What is Santa Cruz Bike Month?
This May, everyone in Santa Cruz is invited to join Santa Cruz Bike Month, a fun, free competition to get more people on bikes.
While we deal with unprecedented global challenges, riding a bike is a good way to ensure you are getting enough daily exercise as well as an easy and safe way to travel from A to B while avoiding crowds.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's Bike Month is a little different - only solo rides and rides with members of your household hunkering down with you are allowed.
Riding a bike can help:
- prevent the decline of your immune system in the short and long-term. Physical activity helps to flush bacteria out of your lungs and airways reducing your chances of getting a cold or flu. The rise in body temperature when riding a bike also helps our bodies fight infection better.
- cut the risk of cancer and heart disease by 45%
- boost your mental health, helping to make you feel happier and more connected to your surroundings and less prone to depression than other forms of transport
- reduce stress and anxiety - any form of physical exercise is good for reducing stress. Biking can help take your mind off problems, or give you a chance to think about things calmly.
For Santa Cruz Bike Month it doesn't matter if you ride every day or if you haven't been on a bike in years. You only have to ride for ten minutes to take part and you will also be rewarded for encouraging others to ride. Indoor rides count, too!
Though we can't ride together, we can stay connected through Love to Ride.
How it works
- You ride you bike - responsibly and safely - for your daily exercise or essential travel needs.
- Only participate in solo rides or small rides with those you are quarantined with.
- Every time you ride, you earn points. You also earn points for encouraging others to join the challenge.
- Your points contribute towards your organization's total to help you compete against other organizations of a similar size.
- No organization? No problem! Join a social club/group with your friends, family, neighbors etc. to keep each other motivated.
- Log rides between May 1-31 to take part.
Points
Points are earned as follows:
Individual Points
You earn points by riding and encouraging others to ride as per above. The more points you earn, the higher you can climb on the individual leaderboards!
Organization Points
Your organization's points are the sum of each individual team members' efforts. The more people you encourage to join your organization's team, the better!
What are the benefits to your organization?
- Free for everyone
- Fun team-building activity that can be done remotely
- A friendly competition between local employers and organizations (and internal departments) to keep spirits high
- Help reduce traffic, boost employees health and wellbeing, reduce carbon emissions, and save money
- Prize incentives
How to take part
Follow these four steps:
- Create a profile on this website (it's free), then login and join the challenge when prompted
- Ride a bike anywhere, anytime for at least 10 minutes between between May 1 and 31, 2020. Rides must be done alone or with those in your household that you are quarantined with. Group rides are not permitted at this time.
- Record your rides here and tell your friends and coworkers about the Challenge.
- Reward yourself and your friends by winning prizes!
Team Sizes
Organizations will compete against those of a similar size for a fair chance of winning.
Your participation, trips, and miles will count towards your organization's score.
Sync with an app
You can participate in the challenge by logging rides manually on our website, but syncing an app (MapMyRide, Strava, or Endomondo) will help you automatically enter prize drawings by syncing your rides for you so you don't have to remember to log every ride individually.
Win Prizes
We're giving away some great prizes! Find out what you can win...