Wednesday, May 27, 2015

June 11: "Office Space" Movie Night and Silent Auction Fund-raiser for Bike MS

Today is World MS Day, a day to take action, to celebrate, and to raise awareness, and a day of solidarity for those living around the world with Multiple Sclerosis.

Century Cycles has joined Left Hand Brewing Company to form Team Left Hand / Century Cycles for this year's NEW Bike MS Buckeye Breakaway Ride, from Brunswick to Ashland, Ohio and back on August 1-2, 2015.

Team Left Hand / Century Cycles is joining event sponsor The Winking Lizard Tavern to bring you a Movie Night and Silent Auction Fund-raiser event! The movie featured will be the workplace classic "Office Space."

  • Date: Thursday, June 11, 2015
  • Time: Doors open at 5:30pm; movie begins at 6:30pm
  • Location: The Winking Lizard Party Center, 25380 Miles Road, Bedford Heights, Ohio 44146
Admission is $15 for adults 21 and over, or $10 under 21, and includes beverages, appetizer bar, and the movie.

All proceeds from the Silent Auction will go towards the fund-raising efforts of Team Left Hand / Century Cycles for the Bike MS Buckeye Breakaway Ride! Items in the auction will include a tune-up service package from Century Cycles; cycling gear from event sponsors Primal Wear, Pearl Izumi, Tifosi Sunglasses, and more; Gift Cards from event sponsor Mountain Khakis; beer packages from Left Hand Brewing Company; and more!

To purchase advance tickets, go to:



So, if you could go ahead and add it to your calendar, and help us do THIS to MS, that'd be great:

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

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Cuyahoga Valley National Park receives funding for second phase of mountain bike trail

A month ago, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park announced that the National Park Service has awarded funding for the second phase of the East Rim off-road bicycle and hiking trail in the national park.

The National Park Service will contribute $183,400 of federal funds, and the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park will match that with $198,700 provided through a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for CVNP mountain bike trail development. This project is just one more way that the Conservancy for CVNP's TRAILS FOREVER Fund leverages support for our national park!

This gift will go toward the 6-mile second phase of the trail. The first 2.3-mile phase is scheduled to begin construction this summer and is currently in the early stages of implementation.

Together, these trails will form the first off-road biking trails in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

The new system of trails will be constructed on the central-eastern edge of the park, flanking both sides of the Ohio Turnpike

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Standford House Backcountry camp sites now open for the season

The Stanford House is a lodge and event facility located in the heart of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and administered by the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

The Conservancy provides five primitive camp sites for travelers on foot or bicycle, located a short distance from the Stanford House. Whether you're in the middle of a cross-country tour, or just looking for a one-night mini-adventure by bicycle close to home, these camp sites are a perfect resting spot just a stone's throw from the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.

The Stanford House camp sites officially opened for the season yesterday (May 22, 2015). For information about rates and reservations, click here.

There are other opportunities for camping along the Towpath Trail, many of the FREE! Sites are provided by the Summit Metro Parks and Stark County Parks District. For details about the locations of these camp sites, rules and procedures, plus more Towpath Trail camping options, see the article "Camping Along the Towpath Trail" on the Century Cycles web site!

Friday, May 22, 2015

Bike to Breakfast at Herb's Tavern of Rocky River!

Ride your bicycle to Herb's Tavern of Rocky River for breakfast, Saturdays 8:00am-11:30am or Sundays 8:00am-1:00pm, May 16 through August 23, 2015, and enjoy 15% off your bill!

All participants may enter for a chance to win a Raleigh hybrid bike. Join us for the closing party and prize drawing on Sunday, August 23, 2015.

Herb's Tavern is located right next to the Century Cycles store in Rocky River at 19925 Detroit Road, Rocky River, Ohio 44116.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Summit Metro Parks installs bike FixIt stations; 19 Action News coverage!

Summit Metro Parks has installed three Dero Bike FixIt stations along the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and the Summit Metro Parks Bike & Hike Trail.

The FixIt stations provide an air pump that works with both Presta and Schrader valves, and an assortment of tools for basic bike repairs, including tire levers, hex wrenches, and screwdrivers.

The stations are located at the Memorial Parkway and Wilbeth road trailheads on the Towpath Trail, and the State Route 303 trailhead on the Bike & Hike Trail.

On Wednesday, May 20, Doug and Kevin from the Century Cycles store in Peninsula joined Nate and Lindsay from Summit Metro Parks at Rout 303 to talk about the new FixIt station and demonstrate it for Shanice Dunning from 19 Action News. Here is Shanice's report from the day:


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

Featured in the video is Doug's Salsa Cycles El Mariachi mountain bike (not to mention Kevin's Surly socks)!

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Four riders for Sunday Service this past weekend in Medina

It appears that rainy conditions early this past Sunday morning scared many folks away, but ride leader Cathy reports that it cleared up soon after the ride started, making for a great ride for the four people who came to the Century Cycles store in Medina for the ride!

Our next Sunday Service Group Road Bike Ride is on June 7 in Peninsula, then on June 14 in Rocky River, and then on June 21 in Medina. For the full schedule and more details, see: www.centurycycles.com/for/SundayService

Also, don't forget about our training rides for Team Left Hand / Century Cycles Bike MS Buckeye Breakaway! See www.centurycycles.com/for/BikeMS for the schedule!

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Peninsula store to be open 10am - 5pm for Memorial Day 2015


PLEASE NOTE: We have decided to OPEN the Century Cycles store in Peninsula this Monday, May 25, 2015 on the Memorial Day holiday. So come on down with your family to rent a bike for a ride on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park!

The Peninsula store will be open from 10:00am until 5:00pm. Bike rentals will close at 3:30pm (bikes must be returned before closing time of 5:00pm).

Our Medina and Rocky River stores will be CLOSED on Memorial Day. All three stores will be open for our regular hours on Saturday and Sunday.

Monday, May 18, 2015

Towpath Trail temporary closures in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park

From the Cuyahoga Valley National Park:

The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail will be temporarily closed, from Red Lock Trailhead (on Highland Road) to Boston Store (on Boston Mills Road), from 7:00am to 4:30pm on Monday, May 18 through Wednesday, May 20, 2015. The trail will be open evenings. No detour is provided.

Friday, May 15, 2015

Century Cycles Bike To School Challenge 2015 concludes second week

With mostly agreeable weather, the 8th annual Century Cycles Bike To School Challenge concludes its second week today (May 15!

The Bike To School Challenge ends today at A.I. Root and Claggett Middle Schools and H.G. Blake Elementary School in Medina. The prize winners will be drawn at the school's assembly today at Blake, and on Tuesday, May 19 at Root and Claggett, with the grand prizes of two Raleigh Bicycles at all three schools!

The challenge continues next week at Bay High School, Bay Middle School, and Westerly Elementary in Bay Village, and at Rocky River Middle School in Rocky River. The first-ever Bike To School Challenge at Kensington Elementary School in Rocky River starts on May 18 and ends on May 21.

Check out more photos from the Bike To School Challenge of the past two weeks!

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

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Hatch a Plan for Adventure with $250 Off a Salsa El Mariachi

For a limited time, take $250 OFF any 2015 Salsa El Mariachi bicycle -- the famed 29er mountain bikes that carried Kurt Refsnider and Kaitlyn Boyle 800 trouble-free miles along the pine of the Alps!

Titanium or steel, versatile Alternator Dropouts, singletrack ripping or bikepacking, the El Mariachi can do it all!

We've got the Salsa El Mariachi 3 in stock (Medium or Large), or we can special-order the Salsa El Mariachi 2, Salsa El Mariachi Ti, or Salsa El Mariachi SS!

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Bike Night at the Burntwood Tavern of Rocky River - starting TONIGHT!

Ride your bicycle to The Burntwood Tavern of Rocky River on Tuesday nights, May 12 through August 11, 2015, and enjoy 15% off your bill! All participants may enter for a chance to win a Raleigh Circa 1 bike (valued at $500)! Join us for the closing party and prize drawing on Tuesday, August 11, 2015.

The Burntwood Tavern is located in the Beachcliff Market Square at 19304 Detroit Road, Rocky River, Ohio 44116.

Monday, May 11, 2015

Get a $5 Gift Card from Road ID!

Special Offer! In celebration of National Bike Month, we have partnered with Road ID to give you a $5 Gift Card, good towards any item from the Road ID Store! To claim your $5 Gift Card, click on this link:


Hurry! This offer ends this Friday, May 15, 2015!

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Enjoy local food and beer, support Bike Cleveland at Share Your Draft - June 4

Info and registration at: http://bit.ly/1ElnPDd
Cyclists understand the importance of drafting--the act of supporting a fellow rider by cutting through the wind in front of them so they face less resistance. When riders work together by sharing their draft, they help each other and become a much more effective team. Drafting creates value through cooperation. That value of working together to make riding a bike easier, safer, and more accessible (and of course fun!) exemplifies what Bike Cleveland has been doing over the past three years. We hope you will work together with Bike Cleveland by joining them at their "Share Your Draft" event.

Enjoy a variety of local drafts (the beer kind) and appetizers while learning how you can help Bike Cleveland continue to build a powerful movement for safer streets. Additionally, Share Your Draft is a great opportunity for you to get caught up on our great projects underway that make riding a bike easier and more fun for people of all ages and abilities.

Date: Thursday, June 4, 2015
Time: 5:00 - 9:00pm
Location: Dunham Tavern Museum, 6709 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio

Share Your Draft will feature local hors d’oeuvres prepared by Fresh Fork Market, and draft beer from local breweries, including Brick+Barrel, The Cleveland Brewery, and Platform Beer Company.

Click here to register!

Saturday, May 9, 2015

New Day Cleveland at the Rocky River store

Scott Cowan in a video segment for New Day Cleveland
Thanks to New Day Cleveland, the morning infotainment program on Fox 8 WJW, for visiting the Century Cycles store in Rocky River last month! They spoke to Century Cycles Owner Scott Cowan, who talked about different kinds of bicycles, biking opportunities in Northeast Ohio, and recommended bike maintenance.

The segment aired on the April 28, 2015 edition of the TV show; you can watch it here:

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

Friday, May 8, 2015

Century Cycles featured in a People For Bikes article about the National Bike Challenge

People for Bikes was launched in 1999 as Bikes Belong. It includes both an industry coalition of bicycling suppliers and retailers, as well as a charitable foundation, with the goal of making bicycling better for everyone.

The group is also administering the National Bike Challenge in 2015. To promote the Challenge, and how participating can benefit small businesses, People for Bikes highlighted four businesses for an article on their blog, one of which was Century Cycles.
From the People for Bikes blog
Click here to read the full article, where Sarah Braker, Communications Manager of People for Bikes, tells the rest of the world about the friendly rivalry between Cleveland and Pittsburgh in the Rust Belt Battle of the Bikes, and how we're working with Bike Cleveland to keep the Rust Cup in Northeast Ohio this year by riding our bikes more than the folks from Bike Pittsburgh!

Have you signed up for the National Bike Challenge yet? The challenge runs from May 1 to September 30, and you get points for every day that you ride your bike, no matter how far you ride! You can create a team or join and existing team (such as Century Cycles!), as well as create a riding group for your workplace. Sign up and log in at: www.nationalbikechallenge.org




Thursday, May 7, 2015

What We Ride: Cathy Kasper

Cathy Kasper and her Liv/giant Avail Inspire bicycle
Cathy Kasper is a full-time sales associate at the Century Cycles store in Medina. She enjoys fast road rides on her 2012 Liv/giant Avail Inspire bicycle, the first of this model that Liv/giant produced as part of a fund-raising partnership for the Young Survival Coalition.

Q. Why did you choose the Avail Inspire?

A. I really liked the colors on the custom paint scheme. It had a Shimano 105 drive train, which is what I wanted at the time, and I really liked the way it and the bike performed.
Q. What changes have you made to the bike?

A. Most significant was the upgrade to the Shimano Ultegra Di2 electronic drive train. I also upgraded the wheels and tires to Stan's NoTubes, a carbon fiber handlebar and stem, and a Terry Butterfly saddle. With all of this, the weight of the bike dropped from its original 20 pounds to 17 pounds. I suppose I could upgrade to a carbon fiber crankset to save a little more weight, but hey, there's only so much you can do!

Q. Do you have any other upgrades planned?

A. The bike originally came with hot pink handlebar tape. When I had to replace it, there weren't a lot of options available for pink bar tape, so I went with basic black. The next time it's due to be replaced, I'll go back to pink.

Q. What are some of your favorite rides you've taken on it so far?

A. I really enjoy our local events like the Bike MS Buckeye Breakaway and the Sweet Corn Challenge. Another favorite route of mine is a 50-mile loop in the Sandusky area that goes past Cedar Point.

Q. What is the longest single-day ride you've done on the bike?

A. A couple of years ago, I did the century option on the Bike MS Pedal to the Point, which ended up being about 105 miles.

Q. What's next for you and your bike(s)?

A. I've been happy with the Liv/giant Avail Inspire, but I recently bought the Liv Invite, which is a cyclocross/gravel/adventure bike that will be a lighter and faster option compared to my old hybrid bike for riding on the Towpath Trail.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Bike-n-Brainstorm in Hudson this Saturday, May 9

As the city of Hudson, Ohio nears the completion of its Comprehensive Plan, the City would like to hear from you. Join AMATS and the City of Hudson, in conjunction with the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (AMATS) for an 8-mile bike ride around Hudson followed by a brainstorm session to discuss your ideas which will help us shape Hudson’s future!

Schedule

  • 9:00am - Sign In (riders must be pre-registered)
  • 9:10am - Welcome
  • 9:20am - Riders Depart
  • 10:30am - Brainstorm Session

Location
Barlow Community Center
41 S. Oviatt St.
Hudson, OH  44236

The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited and pre-registration is required. Click here to register!

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Extended Summer Hours begin this weekend in Peninsula

Beginning this Sunday, May 10, 2015, the Century Cycles store in Peninsula will begin our Extended Summer Hours. This means that we will be open an extra three hours on Sundays. This gives our customers more time to enjoy our Towpath Trail bike rental service, especially those using the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad's Bike Aboard service.

Our full hours of operation in Peninsula are:

  • Monday through Thursday: 10:00am - 8:00pm
  • Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: 10:00am - 6:00pm

Our hours at Medina and Rocky River are unchanged:

  • Monday through Thursday: 10:00am - 8:00pm
  • Friday and Saturday: 10:00am - 6:00pm
  • Sunday: 12:00 - 5:00pm

As always, you can find our CURRENT hours of operation at: www.centurycycles.com/for/hours

Sunday, May 3, 2015

19 Riders for today's Sunday Service Group Road Bike Ride and Pancake Breakfast in Peninsula

Thanks to the 19 riders who came out for this morning's Sunday Service Group Road Bike Ride in Peninsula! And thanks to Valley Fire District for the great pancake breakfast afterwards!




Our next Sunday Service Group Road Bike Ride is May 10 at 8:00am in Rocky River, then May 17 at 8:00am in Medina. Go to www.centurycycles.com/for/SundayService for the full schedule!

Friday, May 1, 2015

It's National Bike Month!

May is National Bike Month! There's no shortage of rides, celebrations, and other bike activities here in Northeast Ohio!

May 1 - Take the Raleigh Bicycles 15 Days Of Kindness Pledge

May 1 - Sign up for the National Bike Challenge and help us beat Pittsburgh and keep the Rust Cup in Cleveland in 2015! Join a team (like Century Cycles) and also log miles for your workplace.

May 3, 8:30am - Sunday Service Group Road Bike Ride and Pancake Breakfast (Peninsula)

May 4 - Bike To School Challenge Sponsored By Century Cycles Begins

May 6 - National Bike To School Day

May 9-10 - Tour of the Scioto River Valley (Columbus to Portsmouth)

May 10, 8:00am - Sunday Service Group Road Bike Ride (Rocky River)

May 12, 6:30pm - Team Left Hand/Century Cycles Bike MS Training Ride (Peninsula)

May 15 - Bike To Work Day

May 16, 8:00pm - Night Ride on the Towpath Trail (Peninsula)

May 17, 8:00am - Sunday Service Group Road Bike Ride (Medina)

May 26, 6:30pm - Team Left Hand/Century Cycles Bike MS Training Ride (Medina)

And that's only the events that Century Cycles is organizing or promoting! Check out the Bike Cleveland events calendar and other local clubs for rides, parties, and more!