Paul Wrona | Hometown Bicycles

Free Bike Fitting Clinic THIS Saturday with Pro-Motion Physical Therapy!

Posted on February 7, 2020 by Shaun

The Hometown Leadership Team is off to CABDA!

CABDA (Chicagoland Area Bicycle Dealers Association) is an association that promotes advocacy, best practices, education, and social events for Independent Bicycle Dealers. The CABDA Expo Midwest will take place on February 12-13 in Chicago and our Hometown Leadership Team will be in attendance, learning about tons of cool bicycle stuff! Those lucky dogs!
Because so many key staff members will be out of town, please be aware that Hometown will be CLOSED from Tuesday, February 11th through Thursday, February 13th, and will re-open at 10 AM on Friday, February 14th.

Our Winter Clinic Series continues!

Come out to the shop to learn the ins and outs of caring for your bicycle at our informative winter clinic series. For all skill levels!

All clinics are held on Saturday mornings in Hometown’s Community Room. There is NO COST to participate. Clinics are one hour unless otherwise specified.

Bike Fitting Basics: Saturday 2/8 from 11 AM – 12:30 PM
Guest speaker, Vinnie Baylerian, PT, DPT of Pro-Motion Physical Therapy, will cover bike fit that maximizes efficiency and minimizes discomfort. Learn about the mechanics of your body, and how it interacts with your bicycle. Vinnie is a certified Level 2 Clinical BikeFit Pro.
Sign up HERE!

Bike Maintenance (After the Ride Care): Saturday 2/15 @11:30 AM
In this second of a two-part clinic, we’ll talk about how to care for your bicycle AFTER you come back from your ride. We’ll show you what you need and how to use it.
Sign up HERE!

Flat Tire Fix: Saturday 2/22 @11:30 AM
This clinic covers everyone’s favorite — flat tire fixes! Bring along your wheel for some hands-on practice, or use one of ours.
Sign up HERE!

Emergency Bicycle Repairs: Saturday 2/22 @11:30 AM
This clinic is hands-on! We’ll cover quick, on-the-go bike fixes to help you avoid a long walk home.
Sign up HERE!

Where to Ride in Michigan Potluck: Saturday 3/14 from 5:30-7:30 PM
Details coming SOON!

Saturday, February 29 from 6-8 PM

Hometown’s “Winter Sucks” Soup Competition

Who’s fed up with winter? Show of hands! WE ARE! If you’re not fed up, there’s something wrong with you, and you need soup even more than the rest of us!

Whip up your favorite batch of warm-our-bellies soup and come chow down at Hometown Bicycles as we vote on THE most delicious soup in town.

Read all about it and sign up HERE!

Meet our new Ride Coordinator: Neal Glazebrook (Part One)!

Tell us about your role as Ride Coordinator. What are some of your goals for this year?
I am excited to take on this role. Last year, I was asking many questions about rides and events, and sweeping and leading rides even in my first year on Team Hometown. With this role, I now have the direction to act on improvements and adjustments to the Team and processes. I am heavily involved in our community and am looking forward to having the Team as partner in helping our community be a safe place to bike and recreate in.

I want to build our Team and promote our rides and events in new ways. I am, with my operational and marketing backgrounds, going to bring some efficiencies and benefits, and get us set up for a successful path to the future of the Team and Hometown as a whole. I want us to have our old school Hometown feel, have a great inclusive environment, make great friendships, see our Team up on more podiums and in the news. I will work with each one of you to make that happen.

Where is your favorite place to ride? And do you have a favorite ride/race in Michigan?
My love is mountain biking, although I will rock out some gravel frequently and touch the tarmac a few times a year. With that in mind, I would have to say my favorite local place to ride right now is Highland Rec. Following “Mudman 2019”, Iceman is my favorite race. I have never had that much fun on a bike!

How did you first get involved with Hometown? What made it feel like a good fit for you?
My first interaction was at the Doc May ride in 2016. It was my first ever ride with a group of people and what got me to start to dive deeper into group events. I enjoyed that ride, my interactions with the Team Hometown members on the ride, and with Shaun at the bike corral that day.

I first officially met Shaun and Dawn when I applied for a Service Manager position at Hometown. I was impressed with their shop, but things did not work out for me to take the position. Over the years, we talked off and on about opportunities and they always nudged me to come ride with the shop and join the Team.

I really saw the value of the Team and the community environment they created in 2018 when I participated in Tour de Livingston for my second year. I restored a 1968 Sears & Roebuck 10-speed to ride my first ever century in loving memory of my dogs Milo and Monte who had passed away just a few short months before. Monte’s passing was the first sign that Hometown was the place for me. Out of the blue, a package showed up from Hometown. Dawn and the team had sent us a Christmas ornament that had Monte’s name with a rainbow bridge on the other side. My wife and I were beside ourselves; the compassion shown by Hometown blew us away…

… to be continued in Part Two in our next e-newsletter…

Coffee or tea?
I drink TONS of coffee… tons.**

**He’ll fit right in, folks.

Team News!

On January 20th, Paul Wrona(below left) and Cooper Coatsworth(below right) attended the 2020 Tour deTroit MLK Memorial Ride in Detroit. Approximately 50 riders gathered at the McGregor Memorial Conference Center on the campus of Wayne State University to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy.

The ride was a nine-mile loop that included sights of some of Detroit’s historic churches and buildings, the remnants of Joe Louis Arena, Cobo Hall (TCF Center), the amazing waterfront park, warehouse district, and the Dequindre Cut trail.

Great job representin’ Hometown, guys!

Filed under: Hometown Bicycles | Tagged: bicycle, bicycle clinics, bicycle shop, bicycles, bike clinic, bike clinics, Bike Fitting Clinic, bike shop, bikes, CABDA, Cooper Coatsworth, Hometown Bicycles, Hometown Bikes, Hometown Community Room, Neal Glazebrook, Paul Wrona, ProMotion Physical Therapy, Ride Coordinator, Sati Circle with Dawn Gaden, Team Hometown Bicycles, Tour deTroit MLK Memorial Ride, Vinnie Baylerian, winter sucks soup competition | Leave a comment »

Votes are in! We’re Metro Detroit’s #1 Bike Shop!

Posted on August 1, 2019 by Shaun

FIRST PLACE FEELS AWESOME!!! The 2019 Click on Detroit Vote 4 the Best contest ran from mid-June through mid-July, giving members of the Greater Detroit area the ability to nominate and cast votes for their favorite businesses in a variety of categories. Winners were announced the week of July 22-26th and the public has indeed spoken! HOMETOWN BICYCLES WON BEST BIKE SHOP!

We are humbled and proud to be your #1 bicycle shop, out of so many in the running, and can’t thank you enough for your support and votes!

If you haven’t yet visited our shop, make sure to stop in. Say hi, join us on a shop ride, bring your bike in for service, check out our crazy fun bike-related items in the gifts and novelties area, or attend one of our upcoming classes or events!

Speaking of classes, guess what? Our Events Coordinator and in-shop Zumba instructor, Leslie Barrett, took second place in the Zumba Fitness category! This is a pretty big honor for her as an independent instructor not affiliated with a studio or gym — she was up against some pretty big competition. Congratulations, Leslie!

Thank you Hometownies for making us #1 — now get those voting fingers ready for next year!

Meet Paul Wrona – the newest member of our Hometown crew!

Tell us about your new role at Hometown. What are some of your goals for the shop?
My new role is Service Lead. My mission is to make things smoother-easier-faster for the service techs and, at the same time, provide better, more consistent customer experiences. The service team does a fantastic job with diagnosing and solving problems. I want that to come through even more to the customers, so they can appreciate how knowledgeable and awesome the guys really are!

How long have you been part of Team Hometown Bicycles, our cycling team? What’s your favorite part of being on the Team?
I am a new member this year. The best part is the camaraderie of the group rides. I’ve met so many great people this year. My addiction to cycling started 4 years ago when I moved to Brighton and rode the Murray Lake Trail for the first time. Life hasn’t been the same since.

Favorite ride or race in Michigan?
I have not participated in a race… yet. My favorite ride so far was the Tour deTroit. I’m from there originally so it was nice to go back and ride some of the old neighborhoods. Looking forward to the gravel route of the Tour de Livingston this fall!

Tell us something random about you, that we wouldn’t know otherwise.
I’m a SciFi and Space geek – Everything from the Apollo program to SpaceX and Phillip K Dick to Neal Stephenson

Coffee drinker? How do you take your coffee?
Um… I can’t stand coffee. Is that allowed?

Baylerian’s Bagels, Bikes & Brew:
Sponsored by Pro-Motion Physical TherapySunday, August 11 from 9 AM-1 PM

Join Team Hometown Bicycles’ Title Sponsor, Vinnie Baylerian, for a morning chock full of fun. Kick things off at Pro-Motion Physical Therapy with coffee and bagels, head out on a guided bike ride, and wind down after at Brewery Becker.

This will be a 16-mile mixed road and gravel ride. There will be two groups for the ride: An A group for faster riders and B group for everyone else! Team Hometown’s Jack Riddle will lead the A group and Vinnie Baylerian will lead the B group. Check out the route!

New! For our hard core gravel riders, join Jack for a bonus/optional 30-mile pre-ride at 7 AM.

Express your interest HERE!

Shaun advocates for the Livingston County Transit Master Plan!

Team Hometown member, Neal Glazebrook, Vice Chair of the Livingston County Transportation Coalition, invited our very own Shaun Bhajan to speak at this past Monday’s Livingston County Board of Commissioners Meeting.

The Coalition is seeking full implementation of the Livingston County Transit Master Plan. Read it HERE!

“Without the full plan in place, the transit system, including connector trails and bike paths, will likely never come to fruition,” states Neal. “I am helping represent the biking component and other leaders represent segments such as seniors, veterans, and the disabled. There is positive momentum in the county right now and we need to continue to push forward.”

Shaun did a beautiful job presenting to the Board of Commissioners. His comments really struck home with the people there, and a few attendees thanked him for his insightful addition to the pro-Transit Master Plan conversation. You go, Shaun!

Women’s Entrepreneurship: FREE Fitness Forum!
Thursday, August 22 from 6-8 PM

Our fabulously informative Women’s Entrepreneurship Series continues, this time with a focus on FITNESS.

For new fitness professionals and business owners in the fitness industry (as well as those considering this career path), come spend the evening with inspirational fitness women who will share their business journeys via a panel discussion. Be sure to bring your questions!

There will be food, there will be fun, and there will be fellowship with like-minded women!

Topics to be covered:

Where should I teach?
What should I expect in terms of startup cost?
What is my target client base, and how do I find them?
How do I increase attendance?
What are the best ways to market myself?
When do I throw in the towel and when should I persevere?
Competitors — friends or foes?
And much more!

SIGN UP HERE!

Meet our first guest speaker, Fitness Coach and Personal Trainer, Jenny Schild with Body Within!

Jenny holds a personal training certification from American Council on Exercise (ACE) and YogaFit certifications. Her specialty is getting people started!

Yoga, weight training, mountain biking, and long distance running are a few of Jenny’s favorite activities. She never lets her workouts get boring. “I train myself using many different modes. This is reflected in the way I design workouts for my clients.”

“I am truly blessed to have a job where I help people realize their potential.” states Jenny.

We are super thrilled to have Jenny on our panel of experts for this event! Stay tuned next week for the reveal of our next guest speaker.

Upcoming Events at Hometown!

We have all sorts of good things brewing at the shop and in the community — mark your calendars for one or all of the following!

Work Out to Benefit the Walk to End Alzheimer’s
Monday, August 5 from 6-7 PM

Join Cardio Drumming’s Martha Soraruf and Zumba’s Leslie Barrett for a donation-based class to raise money for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. No set class fee; just donate what you’d like. All proceeds will go to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Intro to Mountain Biking
Wednesday, August 7 from 6-8 PM
Spring Mill Pond, Island Lake Recreation Area

Calling all beginners! Looking for a new biking experience that goes beyond paved paths? Join the park Explorer Guide, Becca, and Team Hometown Bicycles to gain the basics of this exciting recreation activity! FREE event! Come prepared with helmet, closed-toed shoes, and your own bike. Ages 12 and up. All children under 18 must have an adult present.

Gravel Ride + Monkey Loob Mixer
Wednesday, August 14 from 6-9 PM

Join us for a 13-mile Gravel Ride around and through Island Lake and back to the shop! We will then have a Monkey Loob Mixer — demonstration, Q&A about this amazing product, and time to socialize with Lyndsay Stiles, competitive mountain biker and inventor and owner of Monkey Loob, with fellow cyclists.

In Team Hometown News…

There was an excellent showing by Team Hometown at the 14th Annual Tree Farm Relay on Saturday, July 27th!

Left to right: Congrats to Olga Brinduse, John Wyatt, Doug Queener and Joe Ostervik for their podium finish in Coed Sport!

Sponsored by the Motor City Mountain Biking Association (MCMBA), Tree Farm Relay is a unique 4-person team relay race. The course features lots of hills and passing zones — mega fun!

It’s a perfect race for the beginner looking to see what team/endurance racing is all about and for experienced racers looking to test their skills against rival teams.