The National Bike Challenge is a fun program that encourages people to ride their bikes, and offers a bit of friendly competition, along with a chance to win some great prizes along the way.
The National Bike Challenge runs from May 1st through September 30th, and to participate, all you need to do is to register at NationalBikeChallenge.org, then record the number of miles you’ve ridden your bike. You can log the miles manually, using a GPS cyclocomputer, or by using a smartphone and a free app that records your ride and uploads it to the web.
It’s fun, it’s free, and it can earn you some serious bragging rights.
It can also help your community compete with other towns and cities across the state and across the nation. Competition is based on population, so small towns like Iola, Humboldt, and Moran have just as much of an opportunity to do well as larger cities.
Every type of riding counts — trail riding, mountain biking, biking on neighborhood streets, trips to the grocery store, road riding, bicycle touring — every ride of at least one mile counts towards the total.
It doesn’t take any special equipment, other than the bicycle itself. Old bikes work fine, as do new bikes, and everything in-between. Mountain bikes, road bikes, city bikes, hybrid bikes, recumbent bikes, cargo bikes … whatever gets you out on the roads and trails, burning calories and enjoying life. You can ride your bike to work or school, or you can just ride for fun, fresh air, and exercise.
The National Bike Challenge is open to everyone, regardless of age, fitness, or physical ability. If you can ride a bike (or a trike!) you can join in on the fun.
We here in Allen County have really good bicycling opportunities, with off-road trails like the Prairie Spirit Trail and the Southwind Rail Trail, miles and miles of lightly-trafficked rural roads, bicycle-friendly streets (such as the bike route network in Humboldt and the new sharrows in Iola), and easy access to popular destinations such as schools, shops, restaurants, parks, churches, and libraries, it’s not hard to find an excuse to get out, nor a safe and comfortable route to get there.
When you ride your bike in the National Bike Challenge, you’re joining a supportive community of people who enjoy exercise, fitness, socializing, and the beauty of nature. Watch for special events and get-togethers from Thrive that will allow you to meet other people who enjoy bicycling in Allen County, and perhaps find some new friends and riding partners.
Sign up for the National Bike Challenge
If you’d like to learn more about the National Bike Challenge, along with tips and advice for logging your miles, plus a huge directory of bike trails and bicycling events, check out the Kansas Cyclist web site.
