Tampa Bay Bike Challenge

Beginning this March 1st, everyone is invited to join the Tampa Bay Bike Challenge, a fun, free competition to get more people riding bikes.

While we deal with unprecedented global challenges, riding a bike is a good way to ensure you are getting your daily dose of fresh air and fun as well as an easy and safe way to travel from A to B while avoiding crowds.

Riding a bike can help:

• Improve your mental health, helping to make you feel happier and more connected to your surroundings and less prone to depression than other forms of transport

• Reduce stress and anxiety - any form of physical exercise is good for reducing stress. Biking can help take your mind off problems or give you a chance to think about things calmly.

• Give your immune system a boost in the short and long-term. Physical activity helps to flush bacteria out of your lungs and airways reducing your chances of getting a cold or flu. The rise in body temperature when riding a bike also helps our bodies fight infection better

• Cut the risk of cancer and heart disease by 45%

For the Tampa Bay Bike Challenge, it doesn't matter if you ride every day or if you haven't been on a bike in years. You only have to ride for ten minutes to take part and you will also be rewarded for encouraging others to ride. Indoor rides count, as well!

The Tampa Bay Bike Challenge is based on a Workplace Cycle Challenge format that Love to Ride has developed over the last ten years and that has engaged 498,000 people worldwide! There’s a local leader board where workplaces will compete against other organizations of a similar size, with points earned for riding your bike and encouraging others to ride during March as well. Workplaces with the highest score will win their category – and individuals will be entered in prize drawings as well. More points = more entries into the prize drawings.

The aim of the Tampa Bay Bike Challenge is to help people to enjoy the fun and freedom of bicycling safely and responsibly, and to help them to access the support they need to ride during these unique times.

Love to Ride meets riders where they’re at to provide relevant and useful tips and education for their level of confidence

To register, sign up at lovetoride.net/tampabay - it only takes thirty seconds. You can then log rides manually or by linking a cycling app (Strava or MapMyRide). You can also set yourself goals, track your mileage, earn badges, share photos and encourage others to ride.

Find out more and register at lovetoride.net/tampabay.

For bike safety tips to get you started, check out lovetoride.net/tampabay/courses.