Press Release: April 18, 2014

NEWS RELEASE

CONTACTS:
Scott Cowan; 440-356-5705 (office), 330-730-9928 (mobile) or scott@centurycycles.com
Dianna Foley, 440-356-6702 or foley.dianna@rrcs.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 18, 2014

Rocky River Bicycle Fair on April 29 will help residents get ready to ride
to school, work or just for fun

Fourth annual Rocky River Bike to School Challenge is May 5-23, 2014

ROCKY RIVER, Ohio – Get your bicycle ready to roll at the Rocky River Bicycle Fair on Tuesday, April 29, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Rocky River Middle School (1631 Lakeview Avenue in Rocky River). Residents are invited to bring their bicycles for a free safety inspection and have the chance to win a bicycle helmet, get a free bike license, learn about the benefits of bicycling, and kick off National Bike Month in May. It is free and open to the public.

The Rocky River Bicycle Fair also helps families prepare for the fourth annual Rocky River Bike to School Challenge sponsored by Century Cycles on May 5-23, 2014, which strives to inspire over 600 Rocky River Middle School students to ride their bikes to school as much as possible for three weeks -- to improve their health, help the environment, and inspire the community to use a bicycle for short trips around town. It is part of Century Cycles’ Bike to School Challenge, which is the largest and most successful student bicycling program in the United States that engages more than 4,000 middle school and high school students in Northeast Ohio.

In the past three years, bicycling at Rocky River Middle School has increased by 550% during May because of Century Cycles’ Bike to School Challenge, from an average of 49 bicyclists per day in 2010 before the program started to an average of 326 bicyclists to school per day in 2013. Last year, Rocky River Middle School students biked approximately 14,618 miles during the challenge, saving their parents an estimated $2,568 in gasoline expenditures and the environment an estimated 16,079 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. They also burned a whopping 248,506 calories.

At the Rocky River Bicycle Fair:

• Professional bicycle mechanics from Century Cycles bicycle store in Rocky River will provide free bicycle safety inspections, display essential bike commuting gear and information, and make smoothies on the Century Cycles blender bike.
• Century Cycles and Raleigh Bicycles are teaming up to give away 20 bicycle helmets to the first 20 families who attend (limit: one helmet per family).
• University Hospitals’ Rainbow Injury Prevention Center will be on hand to communicate the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet and will assist Century Cycles staff with helmet fittings.
• Rocky River Bike to School Challenge organizers will be available to answer questions about the program.
• The Rocky River Police Department is providing free bike licenses.
• Bike Cleveland and Rocky River High School Environmental Club will have informational booths.

Century Cycles teams up with Rocky River Middle School to organize Bike to School Challenge, along with the support of fellow sponsors Raleigh Bicycles, Subway of Rocky River (Detroit Road), Bike Cleveland, Honey Hut Ice Cream, Starbucks, Yogurt Plus, and Rocky River Schools.

For more information and regular updates about Rocky River Bike to School Challenge, go to www.centurycycles.com/to/bts or follow the program on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BikeToSchoolChallenge.

With an enrollment of just over 2,700 in grades K-12, the Rocky River School District provides students with the benefits of a small-school setting and all the resources of a larger school district. Long known for its tradition of academic quality and support of physical activity, Rocky River received an “Excellent with Distinction” rating on the latest State Report Card showing that Rocky River students have continued to excel academically. Last year nearly 90 percent of River students continued on to college or universities across the country. The Rocky River Schools were ranked 5th in the prestigious Top Ten List of Cleveland Area Schools in the June, 2011 issue of Cleveland Magazine. www.rrcs.org

Century Cycles is an award-winning, locally-owned chain of independent bicycle stores in Medina,
Peninsula, and Rocky River, providing all types of bicycles and friendly, expert service to northeast Ohio
bicyclists and their families. Founded in 1992, Century Cycles is an authorized dealer of Raleigh, Giant,
Electra, Surly, Salsa, and Haro bicycles, as well as Santana tandems. The Peninsula store also rents bicycles year-round for riding on the Towpath Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. www.centurycycles.com

Scott Cowan
Owner, Century Cycles
Phone: 440-356-5705 (office), 330-730-9928 (mobile)
scott@centurycycles.com

Dianna Foley
Executive Director, Communications & Technology
Rocky River City School District
Phone: 440-356-6702
foley.dianna@rrcs.org