Performance Bicycle Supports Bay Area Biking with Bike Tube Recycling Drive.

America's Largest Specialty Bike Retailer Highlights Recycling, Commuter Rewards Program at Bay Area Stores

SAN FRANCISCO -- Performance Bicycle, the number one specialty bike retailer in the country, is hosting a recycling drive that will help keep bike inner tubes out of Bay Area landfills. Performance is partnering with Alchemy Goods of Seattle to host the Bike Tube Blowout from Friday, July 17(th) to Sunday, July 19(th) at the Re-Grand Opening of its San Francisco store and the Grand Opening of its new store in San Mateo. The two stores are among the first Performance stores in the country designed to offer a bold new take on biking retail.

"The Bay Area is one of the strongest cycling markets in the country, and that means folks go through a lot of bike tires and inner tubes," said Matt Magnani, director of retail marketing for Performance Inc. "We estimate that more than 14 tons of rubber end up in Bay Area landfills every year. But we can turn those inner tubes into a valuable resource through recycling."

Anybody can come to Performance's San Francisco and San Mateo stores on Friday, July 17(th), Saturday, July 18(th) or Sunday, July 19(th) to drop off old, unused or blown-out inner tubes for recycling (with the exception of gel-filled and/or thorn-resistant tubes). All donors will receive a $5 money card. Alchemy Goods will use the inner tubes in its popular line of messenger bags and accessories, which are made entirely through recycling. The company estimates that over the last two years recycling has saved a total of 30 tons of rubber from U.S. landfills.

Those who want to participate in the recycling drive should come to the Performance Bicycle in San Francisco at 625 Brannan Street, between 5th and 6th Streets, and the new San Mateo location at 2727 South El Camino Real, between 27th and 28th Avenues next to Fitness 19. The recycling drive is for inner tubes only and not bike tires.

Commuting Rewards Program

In addition to the recycling of inner tubes, Performance is introducing a Commuter Rewards Program in the Bay Area. The program allows anyone who commutes to work for 20 days via an alternate means of transportation--biking, walking, running or public transit--to earn a $20 money card. All Bay Area business, non-profit and government workplaces are eligible to participate. Residents and workplaces who are interested can learn more by sending an email to BoPeele (at) performanceinc (dot) com.

A New Kind of Cycling Retail Experience

Performance's new San Mateo store and its revamped San Francisco store are among the first of Performance's 86 nationwide locations designed to provide a fun and casual space that appeals to everyone from the serious cyclist to the beginner. The new Performance makes it easy for anyone to find what they need at an affordable price.

"Performance Bicycle wants to see more people biking more often, and that includes the Bay Area," said Jim Thompson, chief executive officer of Performance, Inc. "To do that, we are delivering a new kind of retail experience that is fun, informative and easy to understand. We believe that more families and individuals all across the country are biking because they want to be healthy, frugal and more environmentally responsible."

Thompson added, "For casual cyclists and beginners, we really want to demystify biking. Programs like the recycling drive help us in that mission."

The new Performance Bicycle offers a number of useful features:

* Easier bike selection - Every bike is clearly defined and placed into one of five major categories to help anyone choose the bike that's right for them: Road, Mountain, Path & Pavement, Women's and Kids.

* New Spin Doctor[TM] Department - Performance's trained team of biking experts help customers choose the equipment that's best for them and provide fast, reliable service.

* Top cycling brands at a great price - Performance offers world-renowned brands such as Fuji, Pearl Izumi, Louis Garneau, GT and Schwinn.

* Wide apparel and gear selection - Performance sells more cycling shorts than any other bike retailer in the world; guests can choose from a wide range of bike apparel and accessories.

* 100% satisfaction/90-day guarantee - Every bike sold comes with Performance's price and money-back guarantee. Any customer not completely satisfied has the right to return their bike for a replacement or full refund. Performance also will match any advertised price on the same item within 90 days of purchase.

Performance Bicycle offers three great ways to shop: by store, by catalog and through its website at PerformanceBike.com.

Performance Bicycle is the number one bike specialty retailer in the U.S. and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Performance Inc. Performance provides a multi-channel cycling retail experience that spans catalogs, a website at www.performancebike.com and 86 nationwide stores that cater to both the avid biking enthusiast and the recreational rider. Performance Inc. is majority owned by North Castle Partners of Greenwich, Connecticut. For more information about Performance Bicycle, please visit www.performancebike.com.