Today starts National Bike Challenge. If you haven’t heard of it until this very moment, now is your chance to join in on a very fun way to get miles in on your bike.

People for Bikes hosts an annual challenge to get out and ride as a communitym from small to large scale, to share the joys and benefits of bicycling. More information about the premise of the challenge here.

I joined the challenge last year for the first time. I did it for myself, as I didn’t work at a company I could get coworkers to create a team with me. I got some friends involved, and found other friends who had joined, who I would secretly try to “beat” in miles. I logged every single commute to my office, every trek to the grocery store, every slow strolling ride I would have with a friend.

My favorite part of the challenge was seeing how many miles I had accumulated from May 1 to September 30. I loved seeing my carbon footprint going down because I was saving in fuel. Oh, did I mention they have monthly drawings for prizes? You have to make sure to log your mileage by the end of the month to qualify for the Bronze, Silver, or Gold level as to what you qualify for in prizes. You can see where you stand within your team, the city, state, and country and set goals to get out and ride more, if you want to boost your rank.

This is meant to be a fun challenge, and for everyone. As they say on their about page: “It doesn’t matter if you’re riding hundreds of miles a week or just getting back in the saddle, you are welcome in the National Bike Challenge.”

We have a Bicycle Friendly Fort Wayne team, and you are welcome to join us! What better way to start logging those miles than starting with National Bike Month, and all of the wonderful events with Kickstart Fort Wayne. So, start your own team, or join ours, and get out and ride. Most importantly, ride safe and HAVE FUN!!