THE BEST OF CYCLING, DETERMINATION, AND HEART… ALL IN ONE ROOM!  
Earlier this week found our front lawn snowed in under a blanket of Brighton Bulldog bicycles… what a beautiful sight!

After a quick warm up through Island Lake, this local high school cycling team pit stopped at Hometown Bicycles for a lesson in the finer points of preventative bike care and emergency maintenance. Then it was off to the woods for another round of race prep.

Best of luck in your 2017 race season, Bulldogs! It was a privilege to be a part of your upcoming success.

NEXT WEEK: “HOW TO TRAIN FOR A TRIATHLON” CLINIC

Should I work with a coach? How do I get the most out of bricks? How do I train physically and mentally for a sport that involves swim, bike, AND run? What are “junk miles”, and how do I avoid them?  What should my taper look like?

If a triathlon is in your future, these pondering points are just the tip of the triathlon iceberg in terms of prepping for your next (or first!) race. Expert triathlete, IRONMAN Coach, 5-time Kona Qualifier, Registered Dietician, and Hometownie, Amy Gluck, will be covering everything from picking a triathlon to post-tri training analysis in Hometown’s “How to Train for a Triathlon” Clinic.

Held right here in our Community Room, there is NO CHARGE to attend. Choose from two dates: Tuesday (6/6) or Thursday (6/8) at 6pm!
REGISTER NOW FOR “HOW TO TRAIN FOR A TRIATHLON”

(The latest artistic genius of cyclist and artist, Peggy Kerwan, here at Hometown Bicycles.)

MISS PEGGY’S BEAUTIFUL BIKE ART

She’s a die-hard cyclist, master of the monotype print, a painter of some renown, a vibrant personality, and her bicycle artwork is on display (and for sale!) here at the shop.

If you haven’t seen Peggy Kerwan’s pieces for yourself, than you’re in for a treat the next time you stop in! She’s introduced some cheery new additions to her already colorful collection, including a brand new original titled “Best Bike”.

Well, Peggy, we think you’re one of the “best bike” artists we’ve ever met. (Okay, okay… stop groaning at my corny wordsmithery, and come in to enjoy her artistry!)

THIS SATURDAY: MILFORD BIKE FESTIVAL

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!

COME SEE SHAUN SWING A GOLF CLUB

Hard to imagine your aproned, be-tooled bike guru in knickers and argyle, isn’t it? I’m just kidding… I couldn’t convince Shaun to dress in traditional golf attire, but he’s still going to be wielding clubs on the green at the Huron-Clinton Metroparks Inaugural Charity Golf Classic on June 9th at Stony Creek Metropark.

We’re sponsoring this fundraising event, which will be hosted by Michigan State National Champions, Detroit Pistons Standout and Current Pistons Commentator, Greg Kelser.

Random? Perhaps, but a well-rounded bike guru is a more resourceful bike guru, and that ultimately benefits you, so let’s see what happens! Join us on the green!

SECURING THE FUTURE OF CYCLING

It may seem like a rather bold statement – “securing the future of cycling” – but that’s exactly what you will be doing when you participate in this year’s Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day event on Sunday, June 11th!

Run by the Poto Chapter of the Michigan Mountain Biking Association, this local fun day partners adults with kids for a day of singletrack skill building and learning to love cycling! Hometown will be there with an on-site mechanic and cool swag, and will offer helmet checks and SAG support for all participants.

Do something healthy with your kids! Have an adventure! Share your love of the sport! This is the kind of event that builds memories and a legacy. Click HERE for more details.

EMERGENCY REPAIR & FLAT TIRE FIX SUMMER CLINICS

For all of you cyclists who want to know WHAT TO DO when something goes haywire on your ride – your chain drops, your shifters stop working, your wheel “tacos”, your tire blows… – Hometown is throwing you a lifeline for avoiding that long walk home.

We’re breathing new life into some beloved classics – our “Emergency Bike Repair” Clinic and “Flat Tire Fix” Clinic. Primed for your immediate benefit, the first addresses quick, on-the-go fixes that can get you safely back home, and the second touches on one of the most common issues cyclists face – the dreaded flat.

These clinics will run Tuesday 6/13 (Emergency Repair) and Thursday 6/15 (Flat Tire Fix), then swap days on Tuesday 6/27 (Flat Tire Fix) and Thursday 6/29 (Emergency Repair). As always, there is NO CHARGE for these HANDS-ON CLINICS.
Register for EMERGENCY BIKE REPAIR and/or FLAT TIRE FIX.

HOMETOWN BICYCLES UPCOMING SHOP RIDES

THURSDAY SOCIAL RIDE (6/1)
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.

SUNDAY EXPLORING TRAILS MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE (6/4)
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 ROAD RIDE (6/5)
Sponsored by Pro-Motion Physical Therapy
6:30PM (meet at 6:15) from Hometown Bicycles
Come grow with the weekly ride as we start with 10 – 15 miles and end the season conquering 30 miles! 1 – 1.5 hours to start. Route will take us onto the park roads. Road bikes recommended. All level riders are welcome – NO DROP RIDE.

TUESDAY GRAVEL GRINDING 101 WITH ‘CYCLODAN’ TRIBBLE  (6/6)
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 (6/7)
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  (6/8)
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!

When I was a kid, my social network was called “OUTSIDE”.

– Anonymous