MapMyRide.com (http://www.mapmyride.com/), the premier source for interactive mapping, community-based forums, and online tools and content for cyclists, is proud to announce its partnership with USA Cycling, a 65,000-member organization governing competitive cycling in the United States. MapMyRide.com is confident that USA Cycling members, clubs, and event promoters will benefit from its tools and services.

The main benefit of the partnership to USA Cycling members is that it can offer MapMyRide.com’s new premium membership services at the discounted rate of 10% off the standard membership price. “We feel that access to the premium membership tools from MapMyRide.com will be valuable to USA Cycling members’ training programs,” said Mercedes Hickey, Affinity and Sponsor Programs Manager at USA Cycling. “We plan to use the web, race packet handouts, and our newsletters to make sure that our members are aware of this great opportunity.”

MapMyRide.com premium memberships will include unlimited personal-use map printing, exportable training data, magazine subscriptions, premium member designation, gear discounts, free basic training plans, advanced training reports, MapMyPoints participation, and official MapMyRide.com gear discounts.

MapMyRide.com will offer value to USA Cycling in the partnership by allowing USA Cycling race directors the ability to utilize advanced features such as Google Earth (http://earth.google.com/) course flyovers for their event websites, advanced map printing, and race promotion on MapMyRide.com. USA Cycling affiliates will also be able to directly integrate MapMyRide.com mapping technologies into their own websites for visitors to use. Finally, MapMyRide.com will feature all USA Cycling events mapped at MapMyRide.com in its list of cycling events. This promotes the events to more than 1.7 million monthly site visitors and 500,000 registered members in the MapMyRide.com community.

“We are excited that USA Cycling has embraced the ideas behind our technology and are eager to take advantage of its benefits to help promote and raise awareness for cycling in the United States,” said Doug Ziewacz, VP of Business Development at MapMyRide.com. “USA Cycling’s endorsement is a great statement for the MapMyRide.com community and we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship.”

USA Cycling members interested in taking advantage of the 10% off discount on a MapMyRide.com premium membership should visit: http://www.mapmyride.com/cycling_expert?pc=usac

Source: MapMyRide.com

Strong American Schools is sponsoring a team of bike riders who will be cycling across Iowa to raise awareness for the need for K-12 education reform. The team of community activists will be riding in the Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) and will be appearing in Ames on Tuesday, July 22nd.

Two-thirds of new jobs being created in today’s economy require higher education or advanced training. By 2012 Iowa will have between 150,000 and 200,000 more jobs than workers; and at least half of these occupations will require postsecondary education or training. However, only about half of Iowa students who enroll in 4-year colleges after high school manage to earn a bachelor’s degree within six years.

Strong American Schools is a nonpartisan public awareness and advocacy effort aimed at elevating discussion amongst America’s leaders about the need for education reform. The organization believes three common-sense solutions should be included in education reform: effective teachers in every classroom; increased time and support for student learning; and rigorous standards.

Members of the team will available at the festival and throughout the bike tour to discuss why Iowans should make education a top priority in the 2008 presidential election.

Date:
Tuesday, July 22nd 2008

Time:
10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Location:
Strong American Schools booth & tent
Iowa State Center Parking Lot

Ames, Iowa

Members of the team and officials from Strong American Schools will be available throughout the day to discuss why education reform is crucial to securing the economic future of Iowa and America.

Source: ED in ‘08