Growing Young Entrepreneurs + Going Tubeless!

Posted on March 14, 2019 by Shaun

Hometown Bicycles Young Women’s Entrepreneurship speakers (clockwise from left): Jennifer Matras, Phaedra McGaffey, Dr. Samantha Brish, and Kelly Cieslak

On Tuesday night, a group of young women gathered together in our Community Room for an evening to remember… our inaugural entrepreneurship event for tweens, teens and young females with big dreams and the moxie to make their dreams come true.

We would like to extend a HUGE THANK YOU to our guest speakers and panelists, Jennifer Matras of Competitive Edge Skating, Dr. Samantha Brish of Element Chiropractic & Wellness, Kelly Cieslak of Keepers by Kelly Photography, and Phaedra McGaffey of Sea of Myth Entertainment.

These ladies shared their journeys and experiences, their hopes and challenges, and their GRIT and motivation with our audience… their messages resonated with us all.

Dawn and Leslie, your Hometown women, thank everyone for participating! This entrepreneurship series brings us joy and we are excited to keep it going! If you have any ideas for future speakers or topics, contact events@myhometownbicycles.com. We take your feedback seriously, as our primary goal is to make this series relevant and inspiring for YOU.

Going Tubeless! Video Wisdom from the Pros

Hometown is often asked about the benefits of switching from tires with innertubes to tubeless tires… what’s the real deal here? Why go tubeless?

Hometown’s Les Cook explains how tubeless meansLESS WEIGHT and NO FLATS. Watch HERE!

Who wants to worry about running over thorns? Or deal with the inconvenience of having a nail puncture in a tire? Tubeless tires seal up fast!

Bring your bike in to make the switch before the mad rush of the spring cycling season! Our friendly service crew is here to help!

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!

GOODBYE FAT BIKE FRIENDLY RIDE…
While most of us are more than ready to say goodbye to winter, one thing is for sure… we will miss our weekly Fat Bike Friendly Ride on Saturday mornings.

This week marks our last Fat Bike Friendly Ride of the season. Join in for one final hurrah! Details here. There may be an occasional pop-up ride, so keep an eye on our Facebook page for updates.

NOW HERE’S THE GREAT NEWS!
Get excited for spring cycling season! It’s almost here! 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 come April when the majority of our Shop Rides kick off.

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

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!

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. 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

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

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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:

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!

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

Filed under: Hometown Bicycles | Tagged: Andrew Miller, Andy Miller, 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, Bike Tour Vacations, bikes, Brighton, Cardio Drumming, Competitive Edge Skating, cycling, cyclists, Dawn Gaden, Element Chiropractic and Wellness, fat bikes, fat tire bikes, Female Entrepreneurship, fitness classes, group rides, Helena Hunt, Hometown Bicycles, Hometown Bikes, Hometown Business Incubator, Hometownies, intenSati, Jacob Andrews, Jennifer Matras, Jim Plaunt, joe ostervik, Joel Hakken, Keepers by Kelly Photography, Kelly Cieslak, Kristen Kendall-Miller, Lake Huron, Leslie Barrett, livingston county, Mackinac Island, Make-A-Wish Michigan, Martha Soraruf, Michigan, Midwest Bike and Tandem, mike dyer, misca, Nick Proctor, Phaedre McGaffey, Samantha Brish, Sarah Vano, Sea of Myth Entertainment, shop ride schedule, shop rides, Team Hometown Bicycles, The Ice Bridge, Tom Hermann, Tour de Livingston, Tresa O’Rourke, where to ride in michigan, zumba, Zumba Gold | Leave a comment »

Charlotte wins a bike & Jamis gives kisses

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Shaun

Who Says Winter at a Bike Shop has to be Boring??

Last Thursday marked the final clinic – “Where to Ride in MI” – in Hometown’s 2016/17 Winter Clinic Series. And you know what we like to do when we conclude yet another awesome Hometown adventure…

Celebrate!

This clinic combined the best of learning and dining with the debut of our best shop ride schedule to date, plus a plethora of potluck contributions made (or bought) by food-savvy Hometownies. If you missed the fun, there’s not much we can do about the lost opportunity for incredible eats, but you can still download our 2017 Spring Shop Ride Schedule HERE.

And, beautifully timed, the LMB Michigan Ride Calendars have arrived. Be sure to drop by the shop to pick up your copy. You’ve got adventures to plan, and we have the resources to help!

FAMILIAR FACES AT SELCRA DADDY-DAUGHTER DANCE

We really dig good, wholesome, family fun! Hot on the heels of Howell’s Sweetheart Dances, Hometown sponsored the country’s largest Daddy-Daughter Dance, hosted by SELCRA at Brighton High School, this past Saturday.

Alongside our friends and co-sponsors at Brennan Investment Services, we met a myriad of wonderful father-princess combos – many who are new to this newsletter… welcome! – and several who are Hometownies all the way (see pics above)!

Special congratulations to Charlotte Saven (at right), the lovely, little lady who won our dance-day drawing for a Jamis girl’s bike! We wish you many wonderful rides – and dances – to come!

HERE’S AN EVENT TO WET YOUR WHISTLE…

You all know Ashley from Tocca Massage & Yoga, who held the massively popular yoga series at our shop (and will be running another – stay tuned!) Well, Ashley’s instigated an event that we know you’ll enjoy – Poses, Pedals & Pints on Saturday, May 13th.

It’s a triathlon of a different color – this one combines yoga, bikes, and beer with a laid back vibe in Downtown Brighton. Yoga commences at 11am at Brewery Becker. Hometown’s in charge of the leisurely 8-mile bike ride that follows, along with bike valet service. And it all concludes with a refreshing pint at the Brewery to cool your gullet.

Registration is limited to 50, so sign up NOW, to ensure your participation in this first annual event!

(Image at left courtesy Alex Mangani)

MEET YOUR CREW: ALEX MANGANI

Witty, likable, mild-mannered – and we’d swear this man has a Superman cape hidden in his closet. Alex raced dirt bikes and has tales to tell. These days, you can find him on the sales floor at Hometown Bicycles, participating in just about every Hometown event, and – as it turns out – scootering:

I love all things on two wheels. Here I am, proudly holding the Best Scooter award for my restored 1966 Vespa at the 2010 Viva Lake Geneva scooter rally at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. I have participated in many rallies and shows, including Rockerbox in Milwaukee, Mods vs. Rockers in Chicago, and the Concors de Livingston here in Pinckney last summer. I promise to bring it to Hometown for display as soon as the weather allows.

JAMIS SQUARED: A NEW HOMETOWN MASCOT

We’ve given Jamis many compliments over the years, but “cute” and “fuzzy” were never apropos… until now! This handsome canine belongs to Team Hometown Bicycles Co-Captain, Jim Cleer, who named his four-legged friend “Jamis”.

With a name and a mug like that, OF COURSE he had to become our new store mascot.

Jamis hanging out with our Jamis bikes… welcome to the crew, Jamis.

Be sure to give Jamis a pat next time you spot him in the store. He might just give you a kiss (or 20!)

MANAGERS, SALES/SERVICE STAFF, ADMIN ASSISTANT

Forward your information to office@myhometownbicycles.com.

Fat Bike Friendly Shop Ride – Saturday, 3/11 @ 10:15AM

MEET AT HOMETOWN BICYCLES

We’ll be hitting the trails a little earlier this week (time may vary – be sure to check our Facebook later this week for confirmation). Be ready to roll from Hometown Bicycles at 10:30 a.m. as we travel into Island Lake for some mountain bike trail (or the Badlands if conditions dictate). This ride is for all level riders – NO DROP RIDE. Fat Bikes only. Plan to be out 2 hours. Follow us on Facebook for ride confirmation and updates.

Need a fat bike? We rent! Call our shop: (810) 225-2441

(Photo cred: Yoga pic at left courtesy Ashley Knuth of Tocca Massage & Yoga)