Join the Bike Wise Challenge

Bike Wise celebrates its 10th year this February. As part of the programme, the NZ Transport Agency is encouraging New Zealand businesses and organisations of all shapes and sizes to take part in the 2012 Bike Wise Challenge and compete for the country’s ‘most bike-friendly’ establishment.

The aim of the Bike Wise Challenge is to get Kiwi commuters out of their cars and onto their bicycles. Each year hundreds of organisations take part across the country, competing to see who can get the most staff to ride for at least 2km or 10 minutes during Bike Wise month.

More than 1500 organisations and departments took part in the Bike Wise Challenge 2011, logging an impressive 51,540 rides and over 800,000kms.

“It’s easy and a great way for businesses to help get staff active and even do some team building along the way,” said Jennie Gianotti, Manager Network User Behaviour.

“Entries for the Bike Wise Challenge are open until 1 February 2012, but organisations can already register and start using the website to track training runs.”

To sign up for the Bike Wise Challenge, or for more information, visit www.bikewise.co.nz.

There are various categories depending on the size of the organisation, with prizes up for grabs in each group.

Bike to work

• A Copenhagen study of over 30,000 people found businesses benefit from staff cycling because those who rode to work took on average fewer sick days than their non-cycling counterparts

• Cycle commuting means no more paying for parking or petrol, and you can usually pull up right outside the office

• If you ride just 2.5km to work and back five times a week you will burn around 1400 calories (equivalent to 3.5 hours in the gym)

• If you ditch the car for the bike and do the same distance, you’ll save about 107kg of CO2 each year.