The Aotearoa Bike Challenge is back for 2019

23 January 2019

The NZ Transport Agency has partnered with Love To Ride to bring back the Aotearoa Bike Challenge for its third year.

The month-long workplace Challenge, taking place in February, encourages New Zealanders to hop on their bikes and log their rides to be in to win some great prizes valued at over $11,000.

Last year’s Challenge saw more than 14,000 people from over 1,600 organisations across New Zealand take part. These ranged from small to large workplaces, including TSB Bank, 2 Degrees, Beca NZ and Zespri, to name a few.

During last year’s Challenge, participants made more than 161,000 trips by bike and cycled an impressive 2.1 million kilometres in only one month!

The Challenge is part of the NZ Transport Agency’s commitment to helping people get around by bike, with the agency investing in connected cycling networks as part of a wider transport system.

“The benefits of cycling are many – healthier people, less congestion, reduced carbon emissions, to name but three. Businesses and organisations have a key role to play in encouraging more people to choose a bike as a transport choice,” says Kevin Reid, Acting Senior Manager System Design, NZ Transport Agency.

“For employers, having more of your people riding bikes to and from work, or during the day, means a more alert and healthier workforce, and contributes to increased productivity. It’s great to see the continued support of so many businesses, who get on board with the Aotearoa Bike Challenge each year.”

Participating in the Challenge is easy, and the range of prizes are a great motivator to get people riding bikes. To take part, people must register and record trips online. People only need to ride 10-minutes to participate.

“The Challenge offers organisations – big or small – a chance to get their staff involved in cycling, competing as a team against other workplaces of a similar size,” Mr Reid says.

Last year’s Top Commuter winner, Mark Fitton, from Sanford says, “My main reason for participating in the Challenge was to improve my own wellbeing, while actively reducing my carbon footprint and looking after our planet.

“This event rekindled my love of cycling, which I had neglected for the past 20 years. I now cycle every day to and from work, rain or shine,” says Mark.

Last year’s top encourager winner Matthew Kilpatrick, from the Palmerston North City Council, felt a great sense of satisfaction seeing so many colleagues trying something different.

“For many people, riding a bike is seen as an activity associated with one’s youth. I wanted to show others that riding a bike can be fun at any age”.

For this year's Challenge, a points-based system has been introduced. Both an individual participant and their workplace team can earn points for every mile cycled, every day someone rides a bike, and for every person that has been encouraged to sign-up. Every point matters, and everyone in a workplace can contribute to their team’s total points.

Aotearoa Bike Challenge starts on 1 February and continues until 28 February. Participants must register online at www.aotearoa.bike.

What: Aotearoa Bike Challenge

Who: Workplaces nationwide (and their employees)

When: February 2019

Cost: Free

How: Register here www.aotearoa.bike

Prizes include: Ride the Old Ghost Road and Heaphy Track on a 7 Day Mountain Bike Tour with Haka Tours (valued at $4000), winning an e-bike conversion kit (valued at $1400), and many more. See the full list of prizes here.

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