Simsbury Bike Challenge Leads National Competition: Riders Needed for Strong Finish

Adults and teens that live, work, or volunteer in Simsbury are invited to join the Simsbury Bike Challenge. Ride anywhere, any distance, any frequency - but if you ride, be counted! Your rides will help drive funding and support for a Bicycle Friendly Simsbury.

Through Sept. 30, Simsbury is participating in the National Bike Challenge , a free wellness and bicycle advocacy program that encourages people to bike for transportation, fitness and recreation. Participants log the miles they bicycle, and compete for prizes and awards with local and national riders in an online community.

Simsbury’s local challenge, the Simsbury Bike Challenge, is hosted by bicycle advocacy organization Simsbury Free Bike and is currently ranked #1 in the U.S. with over 180 registered riders and 82,000 miles logged since May 1st. Riders earn 20 points each day they ride, plus another point for each mile. Individual riders are ranked by total points earned, and the group total is adjusted for size of the community, which allows Simsbury to compete with large advocacy groups from urban areas. In 2015, the Simsbury Bike Challenge finished in fifth place.

To help reward participants, Challenge riders can win prizes through the national program and the local challenge just for participating. Log a September ride for a chance to win local prizes generously donated by: The Bicycle Cellar, Body Over Bike (Quick Fit Session), Road ID, Joe Pizza, Little City Pizza, and more.

Additionally, every ride logged supports local and national bike advocacy efforts.

There’s still time to join and help Simsbury finish in the top spot. All September rides can be logged, even the ones ridden before joining. Strava and MapMyRide users may sync their data directly with the National Bike Challenge.

Join at www.nationalbikechallenge.org. Learn more at www.simsbury.bike or contact challenge@simsbury.bike.