Thursday, July 31, 2014

Revisited: Cat Eye Padrone Wireless Cyclocomputer

When we first introduced the new Cat Eye Padrone Wireless Cyclocomputer in December of 2013, we expected that it would be popular. Our hopes were confirmed, as it has now become our best-selling wireless bike computer!

To provide squint-free viewing of information while you're riding, it has the largest screen available in the industry, with a screen that's 85% larger* while the unit is 22% thinner!

Features include current speed, average speed, maximum speed, trip distance, total distance (odometer), elapsed time, and time of day. The CatEye Flex-Tight mounting bracket attaches to your stem or handlebar without tools. The wireless setup is easy to configure, and the one-button operation is easy to use.

The CatEye Padrone Wireless Cycling Computer is now in stock in all three Century Cycles stores!

* Dimensions are compared to the Cat Eye Urban Wireless cycling computer.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Old CC friend stops by Peninsula during Ohio bicycle tour

This gentlement stopped by the Century Cycles store in Peninsula this past Monday while on his way back home to Cleveland, after a bike touring trip of a few days down near Atwood Lake. He picked up those sweet red wool socks in our store to replace the rain-soaked ones he was wearing!

If he looks familiar to you, this is Benjamin Stewart, whom you might remember as one of the finalists in the Century Cycles/Raleigh Bicycles My Reasons to Ride Cleveland Video Contest from two years ago. Here is Ben's memorable entry:

Click here if the video above is not appearing for you. In case you're wondering, that Surly Troll bike that he's riding in the photo above is his NEW favorite bike!

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

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

NiteRider Demo Night Ride on the Towpath Trail RAINED OUT


Unfortunately, our Sixth Annual NiteRider Demo Night Ride on the Towpath Trail was rained out this past Saturday night. Thanks to everyone who showed up and TRIED to ride, and thanks most of all to Tommy from NiteRider Technical Lighting Systems for bringing the NiteRider road rig back to Ohio!
CC Owner Scott Cowan and friends
Congratulations to Kitti Drops, the winner of our drawing for a NiteRider Lumina 700 headlight!

Our next Night Ride on the Towpath Trail is Saturday, August 9, 2014. For the full schedule of Night Rides, plus photos from past rides, directions to the store, and preparation tips, go to:


Monday, July 28, 2014

Triathlon racer places highly on Century Cycles rental bike!

Allen was visiting Northeast Ohio this past weekend from San Jose, California. He participated in the Cleveland SuperSprint Triathlon yesterday, and used one of our rental road bicycles for the event.

Allen ended up placing 2nd in his age group, and in the Top 10 overall! Congratulations, Allen!

Our rental road bikes are the 2014 Giant Defy 3 and the Giant Avail 3, which sell for only $949.99 each for a brand new model, proving that you don't have to pay professional prices for a bike to get you on the podium!

Our rental road bikes are great for out-of-town visitors, or if you're looking to do an extended test-ride to try before you buy your first road bike! For more information, including rental rates and procedures, go to:



Thursday, July 24, 2014

Ride Report: Medina's latest Sunday Service Group Road Bike Ride

The Century Cycles store in Medina had 14 enthusiastic riders for our most recent Sunday Service Group Road Bike Ride on Sunday, July 20, 2014. Thanks to everyone for coming!

Ride leader Cathy reports that they decided to increase their mileage and ended up with 29.33 miles at the end. Their pace was faster this time, as well. The skies were sunny and good conversations were had by all along the way.

Our next Sunday Service Group Road Rides are scheduled for:

For the full schedule and more details, go to:

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

This Saturday: NiteRider Demo Night Ride on the Towpath Trail!

This Saturday, July 26, 2014, Tommy from NiteRider returns to Peninsula with the NiteRider Technical Lighting Systems road rig!

Starting about 6:30pm, sign up to demo NiteRider's latest high-end bicycle lights for FREE! Plus, you'll get a chance to win a FREE NiteRider headlight!

Our ride begins promptly at 8:00pm as usual. Your own bicycle and helmet are required. Children are encouraged to attend, but must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information, including directions, tips for first-time Night Riders, and the full schedule of our rides for this season, go to:

Monday, July 21, 2014

Bicycle Times interviews Giant General Manager Elysa Walk


The latest issue of Bicycle Times magazine features an interview with Giant Bicycles General Manager Elysa Walk. Look for Issue #30 of the magazine on newstands today. You can read a few questions from the article on Giant's web site.

We featured Elysa Walk here on our blog earlier this year as being named "One of the 50 Most Influential Women" in the bicycle industry, and also for her popular TEDxWomen Talk.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Rocky River brings you Pedal to the Pool!

From July 21 to August 17, 2014, the Rocky River Green Team and the Rocky River Recreation Department will be hosting a special event.

Anyone who rides his/her bicycle to the Outdoor Municipal Pool will have the option to fill out a raffle ticket at the front desk. These tickets will then be entered into weekly prize drawings.

Prizes include Rec Center passes and Century Cycles Gift Cards!

Dust off that bike and ride to the pool as much as you can. The more you ride, the more chances you have to win!

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Train Tracker App now available for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

To help you plan your bike rides on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, the CVSR has developed their Train Tracker App!

Available for iPhone and Android, the CVSR Train Tracker lets you see in real-time exactly where the train is located, and which direction it's headed.

If you're using Century Cycles' bicycle rental service on the Towpath Trail and want to catch the Bike Aboard train, this can help you figure out when and where to be to catch the train!


Friday, July 18, 2014

Local touring cyclists stop by Peninsula

Many area riders have taken advantage of the pleasant weather we've had the past few days to get out on their bikes!

Ryan and Katie are Cleveland-area locals who are taking a short bike trip of a few days. They stopped by the Century Cycles store in Peninsula yesterday on their way down to their parents' cabin at Atwood Lake. They planned to camp in either Clinton or Massillon as they make their way south.

You can see more photos of touring cyclists that have visited all three of our stores in our Bicycle Touring Photo Gallery.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Peninsula's latest Sub 24-Hour Overnight

This past Sunday evening, I (Kevin) was joined by two of my colleagues from here in the Century Cycles store in Peninsula (Austin and Chris) for our latest Sub 24-Hour Overnight, or S24O.

An S24O is a single overnight bicycle trip. If you're thinking about getting into long-distance self-supported bike touring, an S24O is a great way to try it out and see how you like it. It's also a good idea to test out your bike-touring gear, camping and cooking skills, and experiment with what kinds of foods you might like to carry.

The three of us left after we closed the store on Sunday, July 13. Chris used his new 2014 Salsa Vaya 2 bike, which is the perfect on-road touring machine. Here he is all set to go, set up in what you might call the "traditional" bike-touring mode, with front and rear racks and panniers:
The benefits of the racks and panniers are that it's easy to organize, pack, and access your stuff, and you have plenty of room to bring along everything but the kitchen sink.

I opted for the "bike-packing" setup, which is a newer type of bike touring that's becoming popular. I'm using my Salsa Fargo Ti bike (mine's an older 2012 model):
Notice how instead of racks and panniers, I'm using the frame bag, large seat bag, and the dry sacks strapped to my fork using Salsa Anything Cages. Yes, I do have a rack on the front, but it's called the Salsa Minimalist Rack. It doesn't support panniers; you just have to strap another bag on top of it. The main benefit of this setup is lighter weight, but you have to pack much more carefully and minimally, and it's a bit more of a hassle to pack, un-pack, and re-pack your stuff.

Austin used a bike that he just put together to use as a commuter bike. It's a Franken-bike, with a Jamis Aurora frame, a Surly Cross-Check fork, and Shimano 105 drive train:
He's using the "whatever works" method of packing, with just a rear rack and panniers.

Our destination was West Branch State Park. We headed up Route 303 into Hudson, where Austin needed to stop at the Acme Fresh Market to stock up on a fermented beverage to enjoy at camp:
From there we proceeded onto Ravenna St, which goes to Route 43 outside of Kent, then continues towards the city of Ravenna. Here we are cruising down Ravenna Road just before Lake Rockwell:
Just down the road, we got to Towner's Woods Park, where we hopped on the Portage Hike & Bike Trail, and followed that into downtown Ravenna, then followed Route 59 and Route 5 to West Branch State Park. We arrived at our campsite around 9:30pm.
Chris at camp
Austin at camp
Kevin at camp
After pitching our tents, we prepared our dinners, and enjoyed the cool evening's full super-moon. Chris and I fired up our stoves, while Austin had food that didn't require cooking, which explains how he was able to pack so light! We ended up turning in a little after midnight.

We woke up at 5:30am and fueled up for the ride home with coffee and cookies. Our route home was the reverse of our ride out the night before.
Chris and Austin on the Portage Bike & Hike Trail outside Ravenna
We arrived at Perkins in Hudson around 8:20am for a full breakfast, and arrived back in Peninsula in plenty of time to re-open the store!

Think you can't handle an overnight bike trip? Read about how a woman in Minneapolis did it with her 10-year-old niece, and wrote about it in this article for the Star-Tribune newspaper.

We previously wrote about the Sub 24-Hour Overnight concept in this article from five years ago in Ohio Sports & Fitness Magazine. It's got more suggestions for destinations and ways to enjoy your bike trip. Not into camping? You can pack even lighter and stay at a motel or B&B!

If you'd like to avoid riding on roads, the options for camping along the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail have expanded in recent years. We have a list of the facilities available at: http://centurycycles.com/to/camp

The Adventure Cycling Association, in addition to promoting long-distance bike touring with their cross-country routes and maps, also likes the idea of the Sub 24-Hour Overnight. You can read their tips, tricks, and stores of S24Os from every state in the country at their sister web site: www.bikeovernights.org
Sunset over West Branch State Park

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Your support for bike trails made a difference!

When Sen. Pat Toomey (Republican-PA) attacked key funding for trails, walking and biking programs, RTC supporters responded by sending more than 7,000 messages to members of Congress.

It worked. Thanks to people like you across the country, and the support of local groups in Pennsylvania, Sen. Toomey decided not to continue his attack.

This means that the Preserving America’s Transit and Highways Act of 2014, a critical bill to continue funding of our transportation system, will now go to the Senate floor without any amendments that would eliminate funding for trails, walking, and biking.

RTC worked with more than 80 local groups in Pennsylvania to stop Sen. Toomey’s amendment from going forward. The letter we delivered to his office, combined with the messages you sent, made all the difference. If you wrote to your Senators on the Finance Committee, shared our e-mail with friends, or called Sen. Toomey’s office, you made this victory possible!

We feel confident that Senator Toomey will not try to introduce his amendment again, but we’ll be the first ones to let you know if he does!

Sincerely,

Patrick Wojahn
Director of Government RelationsRails-to-Trails Conservancy

Read more details on the RTC Blog.

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Texas-to-New-York cyclist stops by the Peninsula store

Mike Scully is riding from his home in San Antonio, Texas to visit friends in Albany, New York, and stopped by the Century Cycles store in Peninsula for some new brake pads. The theme of his trip is "Nothing Hard is Ever Easy."

Mike said that the worst part of his whole trip was the most recent 10 miles, on State Route 303 from Brunswick to Peninsula! The best part, however, was also very recently, when a group of Amish let him draft off of their horse and buggy.

Mike is writing about his trip on a discussion web site called "24 Hour Campfire." He was reluctant to tell us about it at first, because, as he put it, "It's a hunting and fishing oriented web site, and I've found that many cycling types don't take that too well." That's all well and good for us, Mike! The address of his discussion thread (where he is known as "Birdwatcher") is:

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/8952406/Re_Nothing_hard_is_ever_easy_A

He said, however, that being on that web site has exposed the idea of bicycling to a whole new audience. He's had a lot of questions and interest from his online friends, and hopes to inspire many of them (as well as many of the students at the high school where he teaches) to embark on a bicycle adventure of their own.

Good luck, Mike!

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

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Limited-Time Summer Deal: Take 15% Off any regular-price summer jersey!

It's still HOT outside, but that doesn't stop Century Cycles from offering you a hot summer deal!

For a limited time, take 15% OFF any regular-priced cycling jersey! This applies to men's and women's short-sleeve or sleeveless jerseys.

We have a wide selection available from Pearl Izumi, Bellwether, ZOIC, and more in all three of our stores (Medina, Peninsula, and Rocky River)!

No coupon necessary!

Please note: This offer does not apply to our Define your life. Ride a bike.™ jerseys.

Friday, July 11, 2014

RAAM finisher Mike McClintock on Radio Century Cycles, Tue 07/15/2014 10:30am

Most everyone is familiar with the Tour de France, but if you want to discuss a truly grueling cycling event, nothing tops the Race Across America (RAAM). In the last episode of Radio Century Cycles, host Bob Soroky talked to Lon Haldeman, one of the founders of the race. This time, we'll be chatting with local Ohio racer, Mike McClintock, who just completed the 2014 race from California to Maryland in 11 days, 20 hours! Hear his adventure first-hand!

Go to http://bit.ly/TXdI7A at 10:30am on Tuesday, July 15, 2014 to listen live and call in with your questions for Mike. Or, listen offline any time after that!

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Win a free set of panniers from the Adventure Cycling Association!

The Adventure Cycling Association is giving away a set of Arkel bicycle touring panniers!

It's called the Pack Your Panniers contest -- just show them what you would pack on your dream bike tour to enter.

For complete entry instructions, go to:

http://www.pinterest.com/advcyclingassoc/adventure-cyclings-pack-your-panniers/

As a nonprofit organization, Adventure Cycling Association's mission is to inspire and empower people to travel by bicycle. Established in 1973 as Bikecentennial, they are the premier bicycle-travel organization in North America with more than 35 years of experience and 47,000 members.

Century Cycles is a Bicycle Shop Member of the Adventure Cycling Association. Our Medina and Peninsula stores are located on the ACA's Underground Railroad Bicycle Route, and our Rocky River store is located on the Northern Tier Route.

Riders on the Northern Tier Route. Photo by Chuck
Haney / Adventure Cycling Association

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Thanks for riding with us this past Sunday in Peninsula!

Thanks to the 13 people who joined us for our latest Sunday Service Group Road Bike Ride this past weekend in Peninsula!

Our next ride is this Sunday, July 13 in Rocky River, then Sunday, July 20 in Medina.

For the complete schedule of our Sunday Service Group Road Bike Rides, go to:

Sunday, July 6, 2014

We rent road bikes!

2014 Giant Defy 3
Did you know ... in addition to our comfort hybrid rental bikes for the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, we now also rent road bicycles?

Road bikes are available for rent by the day, with discounted rates for 2-day, 5-day, and 7-day rentals.

We rent the 2014 Giant Defy 3 road bike, and the women's-specific 2014 Giant Avail 3 road bike. Various sizes are available to fit most riders.

For details specifications of the bikes, as well as rental reservation procedures and rates, go to:


2014 Giant Women's Avail 3

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Define your life. On the Richland B&O Trail!

One of our alert customers brought us this pamphlet for the Richland B&O Trail, and much to our delight, the cover features a cyclist sporting one of our Define your life. Ride a bike.™ t-shirts!

The Richland B&O Trail is an 18.4-mile multi-use path built on the railroad bed of the former Baltimore & Ohio Railway. It connects the cities of Mansfield, Lexington, Bellville, and Butler through some of the most scenic parts of north central Ohio. More info is at: www.richlandbandotrail.com

You can purchase one of our Define your life. Ride a bike.™ t-shirts in any of our three stores. And of course, they are FREE with the purchase of any new bicycle!

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Contact your US senators TODAY to stop the attack on trails!

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) wants to eliminate federal funding for trails, walking and biking, and we need your help to stop him! Last week, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy sent an alert asking people to write to their Senators to save funding for the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP)—and already, nearly 5,000 people like you have taken action!

There's still time to speak out before a vote!

Click here to use this EASY form to tell your Senators to vote against eliminating funding for the Transportation Alternatives Program!

Once you fill out the form, if you're here in Ohio, it will automatically go to Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH). Unfortunately, you'll have to fill out a separate form to send a note to Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), but the RTC web page makes that very easy.

In his opening statement, Sen. Toomey said that places for walking and biking were “terrific to have,” but he also called them “unnecessary spending” of federal funds. We beg to differ! Every day, millions of Americans walk and bike or use a trail to get to work or school, go shopping, visit the doctor, or see friends and family.

Now is the perfect time to let your elected officials hear from you. Write your senators and tell them walking and biking are important to you!

Thanks for doing all you can to save funding for trails, walking and biking in your state—and across the country!

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

All three stores CLOSED on July 4th


PLEASE NOTE: All three Century Cycles stores will be CLOSED this Friday, July 4, 2014 for the Independence Day holiday. Sorry for any inconvenience!

Have a safe and happy holiday, and Happy Birthday USA!

We'll be open for our regular hours the rest of the weekend.

Don't forget about our Night Ride on the Towpath Trail in Peninsula on Saturday!

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Cross-country cyclist makes new friends in Medina

Passing through on his tour of the USA, Chuck Mitchell stayed the afternoon at the Century Cycles store in Medina to refuel, rest up, and don his new Define Your Life T-shirt with his new friends - the CC Medina gang!

Chuck is quite a storyteller, and we had fun listening to his stories. You can read more at his web site:


Of course, we also admired his Salsa Fargo 3 touring bike! All the best Chuck!

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