A big thank you to everyone who rode their bike to work during GMTMA’s Bike to Work Week challenge this year! In just one week you eliminated 300 car trips and rode over 1800 miles!
While many people that registered for bike to work week do regularly or occasionally ride their bike to work, 15% of our bike to work registrants were first-time bike to work riders. Sixty percent of these new riders were women. Some could not bike to work but chose to swap an errand typically done by car with a bike ride. Cargo bikes proved to be great for running errands and grocery shopping.
33% of the participants that reported their rides for the week, rode to work five times, 23% rode three times, and 8% ride their bike seven days.
The longest commute by bike was 32 miles/day which adds up to 160 miles per week and five people reported more than 100 miles rode in a week.
This year’s participation by gender:
The incentive to ride was great this year, besides the great weather, we had 25 prizes to give out thanks to our generous sponsors:
Hart’s Cyclery, McCaffrey’s Supermarket, Whole Earth Center, Kopp’s Cycle, St. Lawrence Rehab, REI, Sourland Cycles, Halter’s Cyclery,Knapps Cyclery, Whole Foods Market (Princeton) and NJ Bike Tours.
The prizes ranged from Trenton Thunder tickets, $25, $50 and $100 dollars gift cards to helmets and bike tune-ups.
The winners are: Jenny M., Deniz D., Robert W., Sharon H., Sena V., Jim S., Christian J., Marc B., Sam B., David B., Vanshaj B., Daniel W., Chris S., Elizabeth M., Joseph K., Charles K., Michael L., Philip C., Ellen F., Ken M., Jenny G., Ted B., and Edwin S.
The Bike to Work Week Team Challenge prize goes to a group of four riders from Maser Consulting.
Maser Consulting Team
The Visions of Bicycling photo contest winner is Deniz D.
Who needs a car on a beautiful spring day? We are a car-free family. You ask if that is even possible in New Jersey? It sure is and we love it! Here’s a classic example of a resourceful bicycle moment: my wife managed to get an entire piece of plywood home (cut to fit in our daughter’s chariot, yet just the right length for our project). But if that wasn’t enough, she stopped to pick up a watermelon along the way. The best part was the proud smile on her face when she got back home!
-Deniz D.
Kudos to Deniz and his family and thank you for the great picture!
GMTMA Visions of Bicycling photo contest winner
And as one of the riders said: “It’s not over yet!! The more I ride the more I enjoy my bike! Thanks for the extra push on my spring and summer riding. “
We hope this was an incentive to get you started and you will keep biking every chance you get.
Don’t forget to join us for the next Bike to Work Week Challenge!
Until then send us your stories or join us as a guest blogger.
We will follow up with a post about all the suggestions we received to make our communities more bike friendly.