Press Release: May 6, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2011 Bike to School Challenge begins Monday, May 9:
First year at Rocky River Middle School; back for 4th year in Bay Village

ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (May 6, 2010) – Over 2,000 middle and high school students in the Cleveland, Ohio suburbs of Rocky River and Bay Village are taking the Bike to School Challenge on May 9-27, committing to ride their bikes to school for three weeks to help the environment, improve their health and beat high gas prices. For regular updates about Rocky River Bike to School Challenge and Bay Bike to School Challenge, visit www.centurycycles.com/to/bts.

Hundreds of students are expected to bicycle on Monday, May 9, the first day of the challenge, to
celebrate bicycling and earn prizes:

Rocky River Middle School (1631 Lakeview Avenue)
Student arrival on bicycles: 7:30 to 8:05 a.m.

Bay Middle School (27725 Wolf Road)
Student arrival on bicycles: 7:00 to 7:40 a.m.

Bay High School (29230 Wolf Road)
Student arrival on bicycles: 7:10 to 7:45 a.m.

In 2010, 58% of Bay Middle School students biked to school during Bike To School Challenge. In stark contrast, studies show only about 15% of U.S. children bike or walk to school today (versus approximately 50% back in 1969). A report concludes that changing the habits of just 20 percent of the children living within two miles of school to get them to bicycle or walk to and from school instead of being driven would be the equivalent of taking 60,000 cars off the road each year, preventing the emission of over 350,000 tons of carbon dioxide and 21,500 tons of other pollutants. (Safe Routes to School: Steps to a Greener Future, prepared for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by Safe Routes to School National Partnership)

• As much as 30% of morning traffic is generated by parents driving their children to school. One-third of schools are in "air pollution danger zones."
• Two recent studies have found that biking or walking to school is associated with higher overall physical activity throughout the day. There are many potential benefits of physical activity for youth, including weight control, reduction in the risk of diabetes, and better academic performance.

Now in its fourth year in Bay Village, Bike to School Challenge shows students, their parents and the community as a whole that going by bike is a great way to go, especially for short trips around town. The program has had a big impact: Bay students have biked 80,052 miles during the challenge’s three years, saving an estimated 82,352 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, and it has now expanded to Rocky River Middle School, as well as inspired a school in Oklahoma.

“Everyone looks forward to Bay Bike to School Challenge in May. As educators, we know physical activity positively impacts academic performance,” said Jason Martin, Assistant Principal at Bay High School and one of the program’s organizers. “The kids have fun biking to school with their friends, but they are also learning the benefits of lifelong fitness and the effect their choice of transportation has on the environment.”

Students who register for Bay Bike to School Challenge and Rocky River Bike to School Challenge carry
a "Ride Card" that is stamped each day they ride a bike to school by BTS volunteers. Students receive a
free event t-shirt from Century Cycles for biking at least four days. The more they bike, the more they can
win - every Ride Card they fill up gets them more entries into the grand prize raffle, and they earn twice
as many entries if they wear a bicycle helmet. The program concludes on May 27 with assemblies at each
school, to show the students the impact of their efforts and draw the grand prize winners' names. The
grand prizes include:

• Two bicycles per school from Raleigh Bicycles;
• Bicycling accessories (locks, bags, lights and more) from Century Cycles;
• Chipotle burrito party for 20;
• Honey Hut ice cream party for 20;
• Bay Lanes bowling party for 10;
• There is also a special grand prize drawing for a Cedar Point season pass for the students at each school who biked every day of Bay Bike to School Challenge.

National bicycle manufacturer Raleigh Bicycles has joined Century Cycles, Chipotle, Honey Hut, and Bay Lanes as corporate sponsors. In Bay Village, the Bay Village Kiwanis, Bay Schools Parent Teacher Student Association, Project Earth Environmental Club and the Bay Skate and Bike Park Foundation are also sponsors. In Rocky River, Fuel Up to Play 60 and the Rocky River PTA are also sponsors.

Inspired by a student car boycott to protest high gas prices in 2007, Century Cycles owner Scott Cowan approached Bay High School, his alma mater, about encouraging more bike-riding to school. It was enthusiastically embraced by the students and faculty. Participation in 2008 exceeded organizers’ expectations. In 2009, the program was expanded to include Bay Middle School and spread to Rocky River Middle School in 2011.

The schools in Bay Village, Ohio, are award-winning and consistently earn the state’s highest ratings for student achievement. Newsweek ranked Bay High School in the top 5% of high schools in the nation and it was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2010 by the U.S. Department of Education. www.bayvillageschools.com

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, 2010 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 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.

For nine consecutive years, Century Cycles has been voted a Top 100 Bike Retailer in the United States by Bicycle Retailer & Industry News magazine, a trade publication that honors the top 2% of the nation’s independent bike stores. In 2010, Century Cycles was voted “Cleveland’s Best Bike Shop” by the readers of Cleveland Magazine. www.centurycycles.com

Tracey Bradnan
Marketing/Events, Century Cycles
Phone: 440-781-7690
Email: tracey@centurycycles.com

Dianna Foley
Coordinator of Communications & Technology, Rocky River School Distrcit
Phone: 440-356-6702
foley.dianna@rrcs.org

Karen Derby-Lovell
Public Information Officer, Bay Village Schools
Phone: 440-617-7307
Karen.Derby-Lovell@bayschoolsohio.org

High-res photos from previous Bike to School Challenges available as JPGs via email upon request.