Happy New Year Akron!  As we close the best year this company has had, we look forward to an even better one the next!  2009 brought us a store that doubled in size, a new retail outlet in Highland Square, and lots of new friends & fans.  We are so grateful for your continued love and support!

We have a very exciting 2010 planned for Rubber City Clothing & Made in Akron!  Stay tuned for exciting announcements.  Make sure you check our Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace (as well as the Bullsheet) for the latest news.  Have a safe & Happy New Year Akron!

We are quite excited to welcome Blimp City Bike & Hike to the community of locally-owned businesses, and to announce that they are now a destination for Rubber City Clothing t-shirts!  Opening today, Blimp City Bike & Hike is the brainchild of Akronite Andy Bixenstine.  He’s created a one-stop shop for all your outdoor adventure needs.  You can find equipment for biking & hiking, as well as apparel & accessories; plus a GREAT selection of Rubber City Clothing t-shirts.  Stop down to the Valley- 1720 Merriman Rd, Unit A and welcome this new business to the area!

Here is the official press release for the new shop:

Blimp City Bike & Hike to Hold Grand Opening in Akron

Shop features bicycles and outdoor apparel; will open for business the weekend of Nov. 27-29

AKRON, Ohio, Nov. 23 /PRNewswire/ — Given today’s difficult economic climate, small business ownership represents a challenging endeavor for anyone, much less a young, untested entrepreneur. But for Akron native Andy Bixenstine, 26, the decision to open a bicycle shop in his hometown was much like riding a bike, itself - productive, satisfying and nearly effortless.

Bixenstine is proud to announce the grand opening of Blimp City Bike & Hike (BCB), a full-service retail shop specializing in selling, servicing and renting quality bicycles. Located at 1720 Unit A Merriman Rd. on the Towpath Trail in Akron’s Merriman Valley business district, BCB will open for business just in time for the holiday shopping season the weekend of Nov. 27-29.

“On behalf of the greater Akron community and bicycle enthusiasts everywhere, it’s with tremendous pleasure that I announce the opening of Blimp City Bike & Hike, ‘Akron’s Headquarters for Adventure at Home,’” said Bixenstine. “BCB fulfills the need for a bicycle shop in west Akron, and I’m excited to serve the community by offering a dynamic product line that will have something to offer every bicyclist, no matter what age, interest or skill level.”

BCB will feature bicycles from several up-and-coming brands within the industry, including Kona and Felt, and a wide range of bicycle accessories to complement a full-service repair shop and extensive rental offerings. In addition to bicycle-related merchandise, BCB also will sport outdoor apparel, footwear and accessories from leading brands within the outdoor specialty industry.

Despite being a twenty-something entrepreneur without prior business ownership experience, Bixenstine has lofty expectations for his upstart bicycle shop. He intends for BCB to promote healthy living, serve as an environmentally-friendly business and help bolster the greater Akron economy.

“I’ve aspired to own my own business almost as long as I’ve been riding bikes,” Bixenstine said. “I take great pride in being an ‘Akronite,’ and it’s my hope that Blimp City Bike & Hike will enable me to give back to the community that has given me so much.”

About Blimp City Bike & Hike

Blimp City Bike & Hike (BCB), “Akron’s Headquarters for Adventure at Home,” is a full-service bicycle shop dedicated to offering exceptional customer service and competitive pricing. In addition to selling, servicing and renting quality bikes, BCB carries a full line of footwear, apparel and accessories from the outdoor specialty industry. Founded in 2009, BCB is located in Akron, Ohio, at 1720 Unit A Merriman Rd. in the Merriman Valley business district on the Towpath Trail at the southern border of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. For more information, please call 330-836-6600 or visit http://www.blimpcitybikeandhike.com.

Media Contact:
Matt Bixenstine
Public Relations Specialist
+1-330-571-1797
Matt@blimpcitybikeandhike.com

SOURCE Blimp City Bike & Hike

We are very excited to welcom Ryan Humbert to the RCC music family!  We now have his new album, Old Souls New Shoes, as well as the live (recorded at Musica) The Ryan Humbert Band One Night Only Acoustic Live CD/DVD.  Ryan is a big supporter of local music, and also dropped off the Ghost Town album by local artist Tracey Thomas.  Check out a performance by Ryan below:

We are so grateful to have so many loyal customers.  Some customers are so loyal, that they keep checking in every couple of weeks to see if we’ve gotten new merchandise.  And out of those who come in every couple of weeks, I know quite a few are looking for items that are out of stock.  Well, we’ve got some good news…. NEW MERCHANDISE IS COMING SOON!  And by soon, I mean just a few weeks…I really mean it.

By the beginning of October, we’ll have more sizes & colors in of some of your favorites like Survival (Where the Weak are Killed & Eaten), Route 8, Akron WITNESSED First, and more!  We’re going to reprint some of the classic colors, but we’re also open to suggestion on new colors!  Let us know any ideas you might have for some of your favorite RCC designs!

Tomorrow- Thursday, April 23rd- we will be getting new ‘Akron WITNESSED First’ t-shirts.  The details are as follows:

Adults (a men’s cut 100% cotton Gildan t-shirt)

Black t-shirt with white print (the original)- sizes S-XXXL

Gold t-shirt with wine print (Cavs colors)- sizes S-XXL

Wine t-shirt with metallic gold print (also Cavs colors)- sizes S-XL

Royal blue t-shirt with orange print (80s-90s Cavs colors)- sizes S-XL

and for the first time….

KIDS (youth 100% cotton Gildan t-shirt)

Gold t-shirt with wine print (like the adults) sizes Youth S-Youth XL

The adult t-shirts will be priced at $25; the kids’ at $20.  The shirts should be in around 3-4pm tomorrow.  Call ahead if you want one reserved!  They should be available online shortly there after.  I’ll post pics/links once they’re here.

More details to come….in the meantime, become a fan on Facebook!

The latest addition to the Survival of the Fittest family is this ultra cool black t-shirt with pink print, sold exclusively at The Beauty Lounge in downtown Akron.  If you haven’t been down to this super groovy salon yet, you need to check it out.  Recently revamped  by new owner, Melissa Lisuch-Vesely, The Beauty Lounge is far more than just a salon.  It is a great place to hear good tunes, score some the latest and greatest beauty products, check out local artwork, and of course get a cutting edge hairstyle.

To get your own Beauty Lounge Exclusive Survival of the Fittest in Black with pink, you need to get down to The Beauty Lounge!  Visit their shop at 70 E Mill St on the corner of South High St in downtown Akron; call 330.253.6300 for days/times; or visit their website www.thebeautylounge.net.  This style is not available at the Rubber City Clothing store, but is available to order at www.RubberCityClothing.com.

Some changes are happening down at Akron’s favorite t-shirt shop. Sadly, RCC’s beloved GM, Joseph, is leaving the land of rubber and going back to his native New York. Taking over the reigns of the Rubber City Clothing store is Sarah G.

Born and raised in Akron, Sarah left the Rubber City for the Big Apple after finishing Kent State University. After 3 years in New York City, she realized her idol Dorothy Gale had it right all along, ‘There is no place like home.‘ Akron was always in her heart, so Sarah decided to put it on her sleeve and got a job with RCC.

For an all around good time, come down to 18 North High Street to meet Sarah, Monday-Saturday 11a-6p. You can come hang out, chat about Akron, check out the coolest Akron tees, listen to some sweet tunes, and help yourself to a Dum-Dum (they were originally created in Akron). We figure a blog is a better place to put that, than say the bathroom wall at Barley House.