Get Chance to Win Shimano Pedals at June MS 150 Clinic

Look what just arrived from Shimano!

One lucky attendee of our free clinic on June 4, "Preparing For And Riding the Bike MS 150," will WIN this pair of Click'R Pedals (a $69.99 value)! Click'Rs are easy-in, easy-out, and make for an ideal clipless pedal for MS 150 riders.

For more clinic details and to RSVP, go to www.centurycycles.com/for/EventRideHQ.

See you June 4th, and THANKS SHIMANO!

National spotlight shines on Bike to School Challenge

Huge thanks to Bicycling Magazine executive editor, David Howard, who spent National Bike to School Day at Bay Middle School to witness Century Cycles Bike to School Challenge and wrote the story, "The Land Where Kids Ride: In suburban Cleveland, an astonishing number of children ride to school. Here’s what we can learn from them” at http://bit.ly/ZUztVW.

 

 

Bike to School Challenge was also featured in a report by the Atlantic Cities (www.theatlanticcities.com, a division of The Atlantic Monthly magazine) in a story titled, “How to Make Your Town into a Bike-To-School Mecca” (link: http://bit.ly/12m9qFD).

Happy Mother's Day!

Everyone at Century Cycles wishes all the moms and kids out there a wonderful Mother's Day!

Bike to School Challenge: Record-Setting Week One!

Century Cycles Bike to School Challenge (BTS) in Bay Village, Medina and Rocky River concluded a hugely succesful Week One on May 6-10 with the students breaking more biking records, all but one school in the program showed double-digit growth over last year’s ridership, and three of the five schools logging record days! Special prize days sponsored by Subway and Raleigh Bicycles kept the students excited and motivated, and middle school students are already submitting entries in the BTS Prose and Photography Contest.

 

Overall, the program averaged 1,275 bicyclists to school per day this week at the five schools, for a total of 6,375 bike-rides to school. The highest overall ride day of the week was Thursday, May 9, on which 1,394 students biked, a new BTSC record.

6^th annual BAY BIKE TO SCHOOL CHALLENGE

Bay Middle School averaged 576 bicyclists to school this week – averaging an astonishing 70% of the school and up 22% over their 2012 per-day average of 474. The highest ride day at BMS this week was 634 bicyclists to school on Wednesday, May 8 (National Bike to School Day), a whopping 77% of the school – a new Bay Middle School and BTS record! Bay High School averaged 123 bicyclists to school this week, down 9% from their 135-per-day average in 2012.

Student check-in at Claggett.

2^nd annual MEDINA BIKE TO SCHOOL CHALLENGE

Bike-riding is up significantly at both Claggett and Root Middle Schools this year. This week, Claggett Middle School averaged 83 bicyclists to school per day (9% of the school), up 28% over their 2012 per-day average of 65. They handily beat their high-ride day of 78 in 2012 on May 9, when 94 Claggett students arrived at school by bicycle. At A.I. Root Middle School, an average of 156 students biked each day this week (or 18% of the school), up 22% over their 2012 per-day average of 128.

Rocky River Middle School.

3^rd annual ROCKY RIVER BIKE TO SCHOOL CHALLENGE

It was a record first week of the challenge at Rocky River Middle School, which logged a record high-ride day on Thursday, May 9, when 377 students biked (61% of the school). On average this week, 338 students biked each day – 55% of the school and up 24% over their per-day average of 273 in 2012.

Century Cycles’ Bike to School Challenge on May 6-24, 2013 is the largest and most successful student bicycling program in the United States, motivating more than 4,000 middle school and high school students in Bay Village, Rocky River, and Medina to ride their bikes to school as much as possible for three weeks each May -- to help the environment, improve their health, win prizes and have fun.  For more details, go to www.centurycycles.com/for/BTS. 

New Contest for Bike to School Challenge Offers Two More Prize Bikes

Great Lakes Courier, Raleigh Bicycles and Century Cycles are teaming up to offer middle school students taking the Bike to School Challenge a special contest that encourages them to creatively express their love of bicycling to school for a chance to win being published and a new Raleigh bicycle.

 

"Great Lakes Courier is pleased to help amplify the voice of the cycling community in Northeast Ohio, and never more so than when we have the opportunity to recognize the accomplishment and creativity of kids who bike to school," said Michael Gill, editor of Great Lakes Courier (www.greatlakescourier.com) and a contest judge.

 

Here's how the contest works:

WHO: Middle school students in Bay Village, Rocky River, and Medina can write or photograph something inspired by the theme “Bike To School” – capturing what bicycling to school means to them, their friends, and/or their community – then enter their creation in this contest by May 21.

PRIZES: One prose winner AND one photography winner will be chosen for each Bike To School Challenge program. The winners will receive a new Raleigh grand prize bicycle, plus their winning entry, name and photo will be published in the July issue of the local biking newspaper, Great Lakes Courier. Contest winners will be announced at each school's closing ceremony assemblies.

WHAT: Written submissions can be a short essay, poem, song or any other written expression (250 word limit). Photographs can be taken by camera or smartphone. Students can submit as many entries as they create.

HOW TO SUBMIT: Email each submission to BikeToSchool@centurycycles.com by Tuesday, May 21, at noon. In the subject line, put “Contest entry from _____________” and the name of the student's school. In the body of the email, please put student's name, grade, school, and age. Photos should JPG attachments and can come from a phone or computer. Written submissions can be in the body of the email OR attached as a Word document.

 

For more details about Bike to School Challenge, go to www.centurycycles.com/for/BTS. 

Introducing: Bicycle Fitting Services at Century Cycles

Do you want to be comfortable on your bicycle? Do you want to ride stronger for longer distances? Then a personalized bicycle fitting is just what you need.

Bicycle Fitting can benefit ANY type of rider, whether you're riding for recreation, fitness, commuting, or racing; any kind of bike you have, any brand purchased from any store. Our Fitting Service, developed in conjunction with Raleigh Bicycles, uses flexibility, range of motion, and biomechanics to determine the best position your body can achieve on your bike, taking your personal goals and preferences into account.

Rates:

• Standard Fitting: $150.00
• Standard Fitting with a new bicycle purchase: $100.00
• Applying our fitting to an additional bicycle: $75.00 - Must meet the following conditions:
• Within one year of the original fitting session.
• No injuries, surgeries, or other conditions that affect fit have occurred.

Call us to schedule an appointment!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is Raleigh Fitting Services?

A. Raleigh Fitting Services is a professional bicycle fitting service offered by Raleigh Bicycles dealers. Although new for 2013, the program was designed by Michael Sylvester, the foremost expert on personalized bicycle fitting. Based in Portland, Oregon, Michael practically invented the modern bicycle fitting industry, and has been fitting people on bicycles for over 30 years. He has designed and implemented fitting services for other major bicycle manufactures. Our staff received hands-on training in bicycle fitting from Michael himself.

Q. What Fit System do you use?

A. Raleigh Fitting Services is not based solely on numeric measurements, nor is it based on whiz-bang technology like video or laser scanners. We start with an extensive personal interview process to evaluate your overall fitness, flexibility, history, and future goals. We take all of this into consideration to give you a personalized fit. We fit your bicycle to YOUR body, not the other way around, using adjustments to your seat height, seat fore and aft position, handlebar size, stem length and angle, and shoe/cleat placement. Where applicable, we will also provide guidance on adjustments to your form and technique.

Q. Why do I need a bike fitting?

A. Are you experiencing any physical issues while riding your bike? Do have have pain or numbness in any part of your body, such as in your hands, neck, shoulders, wrists, knees, feet, or even your seat? All of these issues can be addressed and minimized, possibly even eliminated, with a properly-fitting bike.

Q. I know my bike is the right size for me; what would I gain from a bike fitting?

A. Bicycles come in only a handful of sizes. When you purchase a new bicycle, we select the correct size for you, and make some basic adjustments, such as the seat height and handlebar height, if possible. This process is referred as a bicycle sizing, but is only the first step. There are myriad other adjustments possible, but a full professional bicycle fitting is the only way to learn your needs to make these adjustments optimal for your physical attributes and riding style.

Q. I'm not having any issues on my bike; why should I get a bike fitting?

A. If you're not experiencing any pain or numbness on your bike, that's great! However, after a professional bike fitting, there may be some adjustments that will get you even more confortable, and help you be more efficient and generate more power. Those normal aches and pains that occur on any long ride can be minimized, or even eliminated.

Q. What should I bring to a fitting session?

A. You should bring your bicycle, cycling shorts, and cycling shoes. Plan to spend about 2 hours in the fitting session, plus about 30 minutes in a follow-up session about a month later.

Q. How do I sign up?

A. Call us to schedule an appointment with one our bicycle fitting experts! Medina: 330-722-7119; Peninsula: 330-657-2209; Rocky River: 440-356-5705.

Meet Our Fit Specialists

Tom Wiseman (Medina) - Tom has been riding, racing, and working on bicycles for over 20 years. He won the Alaska Fireweed Double Century race in 2007, served as a team mechanic for the Race Across America (RAAM) in 2011, and has been working at Century Cycles since 2007.

Kevin Madzia (Peninsula) - Kevin has been riding bicycles both on the road and off for many years. He has two cross-country tours under his belt, races a few times a year, and has been working at Century Cycles since 2004.

Brad Sweet (Rocky River) - Brad is an accomplished mountain bike racer. He's been working at Century Cycles since 2007.

This information is also available on our web site at: www.centurycycles.com/get/fit

1,183 Biked To School Today; Record-Setting Start of BTS Challenge

The newly-expanded bike racks at Claggett Middle School in Medina were overflowing with bikes today. Photo: Mike Petcher

On a sunshine-filled morning ideal for bicycling, a record 1,183 students biked to five Northeast Ohio schools for the kick-off of Century Cycles' Bike to School Challenge (www.centurycycles.com/for/BTS), our award-winning program in Bay Village, Medina and Rocky River that encourages students to bike to school for three weeks each May to help the environment, improve their health and be more physically active, win prizes and have fun.

Bike to School Challenge is the largest youth bicycling event of its kind in the nation, and it keeps growing – this Day 1 is up 33% over the first day last year and is the highest Day 1 bicycle count in the program’s six-year history.

 

Student rider check-in at Bay High School.

Bay Middle School officials counted 544 bikes at their racks (66% of the school’s students, and up 28% over 2012’s Day 1), Bay High School counted 124 bikes (15% of the school, and down 8% from 2012) and Rocky River Middle School counted 291 bikes (47% of the school, and up 43% over 2012).

In Medina, Root Middle School counted 148 bicycles (17% of the school’s students, and up 52% over 2012’s Day 1) and Claggett Middle School counted 76 bicycles (8% of the school, and up 68% from 2012). This is the second year for Bike to School Challenge at the Medina schools, both of which recorded fewer than 2% of their students bicycling before the program’s inception in 2012.

“It is an awe-inspiring sight to see hundreds of bicycles parked in front of these schools. It sends a powerful message about the huge impact youth can have on the community with the simple act of riding a bike,” said Scott Cowan, owner of Century Cycles bicycle stores in Rocky River and Medina, which organizes and sponsors the challenge for the schools. “Everyone involved with the program is just thrilled with the response on the first day and is excited for the coming weeks.”

For regular updates and more information about Bike To School Challenge on May 6-24, 2013, visit www.centurycycles.com/to/BTS or follow it on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BikeToSchoolChallenge or on Twitter @BTSChallenge.

 

WEWS-TV 5 was at Bay Middle School for the kick-off this morning, and the ABC affiliate aired this story about the program on their morning news:

Click here if the video above is not appearing for you.

Let's All Roll Together

Let's all  roll together! It's easy. Just:

Check out People For Bikes website to take the #RollTogether promise, and to check out their cool new "share the road" spot with Volkswagen: http://bit.ly/10Tb5GS

Then be sure to sign up for the National Bike Challenge -- free, easy, even just 1 or 2 miles count, plus Pittsburgh has challenged Cleveland to a bicycle-off (a friendly competition to see which Rust Belt city can log the most bicyclists and miles)! Go to: www.nationalbikechallenge.org

If you don't want to form your own National Bike Challenge team, feel free to join the "Century Cycles" team. Staff at our stores are also competing in a NBC workplace showdown -- we'll let you know which CC store logs the most miles this summer! So far Kevin in our Peninsula store is on top of the leaderboard with 99 miles logged in just three days.

Spring Into Summer with Home Depot and Century Cycles this Saturday

Come visit some of the crew from the Century Cycles store in Medina as we lend a hand at the Medina Home Depot "Spring Into Summer" Bike Rodeo and Summer Safety Day this Saturday!

We'll be doing bicycle safety inspections and will be joined by Medina county safety forces, Tuffy's BBQ, and there is a kids workshop to build a herb planter from 9am to noon.

When: Saturday, May 4, 2013, 9:00am - 2:00pm

Where:
Home Depot
4914 Grande Blvd. in Medina OH 44256
(330) 721-7886

Cost: FREE!

Bicycle Touring season has officially begun!

The Peninsula store was greeted by our first bicycle-touring visitors of the season today. Linda (left) and Jose (right) are from Bunbury in Western Australia. Jose started his ride in Los Angeles on March 1, and rode the Southern Tier Route to New Orleans, where he met his wife Linda. The couple rode the Great Rivers South Route and the Underground Railroad Route to Ohio, and are continuing to Niagara Falls. From there, they'll ride down to Pittsburgh, and follow the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal Towpath Trail to Washington, DC. Linda will fly back home to Australia from there, but Jose is flying to France, where he'll meet a friend in Nice and pedal through Europe, up to and including Norway. He expects to be back home by Christmas of this year!

Jose was especially proud of his bicycle, a 28-year-old chromoly framed-touring bike handmade in Australia:

Back in 2012, Jose and Linda were riding across the US on the TransAmerica Trail Route, and met an Ohioan in Wyoming, a local rider named Michael from Northfield. The group crossed paths today, and planned to ride for together for a while as Jose and Linda made their way up to Burton for the evening.

You can see more photos of long-distance cyclists who have visited all three of our stores in our Bicycle Touring Photo Gallery.

Now in stock: Surly Krampus

What exactly is a Krampus? One part fat bike, one part 29er, and two parts awesome, the Surly Krampus rolls fast, holds speed, and devours corners. It's playful, smooth, versatile and durable.

The 29x3-inch Surly Knard tires on 50mm Surly Rabbit Hole rims are what make this bike truly special. These big tires offer increased traction, incredible float, and reduce the need for suspension, because the large volume is plenty to smooth the trail.

For the sake of simplicity, you get a 1x10 drive train. That means there's a single 34-tooth chainring up front, and a 10-speed cassette on the back, with a whopping 36-tooth low gear. All fine quality parts from Shimano.

The wide Salsa Whammy handlebars barely fit through the front door. Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes provide the stopping power, but once you hop on the Krampus, you won't want to stop.

Review highlights:

• "Comfort is superb and control is better than on a short travel [full-suspension bike] because the long wheelbase (43.75in on our medium bike) is inherently stable, and the geometry isn't shifting slightly on every bump." -- BikeRadar.com
• "Krampus has taught us that the bike is not different for difference´s sake, but actually rides really well." -- TwentyNineInches.com
• "This bike wants to go fast, and has the stability to do it." -- Dirt Rag Magazine
• "This bike does exactly as it was designed to do--hit the sweet spot between the traction and flotation of a snow bike, with the speed and agility of a traditional 29er mountain bike." -- Century Cycles

Stop by your local Century Cycles bicycle store for a test-ride NOW. We've got a size Large in Medina, a Medium in Peninsula, and a Small in Rocky River. Of course, we'll send the size you want to the store that's most convenient for you, if you ask real nice like.

Define your life. Ride a bike...at The Recon Tour!

Define your life. Ride a (BMX) bike...at The Recon Tour in Columbus last weekend. Congratulations to Medina's Graydon Schneider for placing 3rd in the 8-12 year old class!

On a side note, now THOSE are what medals should be -- bigger than your face and fiercely cool so nobody questions your winning ways.

Photos from Apr. 27th Night Ride on the Towpath Trail; next ride details

The spring weather held out long enough this past Saturday for our biggest-ever first of the season Night Ride. 231 people showed up! Thanks for everyone for helping us to kick off our 19th season of Night Rides on the Towpath Trail!

  

Click here if the slide show above is not appearing for you.

Our next Night Ride on the Towpath Trail is on Saturday, May 18, 2013. It's our ride for National Bike Month and Cleveland Bike Month, as well as an official event of Friends of the Crooked River's RiverDay festival!

Find our full schedule of Night Rides for the 2013 season, as well as preparation tips, safety tips, photos and videos from past rides, at:

www.centurycycles.com/for/NightRides

Oh, and if you come to the next Night Ride, you'll have the opportunity to check off as many as 17 squares on the Bike Month Bingo game!

1. Log my miles in the National Bike Challenge
2. Bike in the rain (hopefully not)
3. Ride someplace I'd never ridden before
4. Say hello to another bicyclist
5. Add air to tires
6. Bike at least 10 miles in one day
7. Encourage a friend to start riding
8. Join a group ride
9. Participate in a special Bike Month event
10. Ride to a date
11. Ride with kids
12. Ride on a trail
13. Ride farther than you ever have before
14. Change a bike tire (again, hopefully not)
15. Tweet about biking
16. Lube your chain
17. Visit your local bike shop

Sunday Services - Group road bike ride in Peninsula on May 5

Next Sunday, May 5, join us for the next of our monthly Group Road Bike Rides! We'll be starting at 10:00am from the Peninsula store. All skill levels are welcome!

Once again, we'll ride the Valley Loop, an 18-mile gently rolling route along the Cuyahoga River. The pace will be "medium" - not too slow, not too fast, and we'll wait at each turn for people to catch up.

You'll have help in case you get a flat tire or anything, but you should have what you need to be self-sufficient: water/sports drink, spare tube, tire levers, pump, mobile phone (all of the Things You Should Bring on Every Bike Ride).

We'll start riding at 10:00am SHARP! Extra cue sheets will be left behind for anyone that arrives late.

No RSVP is necessary, although you can sign up and post questions to the event on Facebook.

Find a map, download the route to your GPS, or print a cue sheet at:
www.centurycycles.com/for/ValleyLoop

PLEASE NOTE: We've been informed that road construction crews are working on re-surfacing Riverview Road, starting from Bolanz Road, north to where the railroad tracks cross. Traffic will be maintained with flaggers, but we'll play it by ear, and if it looks too rough, we'll detour over on Bolanz Road and head back north on Akron-Peninsula Road.

The first Sunday Services ride on April 7, 2013, with members of
the Century Cycles staff, Akron Bike Club, and Nordonia Hills Velo Club.

Featured Bicycle: '12 Giant Anthem X 3

With Spring finally on its way, that means mountain biking season returns to Northeast Ohio. Many of our local mountain bike trails are still closed to give them time to dry out (such as the Cleveland Metroparks Royalview Trail and West Branch State Park). However, there are a couple of trails that are open and ride-able now, such as Quail Hollow State Park and Mohican State Park.

Looking for a new rig to tackle the roughest mountain bike trails? Or even just wanting to upgrade your Towpath Trail cruiser to something more plush? Look no further than the 2012 Giant Anthem X 3. This strong and light racer features RockShox suspension front and rear, plus a SRAM 30-speed drive train, tapered and oversized head tube for front-end stiffness and control, and Giant custom ALUXX aluminum frame. In stock in our Medina store in Small, Medium, and Large frame sizes. Originally $2,249.99, now on SALE for $1,799.99.

You can check out more great deals on bikes on our Previous Model Year Bike Clearance page.