The National Bike Challenge is on!

[KLizotte]

Start your Pedals, America – The Get Up & Ride

National Bike Challenge Is On!

New online competition will engage and connect bicyclists from coast to coast.

Washington, D.C. – March 21, 2012 – Launched today by a powerful alliance of the Kimberly-Clark Corporation, the League of American Bicyclists, Bikes Belong and Endomondo, the National Bike Challenge aims to inspire and empower millions of Americans to ride their bikes for transportation, recreation and better health.

The Challenge is simple: Sign up as an individual or as a team, log your miles, share your stories and encourage others to join you. Riders will compete for prizes and awards on the local and national level, including a Grand Prize trip through California wine country from Trek Travel. Already, organizations in 26 states have committed to participate and have started warming up for the May 1 start date on the Challenge website: nationalbikechallenge.org.

“The League is excited about this unique opportunity to share the many benefits of bicycling and offer a fun, engaging entry point for new riders,” said Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists. “There’s nothing like riding a bike with your friends and colleagues and the National Bike Challenge will create a new social network of cyclists stretching from coast to coast.”

The online initiative was piloted by Kimberly-Clark (K-C), Endomondo and the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin in 2011. The idea was sparked by K-C research engineer, Rob Gusky, and Kimberly-Clark extended the competition to its 57,000 global employees. The Challenge proved to be a great team building and wellness activity for K-C’s sustainability efforts globally. Participating K-C employees logged 357,739 miles globally, with U.S. employees pedaling 182,210 miles. The success in Wisconsin led to a bigger vision: Taking the challenge to the national level.

“We’re pleased to be the national sponsor of the Challenge as it supports the wellness of our employees and the communities we serve, while contributing to improved air quality by replacing car travel with clean, healthy bicycle trips,” said Jan Spencer, K-C’s senior vice president of continuous improvement/procurement/ sustainability. “This year, K-C is providing an extra incentive for our global team members: The Kimberly-Clark Foundation will donate 10 cents to the League of American Bicyclists for every mile logged by a K-C employee during the 2012 Challenge.”

The platform for the National Bike Challenge was created by Endomondo, a social fitness network with 7.5 million users worldwide. “Riding a bike for transportation is among the top five activities for our European users, and we look forward to helping expand this kind of biking in the U.S. with this campaign,” said Mette Lykke, Co-Founder of Endomondo. “Logging your miles is easy and the social interaction with co-workers, family and friends really makes it fun and motivating to get up and ride.”

“Bikes Belong is delighted to be a part of the National Bike Challenge, which provides all the tools to help more people ride bikes more often,” said Bruno Maier, vice president of Bikes Belong. “We’re looking forward to seeing all the different types of riders who participate. The Challenge is a great way to encourage people to live healthier lives.”

The Challenge runs from May 1 to August 31, 2012, but the public is invited to sign up now and get warmed up. For more information, visit http://www.nationalbikechallenge.org. Join us at facebook.com/nationalbikechallenge.

Topic

[jrenaut]

@Dirt 20371 wrote:

You really need to buy a Prius… or two.

Ahh, but it’s more smug to have a car that’s paid off, gets pretty good mileage, and almost never moves. When it does move, it usually has four people in it.

[pfunkallstar]

@jrenaut 20372 wrote:

Ahh, but it’s more smug to have a car that’s paid off, gets pretty good mileage, and almost never moves. When it does move, it usually has four people in it.

Ditto on using my land boat infrequently, I had to start putting fuel stabilizer in it once I realized the same tank of gas had been sitting there for three months.

[rcannon100]

Although now that my agency has a bike transportation reimbursement program, that may drop somewhat. I have my first reimbursement claim ready to submit.

Yummmmmmm. $20 per month that kills your metrocheck reimbursement. For me that would be a net loss, and the bike subsidy would not be enough to cover a single thing I bought yesterday.

[Dirt]

@rcannon100 20382 wrote:

Yummmmmmm. $20 per month that kills your metrocheck reimbursement. For me that would be a net loss, and the bike subsidy would not be enough to cover a single thing I bought yesterday.

I bike subsidy… even though I don’t get it and I know 3 non-imaginary people who get it.. It is kinda cute!

[Tim Kelley]

@Dirt 20383 wrote:

I bike subsidy… even though I don’t get it and don’t think I know anyone who does. It is kinda cute!

You know at least three people who get it!

[DaveK]

@rcannon100 20382 wrote:

Yummmmmmm. $20 per month that kills your metrocheck reimbursement. For me that would be a net loss, and the bike subsidy would not be enough to cover a single thing I bought yesterday.

Exactly. If I break down and ride the silver misery tube (not a euphemism) twice a month, that’s my commuter benefit gone. I just take Metro benefits now that it’s one or the other.

[Dirt]

@Tim Kelley 20387 wrote:

You know at least three people who get it!

Zanna, Chris and H.R. Puffinstuff?

Cool.

[eminva]

I guess the bike subsidy, paltry though it may be, was meant to be a first step to gradually better benefits as time goes by. At the rate they are going, it should be really useful . . . about the time I retire.

Liz

[creadinger]

When I was commuting daily I was going to ride anyway, so when my company instituted the benefit it was just an extra $160 in my bank account. It’s way better than nothing.

[Dirt]

@eminva 20398 wrote:

I guess the bike subsidy, paltry though it may be, was meant to be a first step to gradually better benefits as time goes by. At the rate they are going, it should be really useful . . . about the time I retire.

Liz

I totally agree. If you’ve got an employer that is totally into supporting it, then it is cool that it is available. I tried to work through HR at the company I work for and it was wayyyyy too much work and overhead for maybe 20 people in a company of 60,000 to take advantage of. Honestly they were willing to do it for us, but we collectively decided that it wasn’t worth the time and energy for the company to do that. It would have been symbolic at best. The company has found other ways to reward those who travel alternatively.

[Greenbelt]

Whoa, the C team just jumped back in to the top twenty — teammate just posted 300+ miles over 5 days! Climate ride?

[paytonc]

Yep! Won’t be reprising that anytime this weekend — not with 100+ heat indices — but I’m glad to help out with the Challenge.

[Dirt]

@Greenbelt 20531 wrote:

Whoa, the C team just jumped back in to the top twenty — teammate just posted 300+ miles over 5 days! Climate ride?

All 3 teams are doing really well. A and C are only a few hundred points apart.

Keep up the great work!!!!

[Greenbelt]

@Dirt 20635 wrote:

All 3 teams are doing really well. A and C are only a few hundred points apart.

Keep up the great work!!!!

Combination of racing 25 year old last weekend, a full week’s commuting, and then getting on cramped plans all day yesterday heading out on vacation = hip flexor (I think). At least that’s what my wife thinks it probably is — major pulled muscle in upper thigh/side/butt. Of course, she’s an OB/GYN not an orthopedic nurse, so she may not know!

Anyways, in a great place for mountain biking (seaside desert trails), but no riding for a few days at least I think. Still, not a bad place for old folks rehab:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1115[/ATTACH]

[Arlingtonrider]

Are you divers? Great diving there, and maybe gentle finning in warm water might help (or maybe not – ask an expert). Hope you feel better soon – enjoy your trip!

[Author]

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