USU Wins 4th National Bike Challenge
Utah State University has competed in the National Bike Challenge since 2013. In USU’s fifth year, the school logged its fourth win in the school division, logging more miles from more cyclists than any other school. The 121 USU students and employees registered for the competition rode 78,908 miles. Utah State University Sustainability Council, Aggie Blue Bikes, and Employee Wellness Program organized the event to encourage cycling as a healthy, low carbon transportation option.
The National Bike Challenge is a competition that runs May 1 to September 30 across the country. Over 30,000 participants logged over 30 million miles, receiving 20 points for every day they rode and one point for every mile. Participants were eligible for prizes at the national and university levels.
USU celebrated the victory on September 28, 2017 with a Bike to Breakfast served by USU Dining Services with local eggs from Oakdell Egg Farms, pancakes from Central Milling Company, potatoes from Johnson Family Farms, and coffee from Caffe Ibis. Aggie Blue Bikes and the Sustainability Council recognized overall USU winners at Open Streets Festival on October 3, 2017. University winners include:
- Top cyclist: Ben Renard-Wiart, USU Public Relations
- Top points per team member: USU Public Relations
- Top points per team: USU Information Technology
About The National Bike Challenge
The National Bike Challenge is a nationwide event uniting thousands of current bicyclists—and encouraging countless new riders. The League of American Bicyclists and 3M sponsor the online competition.
About the USU Sustainability Council
The Utah State University Sustainability Council formed in 2007 after the university became a signatory to the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). The Council seeks to reduce carbon emissions as well as conserve resources and enhance quality of life by promoting sustainability in USU’s academic and service missions.
About USU Aggie Blue Bikes
Aggie Blue Bikes (ABB) mission is to get more people on more bikes, more often. This is achieved through bicycle lending, education and advocacy. The organization believes that cycling promotes healthy and sustainable communities, better air quality in Cache Valley, and a reduction of on-campus congestion and motor accidents.
About USU Employee Wellness Program
The goal of the Be Well Program is to support and enhance the health and wellness of employees and their families by building partnerships, programs and policies for the community.
Contacts: Alexi Lamm, USU Sustainability Coordinator, alexi.lamm@usu.edu, 435.797.9299
Margaret McCarthy, Aggie Blue Bikes Coordinator, margaret.mccarthy@usu.edu, 435.797.8139
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