Northwestern Rides to Victory in 2020 Bike Challenge

The annual Bike to Work Challenge shifted gears this year. As many are working from home, the Active Transportation Alliance adapted the Challenge to count any bike ride, no matter the destination. This allowed those who were not commuting to earn points for their team and encouraged cycling as an opportunity to stay active. Northwestern won its category (Education with 5,000+ employees) and placed second overall, with Lurie Children’s Hospital earning the first place spot out of 141 participating teams. 
 
Northwestern graduate student Wisnu Hadibrata placed fifth overall in individual riders and was the top rider for the Northwestern team. "I figured I would just join the challenge and get more motivation to put more hours on the saddle," said Hadibrata. "Especially during times like this, I found biking to be one of the better ways to keep myself active and distracted from all that's happening." 
 
Team Northwestern Wildcat Riders had 115 participants who earned points for the number of rides, the distance of their trips, and bonuses for first-time riders and consecutive days. From July 6 – 19, Northwestern cyclists collectively rode over 8,000 miles and logged more than 1,200 trips.

“Despite this time of remote working, bike commuting – even to the local grocery store, the post office, or to the park – has been more important than ever," said Elizabeth Adamczyk, Co-Chair of Northwestern's Sustainability Transportation Working Group. "Such trips often are a few miles or less. I’m so glad that the Bike Challenge adapted this year to include ALL bike trips taken as a way to encourage the use of the bicycle as a vehicle of well-being this summer. Our congrats to Lurie Children’s who are on the front lines and logged all those bike commuting trips this year!” 
 
Participation in the Challenge is one way Northwestern encourages cycling, particularly as a means of commuting, in support of a more sustainable future. In the past few months, cycling has become more popular as a safe transportation option, providing physical and mental health benefits. More people on bikes also reduces carbon emissions from other transportation modes. The increase in cycling is significant enough that it has created inventory shortages at bike shops across the country.  

sustainNU supported cyclists during the challenge with a Bike Safety webinar and a  virtual Q&A session with experienced riders. For those  who do not own a bike, Northwestern offers a Divvy discount that is available to all students, faculty, and staff.  The University Membership program provides a discounted $75 annual fee. Divvy for Everyone is also available to the Northwestern community, offering a $5 annual membership for eligible applicants.  
 
Thank you to all who made the 2020 Bike Challenge a success! For more information on safe and sustainable cycling, visit the sustainNU Bike Resources page and the University’s Bike Commuting page.