Hartford, CT (May 1, 2012) -  Get out your bike—and don’t forget your helmet!  Whether you are an occasional bicyclist, a regular bike commuter, a charity rider, mountain biker, or bicyclist of any type, take the National Bike Challenge!

With May designated as National Bike Month and May 18 as National Bike to Work Day, Bike Walk Connecticut is taking the lead to encourage bike commuting.  Bike commuting reduces vehicle traffic, avoids pollution, saves gas--and burns calories! 

Coinciding with National Bike Month is the launch of the National Bike Challenge (www.nationalbikechallenge.org), an online tool to inspire and empower millions of Americans to ride their bikes for transportation, recreation, and better health.  The challenge runs from May 1 to August 31 and has a goal of “uniting 50,000 people to bike 10 million miles.” 

The challenge website makes it easy to log bike trips, whether they are commuting, for errands, for recreation or by mountain bike—any trip by bike counts.  You’ll be eligible for prize drawings after logging just three days on your bike.  You can even download a mobile app to keep track of your miles.

Cyclists can compete in the challenge as an individual, as part of a workplace, as part of a community, or as part of a 10-member team.  Connecticut will compete in the National Bike Challenge against other states on a points per capita basis.    Bike Walk Connecticut is coordinating the state challenge and aims to make sure that Connecticut is well represented. 

To register your company for the challenge, go to www.endomondo.com/registration/organizations and enter the requested information.  This lets coworkers select your company name from the dropdown menu when they register for the challenge.  It also lets your company compete against businesses around the country.

To register yourself for the challenge, go to www.nationalbikechallenge.org.  Enter the basic information requested, then select your company name from the dropdown menu.  Your company will compete against other businesses, and Connecticut is competing against other states.  When you record your rides at the National Bike Challenge website, the online tool tallies the miles you’ve ridden, the calories you’ve burned, the money you’ve saved in gas, and the greenhouse gases you’ve avoided.  All your bike rides, whether they are commuting, for errands, for recreation or by mountain bike, can be entered in the challenge. 

Then, be a Part of Bike to Work 2012:  It’s Easier than You Think!  Don’t forget, there will be many Bike to Work events during May and throughout the summer.  Check www.bikewalkct.org/bike-to-work to find an event near you.


Bike Walk Connecticut is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to making bicycling and walking safe, feasible and attractive for a healthier, cleaner Connecticut.  Visit us at www.bikewalkct.org.

Hartford, CT (April 23, 2012) –  With May designated as National Bike Month and May 18 as National Bike to Work Day, Bike Walk Connecticut is taking the lead to encourage bike commuting.  Bike commuting reduces vehicle traffic, avoids pollution, saves gas--and burns calories! 

Bike to Work Day is May 18
Bike Walk Connecticut is helping to set up Bike to Work breakfasts statewide.  To date, events are scheduled in Bethel, Farmington, Hartford, New Haven, New London, Norwalk, Stamford, Waterbury, and West Hartford and more are in the works. 

Bike Walk Connecticut is working with bicycle advocacy groups, regional planning organizations and CT Rides, the state’s transportation demand management program, to make clear that bicycling is an important option in our multi-modal transportation system.

Take the National Bike Challenge
Coinciding with National Bike Month is the launch of the National Bike Challenge (www.nationalbikechallenge.org), an online tool to inspire and empower millions of Americans to ride their bikes for transportation, recreation and better health.  The challenge runs from May 1 to August 31 and has a goal of “uniting 50,000 people to bike 10 million miles.” 

The challenge website makes it easy to log bike trips, whether they are commuting, for errands, for recreation or by mountain bike—any trip by bike may be entered in the challenge.

Cyclists can compete in the challenge as an individual, as part of a workplace, as part of a community, or as part of a 10-member team.  Connecticut will compete in the National Bike Challenge against other states on a points per capita basis.    

Bike Walk Connecticut is coordinating the state challenge and aims to make sure that Connecticut is well represented. 

For more information
For details about participating in or organizing a Bike to Work event in your town, see www.bikewalkct.org/bike-to-work/ or contact Sandy Fry, Bike to Work and National Bike Challenge Chair for Bike Walk Connecticut at sfry@crcog.org , or Kelly Kennedy, Bike Walk CT Executive Director, at kelly.kennedy@bikewalkct.org.