Collected wisdom from Team Captains of Challenges Past:

1 > Sponsor the Challenge

The Bike to Work Challenge offers numerous opportunities for your organization’s commitment to happy, healthy employees to be recognized. Check out our Sponsorship Package and determine what level of giving yields the acknowledgement you think you deserve!

2 > Recruit team members

Most Challenge participants report that they signed up because someone invited them to. Recruit members to your team by hanging posters in prominent places, submitting copy for your company newsletter, and asking people directly to participate. Remember that new participants can register for the Challenge at any time, so use the excitement of the competition to sign new riders up through May 20. The more people on your team, the higher your likelihood of winning—and every trip counts!

3 > Create a succession plan

You never know what the next year will bring, so start thinking early about how you’ll pass your torch. Having a co-leader (or two or three) for this year’s Challenge lightens your load and ensures you’ll have effective advocates for bicycling in your organization no matter what!

4 > Educate your team

Our certified and insured Cycling Instructors are on call to get your team members prepared for their Challenge experience; we have several commuter cycling courses already scheduled, or we can tailor courses to your specific needs. Members of our Challenge Planning Team are also available to provide one-hour Brown Bag Lunch presentations, at your place of business, on the Challenge itself. Contact Ken Cohen to schedule the educational opportunity that best meets the needs of your team, or check out our Resources section for more general information!

5 > Foster team spirit

Whether experienced or new cyclists, your team members want to be part of something bigger than themselves. There are many ways to create a sense of community around the Challenge: form a riding club or match people with Ride Buddies, attend Bike Month events together, purchase matching Challenge t-shirts, create a team cheer, etc. Feel free to get creative—even cheesy—with this!

6 > Plan or host a Bike Month event

Groups from all over Central Ohio will be hosting bike rides, workshops, cultural events, parties, and more to celebrate Bike Month in May. Anyone can join the fun simply by planning an event and promoting it on the Bike Month community calendar. If your organization has something to share with the wider cycling community in Central Ohio, consider this an invitation to create an event that showcases your passion and expertise!

7 > Ensure all trips are logged

Check in with your team members periodically throughout the Challenge to remind them to log their trips and offer assistance inputting information as necessary. You don’t want to miss out on points because your team didn’t log their trips on the Challenge website!

8 > Document your participation

Don’t forget, in the midst of all the fun, to take some pictures–you’ll regret not having anything to commemorate the experience. And be sure to share your images with the Challenge Planning Team and others in the community!

9 > Celebrate the experience

The Challenge Launch Party & Awards Ceremony will be celebrations of cycling and cyclists you won’t want to miss. But consider further acknowledging your team members’ Challenge participation within your organization, win or lose, with a simple email of congratulations, a special break-time gathering over snacks, or something else that’s meaningful to them. Commuting to work by bike is a major commitment, and one that’s worthy of recognition!

10 > Collect feedback

The Challenge Planning Team will send all participants a post-Challenge survey to solicit feedback on how we can continue to improve the experience. You might also want to gather feedback from your team members on how the Challenge played out within your organization, and what they’d like to see happen going forward. Creating a Challenge binder or yearbook is a great way to track and improve upon your participation over time!