Press Release: February 19, 2015

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 19, 2015

Century Cycles Joins Left Hand Brewing Company
for the Bike MS Buckeye Breakaway

Rocky River, OH – Locally-owned bicycle shop Century Cycles has been a supporter of the Bike MS Pedal to the Point for every year since the company's founding 23 years ago. The two-day 150-mile bicycle ride is a fund-raiser for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

In 2014, Century Cycles formed their first-ever shop-sponsored team for the event. The team was a huge success, with over 40 members who raised over $20,000 for the National MS Society. Those funds and all monies raised by event participants stay right here in Northeast Ohio to help those living with Multiple Sclerosis and their families through services, education, and outreach programs administered through the local Ohio Buckeye Chapter of the National MS Society.

This year, the Bike MS event returns with a new route, a new destination, and is re-named the Bike MS Buckeye Breakaway. The event will take place on August 1-2, 2015. The ride will begin in Brunswick, Ohio with the first day's destination of Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. Riders will return from Ashland to Brunswick on the second day. One-day ride options (Aug. 1) of 30, 75, or 100 miles are also available.

To step it up a notch, Century Cycles has joined forces with Left Hand Brewing Company to form Team Left Hand/Century Cycles. Membership in the team is open to the public for anybody interested in participating in the Bike MS Buckeye Breakaway ride.

In their eighth year of riding, Team Left Hand consists of riders from across the U.S. who volunteer their time and effort to help the National MS Society fund research, advocate for change, and help people living with MS. Team Left Hand has participated in Bike MS events in Colorado and North and South Carolina, Florida, and for the first time, Ohio.

"Bike MS isn’t just a two-day event; it’s an enduring commitment to making a difference in the fight against MS," states Chris Lennert, Left Hand's national Team Captain. The team’s inspiration lies in the friends and family afflicted by Multiple Sclerosis, motivating each member to work towards their personal goal of raising at least $1000 a year.

Scott Cowan, Owner of Century Cycles and Captain of Team Left Hand/Century Cycles, adds, "We are going to be a formidable team! Everyone here at Century Cycles and all of our riders are really looking forward to the collaborative efforts at hand (pun intended) and welcome Left Hand Brewing to the Buckeye Breakaway!"

Team Left Hand/Century Cycles members will have access to exclusive team benefits, including wearing the custom one-of-a-kind team jersey, a team masseuse, and priority access to the Left Hand Brewing Company post-ride celebration tent located at Ashland University on August 1. A team kick-off party, movie night, and training rides throughout the upcoming season are also planned.

The Team Left Hand/Century Cycles Kick-Off Party is open to the public, and attendees will have the opportunity to meet and talk to current team members from both Century Cycles and Left Hand Brewing company, and get more information about joining the team.

• Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2015
• Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
• Location: The Winking Lizard, 3634 Center Road, Brunswick, Ohio

For up-to-the-minute information about Team Left Hand/Century Cycles news and events, as well as links to register for the team, go to: www.centurycycles.com/for/BikeMS

Century Cycles and Left Hand Brewing Company wish to thank the sponsors of Team Left Hand/Century Cycles, which include the following national sponsors:

• Owens-Illinois: The largest glass manufacturer in the world, their World Headquarters is based right in Perrysburg, Ohio – cool! www.o-i.com
• Justin’s: All-natural, high-quality almond butter, hazelnut butter, and peanut butter. www.justins.com
• NUUN: Nuun, pronounced "noon," was the first company to separate electrolyte replacement from carbohydrates. Before Nuun, if you wanted electrolytes, the result was a bottle full of sugar. With their simple, self-dissolving, sugar-free electrolyte tab, they revolutionized the sports drink forever. www.nuun.com
• Tifosi Optics: Tifosi is the Italian word referring to a super-fan, an enthusiast, and that is exactly who we are and who we make our eyewear for! www.tifosioptics.com
• Mountain Khakis: Live life untucked. It’s about the lifestyle. Playful. Spirited. Irrelevant. Mischievous. Passionate. And Soulful. Exactly like Team Left Hand/Century Cycles! www.mountainkhakis.com

And the following local sponsors:

• Winking Lizard and Lizardville: These guys are simply the best – not only are they a Northern Ohio legend in terms of great beer, great food, and great service, but they also give back to their community. This year they’re sponsoring all of our events (kickoff party, annual fundraiser, and post-ride party). Be sure to support them whenever you can! www.winkinglizard.com and www.lizardville.net
• Cavalier Distributing: Since 1992, Cavalier has been delivering delicious craft beer to your neck of the woods. One of Left Hand’s longest standing distributor partners, they are what craft beer is all about. And not only are they sponsoring our team, but we hope that several of them will be riding with us as well! www.cavbeer.com

Multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system, which interrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 2.3 million people worldwide.

Celebrating twenty-one years of brewing a well-balanced portfolio of craft beers, Left Hand Brewing Company is located at 1265 Boston Avenue in Longmont, Colorado. Left Hand is one of the most honored and recognized breweries in the state, with over 24 Great American Beer Festival medals, 9 World Beer Cup awards, and 7 European Beer Star awards. Famous for their Nitro series, Left Hand Brewery was the first brewery to release a bottled nitrogenated beer. Left Hand’s collection of perennial and seasonal beers are available in 34 states and the District of Columbia. Left Hand Brewing Co. - "Sometimes you're not in the mood for what everyone else is having." lefthandbrewing.com

Founded in 1992, Century Cycles is an award-winning chain of independent bicycle stores in Medina, Peninsula, and Rocky River, providing high-quality bicycles and friendly, expert service to northeast Ohio bicyclists and their families. 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 (including snow bikes) year-round for use on the Towpath Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Website: www.centurycycles.com
Blog: www.blog.centurycycles.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CenturyCycles
Twitter: www.twitter.com/CenturyCycles

1059 North Court Street, Medina, OH 44256
330-722-7119

1621 Main Street (Route 303), Peninsula, OH 44264
330-657-2209

19955 Detroit Road, Rocky River, OH 44116
440-356-5705