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Press Release: May 26, 2011

2011 BIKE TO SCHOOL CHALLENGE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:
Tracey Bradnan, Century Cycles
Phone: 440-781-7690
Email: tracey@centurycycles.com

Dianna Foley, Rocky River City School District
Phone: 440-356-6702
Email: foley.dianna@rrcs.org

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

MEDIA ALERT: Bike to School Challenge concludes
tomorrow with school-wide assemblies to report
success and award prizes to students and organizers;
1000 Bikes in Bay includes entire community

ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (May 26, 2011) - Bay Village and Rocky River schools conclude Bike to School Challenge (BTS) tomorrow with school-wide assemblies that will celebrate the students' bicycling accomplishments, report the impact of their bicycling efforts on their health and the community, and award grand prizes of bicycles, burrito parties and more - including a special prize drawing for the students who biked every day of the three-week program and special awards for Bay's principals. Bay Village Schools have also named it 1,000 Bikes in Bay Day. For more information about BTS, visit www.centurycycles.com/for/BTS.

Media are welcome to attend the 40-minute assemblies, plus it's the last chance to see the inspiring sight of hundreds of student-bicyclists as they arrive and depart from school.

Bay High School (29230 Wolf Road)
Student arrival on bicycles: 7:10 to 7:45 a.m. (ending bell: 3:11 p.m.)
School Assembly: 7:50 a.m.

Rocky River Middle School (1631 Lakeview Avenue)
Student arrival on bicycles: 7:30 to 8:05 a.m. (ending bell: 3:18 p.m.)
School Assembly: 1:15 p.m.

Bay Middle School (27725 Wolf Road)
Student arrival on bicycles: 7:00 to 7:40 a.m. (ending bell: 2:55 p.m.)
School Assembly: 2:15 p.m.

Special Guests and Awards

Special guests include Chris Speyer, Vice President of Raleigh Bicycles in Seattle and the president of the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association, who will present the bicycle grand prizes to the students. He will also honor Bay Middle School Principal Sean McAndrews and Bay High School Assistant Principal Jason Martin with special awards in recognition of their bike-to-school leadership that is inspiring schools and bike dealers throughout the U.S. Other guests include Mayor Deborah Sutherland, Mayor Pamela Bobst (tentative), Century Cycles owner and BTS organizer/founder Scott Cowan, and Scott Sanders from the Earth Day Coalition.

Grand prizes include two new Raleigh bicycles, assorted bicycle accessories from Century Cycles, a Chipotle burrito party for 25, community pool passes, a summer of Honey Hut Ice Cream, a Bay Lanes bowling party, Cedar Point season passes and more.

1000 Bikes in Bay

For the second year in a row, administrators at Bay Village Schools are asking elementary schools, parents and the community to join Bay Middle and High School students on their bikes, with the goal to reach 1,000 bikes parked at schools, the Board office, and businesses throughout Bay Village. Every student who bikes to school in Bay Village or to Rocky River Middle School tomorrow will also receive a free game of bowling from BTS sponsor Bay Lanes.

Program Stats

Despite one of the rainiest springs in a half-century, students in Bay Village and Rocky River embraced two-wheeled transportation during Bike to School Challenge. Final program statistics will be released tomorrow after the final ride day is counted, but so far they've racked up big numbers:

1,001: Combined number of student-bicyclists to school on Monday, May 9.

4,624: Combined number of round-trips to school via bicycle from Monday, May 9, through Friday, May 13, by all three schools.

During the first week of the three-week program, Bay Middle School students biked a total of 2,530 round-trips to school, averaging 506 bicyclists to school per day (62% of the school). The highest ride day of the week was Wednesday, May 11, when 575 students (70%) biked to school.

Rocky River Middle School students biked a total of 1,317 total round-trips, averaging 263 bicyclists to school per day (42% of the school). The highest ride day of the week was Friday, May 13, when 311 students (50%) biked to school.

Bay High School students biked a total of 777 trips, averaging 155 bicyclists to school per day (19% of the school). The highest ride day of the week was Wednesday, May 11, when 199 students (25%) biked to school.

National Averages

These high bicycling numbers are in contrast to national averages. Studies show only about 15% of U.S. children bike or walk to school today, versus approximately 50% in 1969. As a result, as much as 20 to 30% of morning traffic is generated by parents driving their children to schools and one-third of schools are in "air pollution danger zones." More than 33% of U.S. children are now overweight or obese or at risk of becoming so, with many now suffering from diabetes and other weight-related illnesses.

About Bike To School Challenge

Bike to School Challenge sponsored by Century Cycles, Raleigh Bicycles and Chipotle is a three-week program from May 9 to May 27 in which students at the three Northeast Ohio schools commit to ride their bicycles to school to help the environment, improve their health and beat high gas prices - plus win great prizes and have fun. This is the first year Rocky River Middle School students have taken the challenge. Now in its fourth year in Bay Village, the award-winning program has had a big impact upon the lakeside community. In the challenge's past three years, Bay Village students have biked 80,052 miles and saved an estimated 82,352 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. Last year, Bay students also saved $3,857 in fuel costs in just three weeks (when gas cost $2.75 per gallon).

National bicycle manufacturer Raleigh Bicycles has joined Century Cycles, Chipotle, Honey Hut, and Bay Lanes as corporate sponsors of Bike to School Challenge. 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.

For regular updates about Rocky River Bike to School Challenge and Bay Bike to School Challenge, visit www.centurycycles.com/to/bts.

Bike To School Challenge Organizers

About Bay Schools

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

About Rocky River Schools

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

About Century Cycles

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