Performance Bicycle, the specialty bike retailer, 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 17th to Sunday, July 19th 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 this service.
“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.”
Consumers on Friday, July 17th, Saturday, July 18th or Sunday, July 19th can 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 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.
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.
Performance operates 86 stores across the country.
“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 and revamped store include a number of new features. These include an easier bike selection that breaks every bike into five major categories: Road, Mountain, Path & Pavement, Womens and Kids. It also includes a new Spin Doctor Department that includes a trained team of biking experts to help customers.
Performance Inc. is majority owned by North Castle Partners of Greenwich, Connecticut. For more information about Performance Bicycle, please visit www.performancebike.com.
