May is National Bike Month! To celebrate, Bike/Walk Tampa Bay is hosting the Tampa Bay Bike Month Challenge with Love to Ride and the League of American Bicyclists. Due to “Safer-At-Home” restrictions in place, bicycling is an especially great way to get exercise and fresh air.

“Hosting bike challenges is one of the many fun ways we encourage people to build regular bicycling habits,” said Julie Bond, BWTB Program Director. “We hosted the Tampa Bay Bike Challenge, a regional competition, in March. Participants took nearly 4,000 trips by bike and rode an astounding 58,785 miles. We look forward to seeing Tampa Bay bicyclists get the recognition they deserve in the National Bike Challenge this May!”

Challenge participants earn points for any ride lasting ten minutes or longer, including indoor rides on a home trainer or exercise bike. Several ride-tracking fitness apps, like Strava and MapMyRide, sync with the Love to Ride platform, allowing users to automatically log their bike rides. For those who prefer not to use ride-tracking apps, it’s quick and easy to log rides manually, including indoor rides which are not tracked by apps.

In addition to bike rides, participants also gain points for encouraging others to participate. The Love to Ride platform enables users to share photos from their rides and helps people stay connected during the pandemic when riders must refrain from group riding. Although most people are not currently commuting to work, individuals can still participate in virtual workplace competitions, giving employees working from home another fun way to stay in touch with colleagues.

Sign up here

Questions about how to bicycle while observing social distancing best practices? Check out our COVID-19 resource guide for recommendations.