacob Andrews with Tour de Livingston
Tom Hermann of Team Hometown
Team Captains Mike Dyer & Joe Ostervik
Helena Hunt with Make-a-Wish

At the event, we also handed out our official 2019 Spring/Summer Shop Rides schedule, BUT
by popular demand, there has been an addition since then:

Ladies Beginner Road Ride
Thursdays at 5:15pm, Beginning in April
This will be a comfortably-paced, fitness road ride with your fellow Hometown women. It’s about skill-building and socializing, not speed. No drop ride!

Make sure to print or pick up your Shop Ride copy!

You did WHAT?!?!
Crossing Lake Huron… by bike!!

What started out as a bucket-list item turned into a CHECK mark for two Team Hometown riders. Andrew Miller (one of our Hometown Crew!) and wife, Kristen Kendall-Miller, made the trip to the UP and rode what may be one of the most epic rides ever!

The intrepid duo loaded up their fat bikes and drove up to St. Ignace, just

across the Mackinac Bridge, where their adventure began. Andy had been watching weather data and local info about what is known as “The Ice Bridge”. This is actually a frozen portion of Lake Huron connecting the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to Mackinac Island.

“It’s a lot like Fight Club when it comes to getting reports on the condition of the route. Nobody will go on any kind of record as to what is happening with it other than it is being used,” Andy said.

The couple definitely got a few strange looks when they talked with the ice golfers at the edge of the Great Lake.

Then it happened; they rode the 3.8 miles across water that is usually crossed by ferries, and were treated to a standing ovation by a group of about 10 snowmobilers who were waiting to purchase their ride permits for the island.

“The ranger instructed them, and us, that we did not have to purchase these… and that the DNR should be paying US for riding over to enjoy the island on bikes,” Kristen mentioned.

After an 8.2 mile loop around the island, it was time to call it a day and get back across the ice before dark.

The ride back had the added feature of a 15-20 mph northwest breeze, which slowed the pair down but didn’t stop them from completing a unique Michigan adventure… riding The Ice Bridge!

Hometown’s Business Incubator Rental Space!

We have a major project going on in Hometown’s back room – a buildout that includes a new business incubator rental space!

Our incubator will be ideal for: