The Bike Commute Challenge – an annual biking throw-down pitting workplace against workplace – is underway with teams racking up miles, earning discounts and winning weekly prizes. It’s not too late for you to join in!
Sponsored by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, Metro and Drive Less Save More, the Bike Commute Challenge awards prizes for the teams that log the greatest number of trips by bicycle during September. So far, more than 1,300 teams have logged more than 481,000 miles. That translates into more than 23 million calories burned and a reduction of 472,000 pounds of carbon dioxide that would have been pumped into the air if those miles were traveled by car instead.
Whether you're a team of one or on a team of hundreds, you can get rewards for biking to work this month. Just go online to www.bikecommutechallenge.com, join the challenge and log your trips. Once you’ve logged seven trips, you can print your trip calendar and take it to one of more than 50 participating bike shops in Oregon to get a 10 percent discount on parts and accessories.
There’s no better time to try commuting by bike. It’s good for your health and the health of the planet; you save money otherwise spent on gas, parking and vehicle wear; and you can win prizes and bragging rights. Also, if you join the Bicycle Transportation Alliance during the Bike Commute Challenge, you can earn year-round discounts and a chance to win a Trek Allant commuter bike plus rain gear from Bike Gallery.