The NZ Transport Agency has partnered with Greater Wellington Regional Council, Wellington City Council, and 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 national prizes valued at over $11,000 with additional prizes just for Greater Wellington residents including an e-bike, a Fitbit sponsored by Calibre, restaurant vouchers, workplace shouts and more prizes to come.
Last year's Challenge saw more than 2,400 people from 286 organisations in the Wellington region take part. These ranged from small to large workplaces, including Creative Capital Arts Trust, ACC, and Xero, to name a few.
During last year's Challenge, participants from across New Zealand 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 Transport Agency's commitment to helping people get around by bike, with a focus on investing in connected cycling networks as part of a wider transport system.
"The benefits of cycling include healthier people, less congestion, and reduced carbon emissions. 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.
"We are thrilled to be partnering with Greater Wellington Regional Council and Wellington City Council to bring the Aotearoa Bike Challenge to the Wellington region. It's great to see the continued support of so many businesses in the Wellington region, who get on board with the Challenge each year."
"Cycling is really taking off in Wellington. More and more people are riding to work and Aotearoa Bike Challenge gives employers and businesses the perfect opportunity to encourage staff to get into cycling and enjoy the many benefits it offers. We also turned the challenge into a fun internal event which really motivated staff to get involved, it was a huge success," says Greg Campbell, Greater Wellington Chief Executive.
Wellington City Council's Portfolio Leader for Walking and Cycling, Councillor Sarah Free, says the Challenge is a good opportunity for people who have been thinking about riding to get on a bike and give it a go.
"For those new to cycling in Wellington, our website bikethere.org.nz(external link) has lots of information and advice to help you on your way."
Participating in the Challenge is easy, and the range of prizes is 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.
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 kilometre 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 can register online at www.lovetoride.net/wellington(external link)
What: Aotearoa Bike Challenge
Who: Workplaces nationwide (and their employees)
When: February 2019
Cost: Free
How: Register here www.lovetoride.net/wellington(external link)
Prizes include: An Old Ghost Road and Heaphy Track on a 7 Day Mountain Bike Tour with Haka Tours, an e-bike conversion kit, A scenic weekend for 2 with Air Napier and Scenic Hotels, Restaurant vouchers from Mama Brown, a Fitbit Charge 3 from Calibre and many more! See the full list of prizes here(external link)
