Federal Bike to Work Challenge

[KLizotte]

I’ve already joned the DOT Green Riders team.

[CPTJohnC]

@rcannon100 82213 wrote:

Join the one month long Federal Bike to Work Challenge.

Last year team Federal Cyclists Commission was the number one federal agency team in Washington DC and the #10 team in the nation. Yeah, I am laying down a challenge. I’m talking to you HUD, and DOL, and Senate, and EPA, and Navy (there are lots of Navy teams) (who else is on the forum???).

If you do join the challenge, please post your team name here. I would like to try to create a local scoreboard.

[IMG]http://www.doi.gov/greening/images/Logo.JPG[/IMG]

I looked for a team from my agency and didn’t find a single one. And I have no clue how to get in touch with our bike advocacy person? folks? ghosts? – I am the only cyclist in my actual division/office (though I hear rumors of one in a related office…). A couple of years ago they did some bike to work day promotion, including a brown bag lunch, but nothing so far this year.

The irony is that my agency is focused on health (it’s in our name, after all…)

[Emm]

Meaningful Riders has joined the challenge! We’re ONC (and ONC friends) at HHS. If you’re an HHS person looking for a team let me know. I was able to get 7 people within 2 hours of sending the invite out to ONC staff, so we may fill up, but I doubt it.

I’m surprised HHS didn’t have a team already. The bike racks by our headquarters building is usually full.

[jrenaut]

Is it actually limited to federal employees? Are they leaving us contractors out in the cold as usual?

[rcannon100]

@jrenaut 82249 wrote:

Is it actually limited to federal employees? Are they leaving us contractors out in the cold as usual?

Have you tried setting up a team???

@CPTJohnC 82244 wrote:

I looked for a team from my agency and didn’t find a single one. And I have no clue how to get in touch with our bike advocacy person? folks? ghosts? – I am the only cyclist in my actual division/office (though I hear rumors of one in a related office…). A couple of years ago they did some bike to work day promotion, including a brown bag lunch, but nothing so far this year.

The irony is that my agency is focused on health (it’s in our name, after all…)

Form a team. Put fliers up everywhere. Put them up on the bike racks, break rooms. Email the people that you know who cycle. This could be the seed of your internal cycling community. Inside my agency, people get really jazz about this – and the managing directors office bragged about our performance all year long.

[CPTJohnC]

@Emm 82247 wrote:

Meaningful Riders has joined the challenge! We’re ONC (and ONC friends) at HHS. If you’re an HHS person looking for a team let me know. I was able to get 7 people within 2 hours of sending the invite out to ONC staff, so we may fill up, but I doubt it.

I’m surprised HHS didn’t have a team already. The bike racks by our headquarters building is usually full.

I know – it can be a royal pain to find bike parking here. I’m HHS (OGC) and if you don’t fill up, I’d be happy to ride for you – just don’t expect too much I work in the Cohen Bldg.

[CPTJohnC]

@rcannon100 82250 wrote:

Have you tried setting up a team???

Form a team. Put fliers up everywhere. Put them up on the bike racks, break rooms. Email the people that you know who cycle. This could be the seed of your internal cycling community. Inside my agency, people get really jazz about this – and the managing directors office bragged about our performance all year long.

(in my whiniest voice) “that’s so much ~work!~” I know you’re right – that would be the right way to go. I know there are plenty of cyclists here. I see their bikes on the racks. But we’re an anti-social bunch, evidently. And not much management support that I’ve seen. I am clearly a weirdo in my office. My management is tolerant of my eccentricity.

[rcannon100]

A few years ago I would have said the same thing. And then I did an Al Haig and took control. Besides the fact that I get to ride my bike to work, I would say the greatest outcome of all this is forming an internal cyclist community that cuts across office borders. We have become almost an internal secret society. We know each other and talk to each other all the time – and thus when it comes to business, we know who to call.

I would also say making your agency look good is a damn good way of getting noticed.

The single most important thing I ever did was form my agencies ultimate frisbee team, Seven Dirty Words. I got to know one of the more important persons in the building. She put my on the Y2K Task Force, run by Colin Powell’s son, soon-to-be Chairman Michael Powell. And that got me a job inside the agency’s think tank.

They say that cycling is the new golf. It is a great way to network. And I am not a network weenie. I just really like the fact that I have gotten to know more of the people in my building.

[ShawnoftheDread]

^^name-dropping ELITE.^^

[rcannon100]

@ShawnoftheDread 82257 wrote:

^^name-dropping ELITE.^^

Well… I never actually met George Carlin.

[CPTJohnC]

@rcannon100 82255 wrote:

A few years ago I would have said the same thing. And then I did an Al Haig and took control. Besides the fact that I get to ride my bike to work, I would say the greatest outcome of all this is forming an internal cyclist community that cuts across office borders. We have become almost an internal secret society. We know each other and talk to each other all the time – and thus when it comes to business, we know who to call.

I would also say making your agency look good is a damn good way of getting noticed.

The single most important thing I ever did was form my agencies ultimate frisbee team, Seven Dirty Words. I got to know one of the more important persons in the building. She put my on the Y2K Task Force, run by Colin Powell’s son, soon-to-be Chairman Michael Powell. And that got me a job inside the agency’s think tank.

They say that cycling is the new golf. It is a great way to network. And I am not a network weenie. I just really like the fact that I have gotten to know more of the people in my building.

Wait? Stick my head up and be noticed? That would mean potential career advancement. That might be bad!

[rcannon100]

I set up the Federal DC Beltway League inside the Federal Bike-to-Work Challenge. If you are a federal team participating in the Federal Bike-to-Work Challenge and your team’s office is inside the beltway, please join the Federal DC Beltway League

[Emm]

I just received the captains package in the mail yesterday. The pack included bright orange bike seat rain covers for all team members, which one person found also worked as a helmet cover, some “I bike” buttons for everyone, and a few stickers that said “give cyclists 3 feet of space”. Cute stuff. It also had some posters to hang up, but I don’t have space for them (all glass office…).

Now if I can just get more team members to log their miles…

[creadinger]

@rcannon100 83528 wrote:

I set up the Federal DC Beltway League inside the Federal Bike-to-Work Challenge. If you are a federal team participating in the Federal Bike-to-Work Challenge and your team’s office is inside the beltway, please join the Federal DC Beltway League

I just set up the inter-agency Suitland Federal Center team. Now, I just need the Census folks to sign up so we have more than 1 member!

[rcannon100]

It is time once again to join the Federal Bike to Work Challenge!

Da Federal Cyclists Commission Will Crush You!

http://www.luum.com/challenges/88/bike-month-challenge

[Author]

Posts