It's Halloween, it's Sabotage.

Here is Raleigh's very own Team Sabotage (from right to left: Rookie, Chief, Bubbles, and NightStick). Actually, this wasn't how they dressed today; it's how they dressed two weeks ago.

Ride the Red Flannel Metric with us on Sunday

The November issue of Bicycling magazine gave the 34th Annual Red Flannel Metric Century a spot on it's calendar of the "best in cycling this month" in America, but they're preaching to this choir.

Sponsored by the Lorain Wheelmen with proud support from Century Cycles, the Red Flannel Metric is one of the last and best chances for a great ride before the snow flies. Look for the CC jerseys in the crowd -- last we checked, Scott, Petch, Krista, and others were planning to ride through the Lorain county countryside, with most choosing the half-metric (33-mile) route.

Click here for ride details. See you Sunday morning!

(Photo: Lorain County Metroparks/CVB)

Fixie-riding footballer Dhani Jones and other links in the chain

Kevin pointed us today to this story on Cincinnati Bengal linebacker Dhani Jones, who rides his Surly to every day to work at Paul Brown Stadium. -- Bicycling

Other links in the chain....

The Euclid Corridor bike lanes have opened. Let's hope they really are "the beginning of a new bike network for Cleveland." -- GreenCityBlueLake

Bike Rumor spent a lot of time in the Giant booth at Interbike. Click here to read about Giant road bikes, click here for their take on the Giant Seek and Giant's electric-assist bike The Twist, and finally check out what they had to say about the Anthem and other Giant mountain bikes here. (On a side note, I'm just glad I'm not the only one who still has Interbike photos and info still to share a month after the event....)

Local contest winners receive Giant bikes

Wow! People really DO win those crazy contests....Here's Doug and Brent with the four Giant mountain bikes that are being awarded to local winners of Nutrisoda's "Go To Go" promotion. The beverage-maker teamed up with Giant Bicycle to encourage healthier living through cycling.

More Electra love

Domino magazine editor Eugenie Santiesteban craves the Townie 3 Balloon three-speed bike -- and so do we! Stay tuned -- we'll let you know if we get this 2009 Electra in our stock....

The Big Dig! Progress Report

Here's some pics of the Big Dig. Those of you familiar with our Rocky River store will be glad to know that this project not only is about the expansion of our basement storage, but the Big Dig will also bring about the end of the Great Depression! That's right, the previously "sometimes-hard-to-navigate" rear parking lot area, with it's sloping dip towards the building, will be improved as well.



















The project is really moving along. As you can see, they've busted into the basement from outside and have cleared out the old crawl space. They are getting ready to pour the new concrete floor.

Next episode: "Let there be Light!"

Bill Nye the Science Guy’s bike

Nye tells The New York Times Magazine what he rides: “It was a Gitane Interclub model bicycle. After I was hit by a car on that, I bought a 1975 Woodrup, which I still ride more than any other bike I own. It’s beautiful. Nothing gives me greater joy than riding my bike.”

Nye lives a very green life in L.A.: He replaced his lawn with a vegetable garden (cuts water use by 50%), installed solar panels (and now makes more power than he uses, which he sends back to the main L.A. power grid), and buys CO2 credits to offset his frequent plane travel. His goal for future plane trips is to pack so light that he can fit his luggage on his bike and ride it to the airport.

Normal people in normal clothes on normal bikes

Krista found this blog, Copenhagen Cycle Chic, which celebrates the Copenhagen way of bicycling -- in street clothes and personalized bikes, choosing style over speed. It’s just terrific, because too many people think bicycling is all about tight black shorts and hardcore riding, not chic and stylish riding about town. Krista thinks these are the kind of people who ride our Electras – the cruisers, the Amsterdams, the Townies – and I think she’s right (said the woman who likes both skirts AND her Electra cruiser). She’s also decided not to discourage any high-heeled customers who want to take test rides….

Watch out for the marching band!

Scott dug out an old tandem from his bike collection to ride in the Bay High School (BHS) homecoming parade back on September 19, throwing Bike To School t-shirts and Twizzlers to the crowds lining Wolf Road in Bay Village.

Scott was riding with the school's Project Earth Environmental Club, which is a co-organizer with Century Cycles of Bay Schools Bike To School Challenge. Last May, Century Cycles helped BHS students save over 14,000 pounds of CO2 emissions by bicycling instead of driving to school. Stay tuned for an upcoming announcement about the Bay Schools Bike To School program for 2009, which will be twice as big and better than ever!

Our favorite customer from Alaska checks in!

This picture of Kevin Keeler was taken yesterday, because four inches of snow in Alaska is not enough for skiing, but is still okay for some mountain biking. Kevin is a childhood friend of Scott’s who now lives in Alaska and always stops by the Rocky River store when he’s in town.

Bush to open national parks to mountain bikes

Brent just e-mailed us about this Salon article from the AP wire:

Oct 14th, 2008 WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is taking steps to make it easier for mountain bikers to gain access to national parks and other public lands before the president — an avid cyclist himself — leaves office.The National Park Service confirmed Tuesday that it is preparing a rule to allow park managers in some cases to decide which trails to open to mountain bikers. Once it's finalized, the rule would take this authority away from federal regulators in Washington, who sometimes take years to decide whether to allow bicycles on individual trails. A park service spokesman said the rule would be proposed no later than Nov. 15 in order for it to be finalized before Bush leaves office.

Freak bike accident: Man vs. tree branch

• This post on cycling blog Ride-Strong has some pretty gruesome photos of a freak bicycle accident. Don't say I didn't warn you.
• If you go to Ray's Indoor MTB Park on Friday, October 17, and purchase a season pass, Ray will throw in a free year's membership to CAMBA. That deal is only good on 10/17. Friday is also the last day that current CAMBA members can ride for free at Ray's.
• Speaking of CAMBA, be sure to read "An Epic Struggle to Ride a Bicycle in the Woods," a blow-by-blow account of the group's herculean efforts to get the Cleveland Metroparks to allow mountain biking. Currently, there are only 2 miles of mountain bike trail on their 20,000 acres.
• The Gazette featured this article about Cops and Kids, an event on September 27 that helped hundreds of Medina kids learn about bike safety. Century Cycles' own Don Barnett was on scene doing bike safety checks.
• Last but not least, Kevin and Ray haven't posted on their Miles4Melanoma blog since October 2. However, according to the Satellite Tracker on their home page, it looks like they're now in Guatemala.

The 2009 Giant FCR 2 W: A great bike and a great cause

The 2009 Giant FCR 2 W (above, as seen at Interbike) is a flat-bar women’s road bike that will make workouts and errands fun, fast, and yet still comfortable. Lovely: Its custom white and pink color scheme. Even lovelier: Giant for Women is a proud sponsor of the Young Survival Coalition (YSC) and the Hershey’s Tour de Pink, a multi-day ride to raise funds and awareness for young women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

From the Giant catalog: "A lightweight aluminum frame and Compact Road Design geometry give the FCR road-racing credentials, but it's outfitted with a flat handlebar for everyday performance. On the street or on the bike path, FCR makes the miles go by. Quickly." Plus: Shimano 9-speed drivetrain, FSA Omega triple crankset, Crank Brothers Smarty pedals, Mavic CXP22 rims, Formula sealed hubs/SAPIM race spokes, wheelset.

Last we checked, we have three in stock in Rocky River (XS, XS, M) and two in Medina (M, L). $850

Define your life...at the Arc de Triomphe!

Here is Century Cycles' very own Al Anthony, showing the French how it's done.

80+ people pedal on a dark and misty night

Chilly temperatures didn't keep the crowd away from our last Night Ride on the Towpath Trail last night. In fact, it was a record October turn-out of over 80 people! Thanks so much to everyone who joined us, and thanks to CC staffers who rode along, too: Derrick, Gary, Matt, Josh, Kevin, Scott, Petch, Drew, Adam, Brent, and Brad! Stay tuned for the 2009 Night Ride dates, which will be announced soon....

Lives Defined: The Rays' Joe Maddon

The American League Championship Series starts tonight and a bit of news hit my bicycling radar -- Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon is a bicyclist. Here's a guy who, when he was a bench coach for the Angels from 1996 to 2005, would haul his bike to road games, taking it apart for the trip and reassembling it in hotel rooms to ride to ballparks. From last month's USA Today:

The manager of baseball's surprise team is an out-of-the-box thinker who insists he doesn't make those decisions by the seat of his pants. The seat of a bicycle is another story. An avid rider, Maddon often cruises around major league cities trying to conjure ways for the Rays to win. This season it has worked, as he has managed Tampa Bay to its first winning season and playoff berth in its 11 seasons. "It's therapeutic," Maddon says. "Managing definitely is a passion. But bike riding (is), too, if that makes any sense."

By the way, Maddon now can afford to rent bikes when the Rays are on the road, and he rides on average over 80 miles per week. The Rays face off against the Boston Red Sox tonight in Tampa Bay at 8:37 p.m.

Interbike 2008: Find 9 friends to ride this Santana

Okay, so you can't actually ride this 10-person bike, but it was an eye-catcher at the show, plus it made Santana's point that the company known for tandems can also make three-, four-, and five-person bicycles. Petch got the job done at the booth, making all the necessary arrangements with Steve (below) for a great selection of Santana tandems for the Medina store, Century Cycles' tandem headquarters.

Last Night Ride on the Towpath is this Friday, 10/10!

If a Night Ride can put a smile that big on the boss' face, imagine what it will do for you! The very last chance to ride with us at night on the Towpath Trail is this Friday, October 10. The weather forecast is perfect -- no rain with a forecast high temp of 72 degrees. Factor in darkness (follow the bobbing red rear lights!), nocturnal animals (um, what just made that noise?), and cycling with friends (anyone up for post-ride beers at the Lizard?) and you've got a damn-near perfect night....

Details are here, but here's the basics: Century Cycles Night Rides on the Towpath Trail start at 8:00 p.m. in the parking lot of the Peninsula store. Helmets and bike lights are required, and kids 15 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. No registration required -- just show up and ride!

Photo: Doug Charnock

Downtown Cleveland Alliance reports more places to park your bike

The October issue of the DCA's newsletter had this item of interest to local bicyclists:

Everyone seems to be doing it - bike racks are popping up in cities throughout the United States. Over the past 10 years, Chicago has installed nearly 10,000 new bike racks. Their heavy duty, stainless steel based, corrosion and theft resistant bike rakes have become the standard in New York City as well as our beloved Cleveland. Starting in 2006 and with the funding support from the NOACA Transportation Enhancement Program, approximately 500 new bike racks have been installed throughout the city. Cyclists will find a heavy concentration of racks in destination neighborhoods, with the greatest number in downtown and University Circle. So far, the Mayor's Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee has received a great deal of positive feedback and regularly requested by building management and restaurants to install more. The hope is to install additional racks within the next few years, but a funding source has yet to be identified.

Free Adventure Cyclist magazines and other news

Armchair Adventure: The Adventure Cycling Association has graciously provided Century Cycles with back issues of their magazine, Adventure Cycling, to hand out for FREE at our three stores. I'm currently reading that cover story from the above June issue called "Cycling Sherman's March," a pretty good read for bicycling-inclined Civil War buffs.

In other store news....

Baby Bulletin: Rocky River staffer Neil Adams has just become a grandfather for the very first time! Neil and his wife Sandi are the proud grandparents of Hayden Michelle Schron, born on October 3. Congratulations, Adams/Schron families!

And in "bike all day, drink wine all night" news....

Cycling Colorado: The front page of yesterday's Travel section of The New York Times featured an extensive article called "Biking Colorado's Wine Country." Reporter Stefani Jackenthal writes, "In recent years, the vineyards here have produced award-winning varietals and blends, making Colorado a rising star in the wine-making universe. More important, it’s given active travelers yet another reason to visit this outdoorsy state, a place where you can push yourself to the physical limit by day, and then relax with a good meal (and an even better glass of wine) at night."

Bicycle Commuter Tax Provision passed; implementation process work begins

From a League of American Bicyclists e-mail this morning:

After seven long years, the bicycle commuter tax provision has finally passed both the House and Senate as part of the financial bailout package. “We are delighted that the bicycle commuter benefits act has passed after a lengthy and persistent campaign spearheaded by Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR),” said League President Andy Clarke. “Bicycle commuters will now be extended similar benefits to people who take transit and drive to work – it’s an equitable and sensible incentive to encourage greater energy independence, improve air quality and health, and even help tackle climate change. Thanks to everyone who has helped reach this milestone, especially Walter Finch and Mele Williams, our government relations staff over the years who have worked tirelessly with Congressman Blumenauer, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and many others in Congress.” Thanks also to all of you around the country who have contacted your congressional leaders over the years. Keep checking back at www.bikeleague.org as we work on the implementation process.

Tax breaks for bicycle commuters added to the Senate bailout bill

Bicycles have joined the bailout brouhaha. As you may know if you've been following the news, in an effort to change House "no" votes to "yes," the Senate added over $100 billion in tax provisions (or "sweeteners") to their version of the $700 billion bailout bill passed Wednesday. As it pertains to bicyclists, it now includes a tax benefit for bicycle commuting sought by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), a no vote on Monday.

The bill will be taken up by the House today, so we'll see what happens then. It looks like there's an upper limit of $240 per year. Here's the legal mumbo jumbo:

SEC. 211. TRANSPORTATION FRINGE BENEFIT TO BICYCLE COMMUTERS.(a) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (1) of section 132(f) is amended by addingat the end the following:
''(D) Any qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement.''.

(b) LIMITATION ON EXCLUSION.—Paragraph (2) of section 132(f) is amended by striking ''and'' at the end of subparagraph (A), by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (B) and inserting '',and'', and by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:''(C) the applicable annual limitation in the case of any qualifiedbicycle commuting reimbursement.''.(c) DEFINITIONS.—Paragraph (5) of section 132(f) is amended by adding at the end the following:''

(F) DEFINITIONS RELATED TO BICYCLE COMMUTING REIMBURSEMENT.—''(i) QUALIFIED BICYCLE COMMUTING REIMBURSEMENT.—The term 'qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement' means, with respect to any calendar year, any employer reimbursement during the 15-month period beginning with the first day of such calendar year for reasonable expenses incurred by the employee during such calendar year for the purchase ofa bicycle and bicycle improvements, repair, and storage, if such bicycle is regularly used for travel between the employee's residence and place of employment.''

(ii) APPLICABLE ANNUAL LIMITATION.—The term 'applicable annual limitation' means, with respect to any employee for any calendar year, the product of $20 multiplied by the number of qualified bicycle commuting months during such year.''

(iii) QUALIFIED BICYCLE COMMUTING MONTH.—The term 'qualified bicycle commuting month' means, with respect to any employee, any month during which such employee—
''(I) regularly uses the bicycle for a substantial portion of the travel between the employee's residence and place of employment, and ''(II) does not receive any benefit described in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of paragraph(1).''

(d) CONSTRUCTIVE RECEIPT OF BENEFIT.—Paragraph (4) of section 132(f)is amended by inserting ''(other than a qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement)'' after ''qualified transportation fringe''.

(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2008.

Greetings from Veracruz, Mexico

Hey kids, just dropping a note to say Hi to all the folks back in Ohio. Enjoy the coming winter--it's HOT down here. Some other highlights of our trip south so far:

2900 miles
2 countries
7 US states
2 Mexican states (yes, they have states down here just like us)
8 flat tires
2 hurricanes
Too numerous to count: barking, chasing dogs; pancakes; tacquitos.
Passed through Georgetown, Ohio; Georgetown, Kentucky; 200 miles west of Georgetown, Tennessee; a dozen or so miles west of Georgetown, Mississippi and Georgetown, Louisiana, and through George West, Texas.

Did I mention it's hot here?

Follow us for more details at www.miles4melanoma.com.

Photos by Mike Petcher

Stay tuned for more Interbike posts. Still to come in the days ahead: Bianchi, Electra, Santana, Thule, etc. In the meantime, here's a shout-out to Petch, who gave me 200+ photos to consider for the blog -- and that was just a fraction of how many he took at Interbike. This photo of The Petch by Treasure Island's pirate ship was one of the few times he surrendered the camera.

Stickers

Sean Burkey, Raleigh Rep Extraordinaire

Sean is our Raleigh rep. Sean is also the Raleigh Midwest Region Rep of the Year, an honor he won at Interbike. Coincidence? We don't think so.

2009 Raleigh Rush Hour

Raleigh -- which reminded folks that it was the original all-steel bike maker -- was handing out pins at Interbike that said "I Love Steel." By the time we got to the Raleigh booth for our 1 p.m. meeting on Day 1 of Interbike, they had no pins left to give us. That is a slight indication of how hot steel in general -- and Raleigh's steel bikes in particular -- was at Interbike this year.

The sign by the Rush Hour asked "What would you expect from a company whose first bike was a fixie?" First your eye sees the black all-steel track frame and fork with no braze-ons, the track bar, the Keirin grips, the Sugino cranks -- and then the red anodized parts add the pop. Petch couldn't stop taking pictures of it.

A Calfee bike!

Who doesn't need a bike with a bamboo frame and cow horn handlebars and forks?!

The Cheese Grater

When we saw this bike being wheeled into the show one morning, Krista thought it was an accident waiting to happen and instantly dubbed it "The Cheese Grater."

Interbike is so big (and some manufacturer booths are so secure -- Electra's actually had bouncers) that sometimes the best way to see the hottest bikes is outside the show -- in casinos, hotel elevators, coffee shops -- when they are being wheeled to and fro. Speaking of security, I guess companies figure the bikes are safer staying with employees after-hours than staying in the convention center.

Interbike 2008: The Giant Bowery '72

Our first big meeting at Interbike was with Giant and that's a good thing, because we were anxious to see the limited edition Bowery '72 (above and below; $999 SRP), a retro-inspired fixie from Giant's first year on the job. This is one beautiful bike. Sporting Giant's original logo (below), it has a custom-bend track style drop bar, a leather saddle with rivets, and track style alloy toe clips with double leather straps. These pictures don't do this bike justice and you gotta see it for yourself -- the one we ordered from the rep as these pictures were taken (and we doubted we might ever see) arrived yesterday. It's already sold, but it's now on display in the Rocky River store and it will make the rounds to the other stores, too, so you can check it out.

Giant is also making a Bowery '84 (below; $999 SRP), with aero handlebars, from the year the aero ruled the L.A. Olympics. Love for the limited edition bikes aside and just as importantly, in production are the Bowery and the Bowery Mash-Up, both $650 SRP.

Interbike 2008: A few thousand friends

Interbike, the big bicycle industry trade show, was last week in Las Vegas. Here the doors just opened and a few thousand of our closest friends are with us as we enter the show.

Please pardon the dust in Rocky River

The “Big Dig” at Century Cycles’ Rocky River store began yesterday, as we expand the basement to improve service and storage capabilities. The store will be OPEN for business throughout the renovation. However, the main back door will be closed. Please use either the front door or the door on the side of the building next to Leo Luck’s Auto Repair. Parking may be a challenge, and the spaces on the sides of the store will likely be your best bets. Sorry for any inconvenience or confusion the Big Dig causes. We anticipate the work should be finished before you’re ready to start your holiday shopping!

ALERT: Night Ride rescheduled for FRIDAY, October 10

The last Night Ride On The Towpath Trail of the year that was originally scheduled for October 11 will now be held on Friday, October 10, at 8:00 p.m. at Century Cycles in Peninsula.

We had to reschedule the ride due to the Towpath Marathon on Sunday 10/12, preparations for which are closing down sections of the Towpath on Saturday night. We’re very, very sorry for this inconvenience.

If you know a Night Ride regular, please make sure you share this date change with them. If you’re not a Night Ride regular yet, here’s your last chance of the year to join us! For more details about Century Cycles Night Rides, click here.