Press Release: February 25, 2008 (Awards and Birthday)

Rocky River, OH - Century Cycles kicks off its 16^th bicycling season with a four-day birthday bash on March 13-16 that will also help them celebrate receiving two recent honors – being named to the Bicycle Retailer and Industry News (BRAIN) Top 100 Retailers of 2008, plus securing the #12 spot on the Top 25 Raleigh Dealers in the U.S. in 2007. There are over 4,500 independent bicycle dealers in the U.S., of which over 2,000 sell the Raleigh line of bicycles.

"We have a lot to celebrate as we mark our 16^th year in the bicycle business,” said Scott Cowan, owner of Century Cycles, which has stores in Medina, Peninsula, and Rocky River. “Bicycling is a sport that people enjoy from childhood to old age. We have a lot of fun helping people of all ages find the bike that’s right for them. To be honored as a top retailer by both the bike industry and our manufacturers is icing on the birthday cake!”

BRAIN’s Top 100 Retailers for 2008 were selected because they are independent bicycle stores that excel in three areas – market share, community outreach, and store appearance. This is the seventh time Century Cycles has been named to the list. As Raleigh’s #12 bike dealer in the country, Cowan will be serving on the company’s Heron Council, which advises Raleigh’s upper management and will be traveling to China with them on February 23 to March 1 to review their bicycle manufacturing facilities.

“We wouldn’t be celebrating these honors or even our 16^th birthday without our Century Cycles family of employees – who are terrific ambassadors for bicycling – and our customers, who range from novices just learning to ride a bike to enthusiasts who log thousands of miles per year,” says Cowan.

To celebrate, simultaneous four-day birthday parties will be held at each Century Cycles store in Medina, Peninsula, and Rocky River on Thursday, March 13, through Sunday, March 16. Besides cake, balloons, and other birthday party staples, the birthday celebrations will include:

• At least 10% off all bikes, including new 2008 road, mountain, hybrid, comfort, children’s, BMX, and cruiser bikes from Raleigh, Giant, Diamondback, Bianchi, and Electra;
• At least 20% off all bicycle accessories and parts;
• Special $16 Sweet Deals, featuring $16 price tags on popular cycling accessories such as the Bell Solar helmet (reg. $29.99), CatEye Enduro computer (reg. $29.99), Bellwether O2 cycling shorts (reg. $34.99), and more, while supplies last;
• A free birthday gift for everyone else turning 16 years old in March, too – a limited-edition, stainless steel bike sprocket key chain from the Earth Studio metal workshop in Moab, Utah;
• A free “Define your life. Ride a bike.”™ t-shirt, mug, pub glass, or hat with any purchase over $200; and
• Bicycle industry representatives from around the country showcasing the newest bicycling products for 2008 and answering customer questions.

Century Cycles opened its first store in Medina in 1992 with one employee and about 50 bikes on the showroom floor. Today, Century Cycles has three stores, over 35 year-round employees, and several hundred bikes on display in each store. The local chain also boasts a popular website and blog devoted to the latest cycling news and products from Ohio and around the U.S.

The Peninsula Century Cycles store, which opened in 1993, is located along the Towpath Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and – in addition to bicycle sales and service – it rents bicycles, trailers, and tagalongs by the hour for use on the Towpath Trail.

Century Cycles opened the Rocky River store in 1998 in the historic former Rocky River post office building on Detroit Road, next to Herb’s Tavern. Century Cycles is proud to be selling Raleigh bicycles in Rocky River, a town that is one of the Washington-state bicycle manufacturer’s oldest retail outposts east of the Mississippi.

Century Cycles is an award-winning chain of independent bicycle stores that is celebrating its 16^th year of cycling fun in 2008. It has locations in Medina, Peninsula, and Rocky River. In addition to catering to cyclists and their families with high-quality bicycles and exemplary service, Century Cycles is active locally and nationally in support of bicycling paths and other issues of vital importance to the cycling community.

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