The National Bike Challenge is on!

Our Community Forums General Discussion The National Bike Challenge is on!

  • Creator
    Topic
  • #911118
    KLizotte
    Participant

    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.

Viewing 15 replies - 31 through 45 (of 430 total)
  • Author
    Replies
  • #939272
    KLizotte
    Participant

    I just signed on the B-team! Go Bees, go!

    #939273
    eminva
    Participant

    On the main page for the Challenge, there is a message board. People have been writing in with technical problems and it seems the organizers are receptive to trying to solve the problems. So if you see something problematic, speak up and maybe they can fix it. It is possible they can get all the wrinkles ironed out before the real contest starts (at least I think they are trying).

    Another alternative is to just enter it manually each night. The interface is very simple.

    One thing vvill noticed is that with the endomondo app, it is possible to watch someone else live on the site. You actually see them progressing on their route. So all you early birds, when you get bored at work after 3 or 4 hours, can watch me riding through Arlington.

    Liz

    #939274
    Tim Kelley
    Participant

    @eminva 18180 wrote:

    So if you see something problematic, speak up and maybe they can fix it.

    Yes, I submitted my complaints/suggestions last week.

    Looks like a manual entry will be the way I do it. How boring.

    #939275
    DaveK
    Participant

    Joined up on the B-team. I’ll figure out some way to get all my rides where they need to go without carrying 14 devices every day…

    #939276
    consularrider
    Participant

    @americancyclo 18176 wrote:

    There’s no way to bulk change those activity types. one of the major downfalls of this challenge in my opinion. do we need to change the activity type? if we do, I might boycott this challenge. I think the B team might quickly become the A team. I vote Dirt be cast as Hannibal.

    This challenge gives credit for either sport or transportation cycling and I only change it for my own purposes. There is another challenge going that only gives credit for sport.

    #939277
    Mark Blacknell
    Participant

    @americancyclo 18176 wrote:

    I vote Dirt be cast as Hannibal.

    That would make me . . . an elephant?

    #939278
    Megabeth
    Participant

    Still 5 more spots left! Come one, come all! http://www.endomondo.com/teams/4512596

    #939279
    americancyclo
    Participant

    @Mark Blacknell 18184 wrote:

    That would make me . . . an elephant?

    Different Hannibal. I was thinking more Captain H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock for you.

    #939280
    creadinger
    Participant

    3 spots remaining on the B-team.

    #939281
    Mikey
    Participant

    sign me up for the B-team, I’ll participate.
    Just let me know what I need to do.
    Mike

    #939282
    dbb
    Participant

    It would be pretty impressive if both BikeArlington teams finished high on the leaderboard. That would speak volumes to the work that the BikeArlington staff has accomplished.

    #939286
    Megabeth
    Participant

    @essigmw 18188 wrote:

    sign me up for the B-team, I’ll participate.
    Just let me know what I need to do.
    Mike

    You’ll need to go to the site – http://www.endomondo.com/campaign/national
    Create an account, then search for Bike Arlington B Team in the Join a Team section. And, you’re in like flynn….

    #939289
    Dirt
    Participant

    @Tim Kelley 18175 wrote:

    That only works if you still have the files saved on the Garmin. Having already downloaded them as .tcx files onto my computer and then clearing the Garmin means I have to do them one by one.

    Sad panda.

    Sounds like user error to me. ;) It is still the pre-show. Plenty of time for you to assault us with useless data when the game starts for real. :D

    #939290
    Mikey
    Participant

    Yea!! I made the team!
    216 miles so far this month to add to the team! go Killer-B’s!

    #939293
    Dirt
    Participant

    @americancyclo 18176 wrote:

    I vote Dirt be cast as Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith.

    I think of myself much more as Mr. Furious from the movie Mystery Men (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0132347/)…. or Moist from Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1227926/)

Viewing 15 replies - 31 through 45 (of 430 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.