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Bicycling is hot!
 Greetings! I am thrilled to see more bikes than ever on the road this summer - people bicycling to work, with kids, for pleasure, and in training.
All of us are right there with you. I estimate that over half of Century Cycles employees bike to work each day at all three stores. (And it's almost 100% on some days!) I practice what I preach, too, even though I live 40 miles away from where I work. As many days as I can, I drive the Century Cycles van to the Pearl Road parking lot in the Metroparks and park it, then bicycle the rest of the way to the Rocky River store. The days I bike to work, I feel more energized and in better spirits.
Let us know how we can help you fit more bicycling into your daily schedule - maybe with a better car rack, panniers, or padded shorts. And please remember to share the road - when other car-drivers see your caution around bicyclists on the road, they follow your lead.
Cheers,
Scott Cowan, Owner
Century Cycles
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| Summer Cycling Events
It's not too late to sign up for the Medina County Bicycle Club's Ice Cream Odyssey, a bicycle outing on a hot summer day through quaint small towns over scenic rolling terrain. The ride is this Saturday, July 17! See www.centurycycles.com/get/icecream for full details, including directions to the event start.
 Our season of Night Rides on the Towpath Trail continues, with our next ride scheduled for Saturday, July 24.
Our next SPECIAL Night Ride event is Saturday, August 7, when NiteRider Technical Lighting Systems returns with their road rig! You'll be able to demo NiteRider's high-performance bicycle lights, make yourself a smoothie on the blender bike, plus be entered in a drawing to win a FREE NiteRider MiNewt Mini-USB headlight! See this press release for full details.
All of our Night Rides on the Towpath start at 8:00pm from our Peninsula store. Go to www.centurycycles.com/for/nightrides for full details, and photos from past rides!
Look for the Century Cycles support van on the MS 150 Pedal to the Point on August 14-15. We are proud to continue our tradition of supporting this popular event for a very worthy cause!
 Also coming in August, the new Farm 'N Barn Bike Tour has been organized by the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy to showcase the local Countryside Initiative Farms. The ride starts at Sarah's Vineyard (across from Blossom Music Center), with ride options of 12, 32, or 52 miles. This first annual event will take place on Sunday, August 29, 2010, with support provided by Century Cycles! Click here for more details, including online registration.
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Hot New Products
 There's a new helmet in town for those who want to be safe and stylish at the same time! Nutcase Helmets offers bold and unique designs for all ages of cyclists. Each features 11 air vents, adjustable quick-release buckles, and four sets of extra sizing pads.  They are CPSC-certified for multi-sport use (bicycling, skateboarding, and scootering), come in two sizes (Small/Medium and Large/Extra Large) and are $49.99 each.
Stop in at any of our three stores to try one on, or check out our selection online at: www.centurycycles.com/get/nutcase
 Women cyclists have a new clothing option just for them in Luna Sport apparel. With designs inspired and tested by the Luna Chix Pro Team, they will be equally at home on your next club ride or jaunt down to the coffee shop. The female members of our staff are impressed by the quality of the fabrics and the women's-specific fit.
We have a selection of Luna Sport jerseys, shorts, and gloves in our stores. Click on www.centurycycles.com/get/luna to see our stock on-line!
You may already know that we have high-performance tandem bicycles in stock from Santana in our Medina store. For twosomes looking for a more economical option to enjoy casual rides together, we now have the Sun Biscayne CB tandem in stock! At $589.99, it features a durable steel frame, a trouble-free singlespeed drive train, 26-inch balloon tires, coaster brakes, comfy saddles, and an upright riding position. Stop in for a test-ride!
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5 Questions: Andrew Copenhaver
 Seasonal help doesn't come much better than Andrew Copenhaver, 19, a student at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania who has worked at the Medina store for the past two summers. You may have read about the Brunswick High School grad recently on our blog and Facebook - Andrew just came in 1st place in the 15-19 age group in the Twin Sizzler bicycle race on July 4. Road racing is not where is heart is, however. That belongs to mountain bike racing.
Q: What mountain bike races have you competed in?
A: This Sunday I'm racing in the NEO Power Series. Last year I came in second in the 18 and under age group. Now I'm in the Sport Senior group and am hoping to win it. I've also done the Reagan Park Time Trials, the Vulture's Knob Groovy Series, and the Manitoc Big Valley Race.
Q: How did you get started in mountain bike racing?
A: Working here at Century Cycles. I was inspired by Tom Wiseman. I started riding with him and realized I could keep up. He has such deep expertise - he gives me advice on racing and bike mechanics, and he knows the people and the scene. I don't race much at school. There is a far superior mountain bike racing scene here than in Pennsylvania, so I come back to Ohio for some events.
Q: What's one of the best pieces of advice Tom has given you?
A: He said good braking can make you go faster, so I upgraded my brakes. He's right - you can go faster in turns if you trust your brakes.
Q: How many bikes to do you own?
A: Three. For mountain bike racing, I ride a Giant XTC with quite a few upgrades. It's my favorite, because I put a lot of work into it myself and race on it. It's only 21 pounds, which is stupid-light for a mountain bike. I also have a Kona Cinder Cone, plus a Cannondale road bike for commuting to work. It's about 9 miles from my house to the store and I bike about 75% of the time.
Q: What has been your proudest moment on a bicycle?
A: My proudest moment was finishing the Manitoc Big Valley Race last year. It was a really muddy course and I had a bad crash about 10 miles from the finish. Even with bent rotors and rubbing brakes, I made it to the finish line. I even came in third place!
You can read the rest of our interview with Andrew on our blog.
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 5 Tips: Helmets
Wearing a helmet is the most important thing any cyclist can do to prevent
serious injuries. Whether or not you consider yourself a "serious" rider, you
should have a helmet on no matter where or how far you ride. You don't have to
take our word for it; listen to Dr. Michael Schaefer of the MetroHealth Medical
Center in this 2-minute video on the importance of bike helmets for
everyone.
1. Try on several different models and brands to find the best
fit.
2. Wear the helmet level so that it covers your forehead.
3. Adjust the rear fit dial, side buckles, and chin strap for optimal
safety and comfort.
4. Don't store your helmet in direct sunlight.
5. Replace your helmet after a crash or after five years of use.
For more details on each of the above tips, see the accompanying article on our blog. Stop in to any of our stores to see our full selection of helmets for cyclists of all ages from Bell, Giro, and Nutcase. |
How hot is too hot?
After the inevitable rainy spring of Northeast Ohio, we've been lucky to enjoy many sunny summer days lately. Many cyclist will hit the road or trail in any conditions, but for some, the heat and humidity can be too much of a good thing.
How hot is too hot for you? Let us know by taking our latest online poll.
Last month's online poll asked "Which age had the best bicycles?" The most frequent answer, by an overwhelming majority of 67%, was "Modern road bikes, mountain bikes, hybrids, fixies, etc."
So while there were a few nostalgic folks who longed for the old-time bikes of the past, most of you aren't looking back, and are into the latest and greatest in bicycle technology! You see the complete results of the last poll here.
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Define your life. Ride a bike.™
Our Stores:
1079 N. Court St. (Rt 42, K-Mart Plaza)
Medina, OH 44256 map
Phone: 330-722-7119
1621 Main St. (Rt 303)
Peninsula, OH 44264 map
Phone: 330-657-2209
19955 Detroit Rd. (between Wagar and Wooster Roads)
Rocky River, OH 44116 map
Phone: 440-356-5705 www.centurycycles.com
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