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

[rcannon100]

I am asking. I am reading. I am not figuring out.

In total, team Federal Cyclists Commission is over 300 points. But as far as I can tell, only my points are showing up on the Leaderboard. Does anyone have any clue what could be wrong.

I set up the team. The members joined because I invited them through the software. The team is set for the national challenge. Multiple members have logged miles in June.

Have looked on the site. Have asked on their social network part. Have asked support.

Thank you if you have a clue (and even for the clueless)

[eminva]

@rcannon100 19166 wrote:

I am asking. I am reading. I am not figuring out.

In total, team Federal Cyclists Commission is over 300 points. But as far as I can tell, only my points are showing up on the Leaderboard. Does anyone have any clue what could be wrong.

I set up the team. The members joined because I invited them through the software. The team is set for the national challenge. Multiple members have logged miles in June.

Have looked on the site. Have asked on their social network part. Have asked support.

Thank you if you have a clue (and even for the clueless)

I just looked you up; you have 611 points now, which is reflected on the National Leaderboard and you are in 67th place. On the Communities leaderboard, it looks like you have fewer points. This would be due to team members not entering their zip codes when they registered or entering a zip code outside of our “community.” We have this issue with my team — a couple of members live outside the immediate area and their miles don’t count toward our standings on the Communities leaderboard (even so, we are in fifth place in DC-NoVa-MD).

Liz

[vvill]

As of this moment, all 3 BikeArlington teams are in the top 20! 😎

[TwoWheelsDC]

My goal now is to beat the “Riders Against Bike Lanes” team. The infrastructure advocates must beat the VCs!

[vvill]

I like bike infrastructure but I think I’ve had more close calls in bike lanes than going through Georgetown on M St when I take the lane. That could be anecdotal though.

[rcannon100]

This would be due to team members not entering their zip codes when they registered or entering a zip code outside of our “community.”

OH!!!!!!!!!! Huh! Thank you!

Yup – that was it. BUT That is absolutely STUPID. We are commuting TO the same place (I assume). WDC. But bc some are coming from Rockville, some are coming from Arl Alex. Some are coming from Silver Spring, our local score is different. This is dumb dumb dumb.

I think someone is going to have to crow bar this thing. Identify the local teams, and then do a weekly score card or something.

Thanks. Yes, now I understand – although it still doesnt make sense.

LETS GO CAPS

[rcannon100]

* Bike Arlington C 1418
* Bike Arlington B Team 1182 p
* BikeArlington 979 p.
* Bike Club, Yo! 933 p
* Federal Cyclists Commission 760 p
* Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling 599 p
* Silver Cycles Night Riders – Silver Spring, MD 456 p.
* U.S. Department of Transportation 449 p.
* Farm and Rural Bicyclist Branch 363 p.

If there are other local Greatr WDC, post them and we will get a better sense of our competition. I know I overlooked IDA (what is IDA??)

[eminva]

My company’s team is Team Finra. We have 660 points on the National Leaderboard and 627 points on the Local Leaderboard (due to one member with points being outside the area, as the competition defines it). At the moment, we are in sixth place locally.

I realize too late that this is a competition not just for miles of cycling, but for most obsessively-compulsively logging miles of cycling. I know I saw at least one of my teammates coming in from commuting in to work this week, but she still has zero showing. To the best organized go the spoils!

Liz

[Greenbelt]

I just put up a 65 mile RT to B’more for the C team. What a great ride! Learned an excellent route (hint TJROW…)

However, I know that one of my colleagues from work is in vacation and hasn’t posted her rides for the B team, so I expect that will boost the B’s totals a lot when she gets back.

PS Dana (dbb) sighting at the Kinetic Sculpture race (but I don’t have photographic evidence). The 1% floated (lots of pictures coming I’m sure)!

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Greenbelt 19272 wrote:

I just put up a 65 mile RT to B’more for the C team. What a great ride! Learned an excellent route (hint TJROW…)

However, I know that one of my colleagues from work is in vacation and hasn’t posted her rides for the B team, so I expect that will boost the B’s totals a lot when she gets back.

PS Dada (dbb) sighting at the Kinetic Sculpture race (but I don’t have photographic evidence). The 1% floated (lots of pictures coming I’m sure)!

And I just did 55 miles up and around Poolesville…sounds like C is finishing strong this week!

[dbb]

@Greenbelt 19272 wrote:

Dana (dbb) sighting at the Kinetic Sculpture race (but I don’t have photographic evidence).

I will stipulate to the fact I was indeed at the races. Saw a spectator riding a bike unlike anything even Dirt has ever considered. A fat tire fixie, except it was a very large trike and the “tires” were steel, if only 16 gauge.

There were people with waay too much free time!

[rnapiza]

@Greenbelt 19272 wrote:

I just put up a 65 mile RT to B’more for the C team. What a great ride! Learned an excellent route (hint TJROW…)

However, I know that one of my colleagues from work is in vacation and hasn’t posted her rides for the B team, so I expect that will boost the B’s totals a lot when she gets back.

PS Dana (dbb) sighting at the Kinetic Sculpture race (but I don’t have photographic evidence). The 1% floated (lots of pictures coming I’m sure)!

I was planning on riding up to baltimore tomorrow. What route did you take?

[Greenbelt]

@rnapiza 19277 wrote:

I was planning on riding up to baltimore tomorrow. What route did you take?

Try this link. I thought the route worked out great. No traffic, decent enough road surfaces until Baltimore City, very nice roads most of the way. http://g.co/maps/yx467

[Arlingtonrider]

Happy birthday JustinW – your team is in 4th place nationally this morning!

[KLizotte]

@dbb 19274 wrote:

I will stipulate to the fact I was indeed at the races. Saw a spectator riding a bike unlike anything even Dirt has ever considered. A fat tire fixie, except it was a very large trike and the “tires” were steel, if only 16 gauge.

Wow, could someone actually pedal that thing?

[Author]

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