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:

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