This year’s Aotearoa Bike Challenge, held in February, has seen record participation with more than 24,500 people from over 2450 organisations taking part, including over 4950 new riders.
Workplaces, organisations and individuals across the country were encouraged to sign up for the Challenge and to motivate others to take part.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Senior Manager System Design Robyn Elston says it’s heartening that thousands more people have been encouraged to cycle.
“We’ve seen a 13 percent increase in the number of people taking part compared to last year which is inspiring. We want people to incorporate cycling into everyday life and enjoy the benefits it can bring. It’s fun, free and good for your health and the environment.”
There was a 26 percent increase in the number of organisations participating in the month-long Challenge this year. Many of them wanted to increase staff wellbeing as well as increase organisational sustainability. Participants made more than 320,000 trips by bike (an 10% increase), cycling a phenomenal 4,558,530 kilometres in total.
The Aotearoa Bike Challenge is a partnership between Waka Kotahi, local councils and the global organisation Love to Ride.
To give riders an extra incentive, there were great prizes up for grabs including two Trek Allant+ 8S eBikes powered by Bosch eBike Systems, a stand-up paddleboard package and an Air Series 300 Tent from Torpedo 7, smart helmets and bike bags from Wattwheels, apparel and vouchers from Ground Effect, and a Xtracycle Leap Kit that transforms a bike into a cargo bike.
The seven staff-size category winning organisations will receive a workplace visit from Torpedo7 including free bike checks, a cycling workshop, a personalised consultation about their workplace cycling goals, and a custom discount package to help achieve them.
See the table below for the full list of category winners.
| Place | Company | Region | Number of staff cycling | Kilometres travelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000+ staff | ||||
| 1 | Christchurch City Council | Christchurch | 428 | 78,119 |
| 2 | Beca | NZ-wide | 415 | 75,680 |
| 3 | Canterbury District Health Board | Christchurch | 372 | 63,851 |
| 500 – 1999 staff | ||||
| 1 | Tonkin Taylor | NZ-wide | 252 | 45,746 |
| 2 | Aurecon | NZ-wide | 172 | 29,664 |
| 3 | Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency | NZ-wide | 181 | 33,765 |
| 200 – 499 staff | ||||
| 1 | Beca Christchurch | Christchurch | 156 | 31,769 |
| 2 | Trimble Navigation NZ | Christchurch | 127 | 27,763 |
| 3 | Rotorua Lakes Council | Bay of Plenty | 122 | 20,117 |
| 50 – 199 staff | ||||
| 1 | GHD - Christchurch | Christchurch | 76 | 15,524 |
| 2 | Aurecon Christchurch | Christchurch | 76 | 12,085 |
| 3 | Tonkin + Taylor / Geotechnics - Christchurch | Christchurch | 57 | 13,039 |
| 20 – 49 staff | ||||
| 1 | PDP - Christchurch | Christchurch | 45 | 7,771 |
| 2 | Abley - Christchurch | Christchurch | 45 | 6,731 |
| 3 | dtr | Auckland | 21 | 11,652 |
| 7 – 19 staff | ||||
| 1 | Fastlane Fitness | Waikato | 10 | 7,153 |
| 2 | Good Earth Matters Consulting Ltd | Manawatu-Whanganui | 9 | 2,981 |
| 3 | Metermaster | Auckland | 9 | 3,562 |
| 3 – 6 staff | ||||
| 1 | NetPotential | Auckland | 5 | 3,455 |
| 2 | Eco Villa | Christchurch | 6 | 2,660 |
| 3 | LMAX Group | Auckland | 5 | 2,931 |
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