You want an awesome bike fit... but you have to drive to Birmingham, Alabama for it?! Oh, AND, you are bringing a family member??
It’s worth it and it will be a great trip. I promise. Even if your travel companion isn’t a cyclist!
I’ve had plenty of folks here from all over the Southeast and listened to their experiences, so I think I can give some decent guidance here. I will break this into sections to make it simple.
Lodging
Get a couple miles off the interstate towards Homewood and you’ll have a better stay. Okay, if you want the absolute cheapest place, get something on Greensprings right next to I-65. I warned you. The best options are IN downtown Homewood, including Aloft or the new Valley Hotel ($$$$ but nice). Of course, if you know someone here, bring them something nice and crash there! If you or your travel partner is interested in seeing downtown Birmingham, it is only 15 minutes from Homewood, and has some really nice places to stay including the Westin. Park behind the bike shop off Linden Ave when you come over...it is much easier than the street parking out front.
Food
I’m with you! Just got in town, you need some food. Homewood isn’t much for late night spots, but has plenty of dinner options. For barbecue, Saw’s and Demetri’s are both legendary. If you want something healthier, Greenhouse or Kale Me Crazy are both tasty. Dave’s Pizza is in downtown Homewood and worth trying. For an old school diner feel, grab a breakfast sandwich from Sams Super Samwiches. If meat and three places are your style, don’t miss Johnny’s on the main strip in Homewood! Personal suggestions aside, here is the list from Trip Advisor.
As mentioned before, downtown Birmingham is pretty close with LOTS of great food options. A couple of my favorites are El Barrio for sit down meals and New Chinatown for takeout. Tropicaleo is another local favorite, about 15 minutes east of Homewood. If you want to sit down and have a beer somewhere, Homewood has the Grocery Brewpub, but the best places are Good People and Ghost Train downtown. The local Piggly Wiggly grocery store in Homewood has a surprising amount of awesome local beer on the shelf to take home.
Coffee
Can’t forget this one. Coolest spots in town are any of the Domestique locations. Great coffee and ran by cyclists. Once our shop moves across 28th, we will have Domestique IN the shop with us! The absolute closest spots to the bike shop before that are Caveat and OHenrys. Caveat is better than OHenrys but has less options. Red Cat is downtown and good also.
Riding
If you are trying to find a good ride to do while here, Jacob Tubbs has a great resource with the Birmingham Ride Finder group on Facebook! There are numerous mountain biking options, with Oak Mountain State Park being the top dog of the area. Tannehill and Cahaba River Park are also worth checking out. As usual, apps like Trailforks and MTB Project are quite helpful.
Time Fillers
I know...you brought someone. I didn’t forget! If they want to hang with us during fits, I have room for them in the shop and folks do that pretty often. Otherwise, the downtown Homewood area has numerous shops and boutiques. The Trak Shak running store and Little Professor bookstore are a couple of my favorites. For the cookie lover, check out Cookie Fix.
If they want some active time, Railroad Park in downtown Birmingham is nice to walk around and Red Mountain Park is a perfect option for a quick, easy to navigate hike close to Homewood. Vulcan Trail also runs between Homewood and Birmingham, making it a fun outdoor option. The Birmingham Zoo and Botanical Gardens are about 5 minutes from Homewood and are both nice visits. Railroad Park and the McWane center downtown are both fun with kids. This article gives a comprehensive look at entertainment options.
That is the best I have... Hope to see you soon!