Waterloo Grit and Gravel | Hometown Bicycles

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!

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, 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 »

Team Time, Hidden Treasures, and Inner Tube Earrings

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Shaun

WHETHER YOUR INTEREST IS SHOP RIDES OR TEAM HOMETOWN, this Thursday at 6:30pm is an event you want to attend!

We’ll provide pizza, you BYOB, and we’ll answer all of your questions regarding the official Shop Rides schedule and Team Hometown Bicycles, plus you’ll get to meet our ride leaders and Team Captains.

If you already know you want to be part of Team Hometown Bicycles – AWESOME!! You can officially sign up at this event.

THIS THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST AT 6:30PM

REGISTER HERE IF YOU’LL BE ATTENDING TEAM NIGHT
No obligations and no charge – just a chance to learn what all the excitement’s about!

………………………

AND THE JERSEY TRADE-INS KEEP ROLLIN’ IN

(Above: A few of the trade-ins already brought in – some still have the tags!)

In a previous newsletter, we talked about our Jersey Trade-In program, where we invited you to raid your closet and bring in your clean, rip-free jerseys for $10 store credit apiece!

The response has already been fantastic, and that means there are some extra-great buys here at Hometown for our bargain-lovin’ bike fans. Come in and check out the “Hidden Treasure Jerseys”, which are not-so-hidden on our clothing racks. Don’t forget to bring along a few trade-ins of your own – one cyclist’s trade-in, another cyclist’s treasure!

………………………

MEET THE BIKE ARTIST: AUBREY BAUMEIER

Using inner tube, chain, gears, and shifter cables in crazy-clever and gorgeously-crafted ways, Hometown’s newest artist, Aubrey Baumeier of Sunshine Design, set a record for the shop when her first piece sold before we’d even finished installing the display!

And believe us, you’ll understand why when you see her work for yourself. Her pieces range from funky to classic, and are all founded on the core principle: “recycle it!” You’ll never look at your cast away bike bits the same way again.

Think “wow factor,” ladies. Think “she’ll love it,” fellas. Just be sure to check them out!

………………………

MEET THE BIKE ARTIST: MARLA JAMES

Marla of Marla’s Mud is fun, energetic, and head-over-heels for the creative process – and it sure shows in her hand-thrown and hand-glazed mugs and pendant necklaces. Each piece is unique and intriguing.

Marla’s creative engines are revved, and you’ll be seeing more of her playful craftsmanship appearing in our store. She told us that her mugs hold cold as well as heat, so picture yourself post-ride sipping a refreshingly cold beverage from your one-of-a-kind, cyclist-friendly mug. Now that’s worth a look!

………………………

TEAM HOMETOWN’S ALREADY ROCKIN’ THE RACES

(At Waterloo Grit & Gravel, from left: Gary Spencer, Tom Hermann, Jim Cleer, and Mark Lang)

Hometown jerseys have been popping up all over the early Michigan race scene. Three cheers to our hardy Team Hometown Bicycles riders who tackled Epic Race’s newWaterloo Grit & Gravel event. Riding 50K and 100K, these super-cyclists put a sizable dent in the misconception that cycling season starts when the weather warms.

Team Captain Jim Cleer had nothing but positive feedback about this race – well-organized, well-designed, and well-run. Team Hometown will definitely ride it again!

In the meantime, cheer on the Team at their next event, Barry-Roubaix Killer Gravel Road Race on April 16th. It’s the largest race of its kind in the world!

………………………

BONUS HOMETOWN NEWS

We still have copies of the cyclist’s best friend – LMB’s Ride Guide – at our shop. It lists rides, races, and cycling events around Michigan… a must have for any cyclist and free of charge!

Hometown ♥♥♥ The Eric Hartwell Foundation, and that’s why we’ve been involved with their Spring Snowman Run/Walk from Hometown’s beginning. We’re super-proud to be a part of what they do – raising funds to support children at C.S. Mott’s Children’s Hospital with leukemia and other blood disorders – with a bike donation for this event.Register early for a chance to win the Jamis Allegro!

Hometown will soon be echoing with the energizing beats of Martha Soraruf’s Cardio Fitness Drumming class. Held in the Hometown Community Room, this class will run April 13, 20, and 27 at 6:45pm. It uses drumsticks, hands, drums, and fitness balls to get your blood pumping and relieve built-up tension. Call Martha – (734) 678-9647 – for details and to sign up! (Thanks for the pic, Martha!)