Encourage cycling to work this May to help create safer, more bike-friendly streets

Transport for Greater Manchester and Love to Ride have come together to actively encourage and support more people to ride bikes and commute to work via active travel by supporting the Bike Month Challenge this May to #MakeEveryRideCount. 

Delivered by Love to Ride, this initiative is focused on getting more people to ride bikes and rating how safe and comfortable they felt on their routes. This valuable rider insight can then be used to help transform local infrastructure in a way that makes biking safer and more enjoyable, encouraging more people to take up cycling in future.

So, how does it work? Once someone downloads the Love to Ride app and enjoys a bike ride, they can use the Rate My Routes feature to show how comfortable they felt on different streets and paths. This feedback, paired with anonymized trip data from other users, can pinpoint the prime spots in your community calling out for better biking infrastructure!

Bee Net Zero are encouraging businesses across Greater Manchester to get involved in the challenge, as a way of promoting active travel amongst employees and reducing carbon emissions.

The Bike Month Challenge provides a simple, effective and fun way for businesses to meet their health, wellness and sustainability goals. In addition, employees will enjoy some friendly competition while creating stronger bonds with their co-workers. 

The Bike Month Challenge is a great team-building opportunity and is offered entirely virtually.

Here are all the ways a business can benefit from taking part:

Here’s how your employees can take part:

• Download the Love to Ride app
• Enjoy a bike ride anywhere, any time
• Use the Rate My Routes feature to provide feedback on streets and paths
• Earn points with every bike ride that will turn into prize draw entries
• Encourage others to get involved to earn more points and prize entries
• Create a profile for your workplace to take part in a bit of fun competition, too!

What if you’re new to riding?

To join the challenge, it doesn't matter if you ride every day or if you haven't been on a bike in years. The folks at Love to Ride are behaviour change experts who have refined their approach by helping people worldwide get into biking. Love to Ride has lots of resources to help people ride out with confidence, including a range of Tips articles and Quick Courses. 

There are so many benefits that your employees can enjoy from riding a bike, and the Bike Month Challenge is about embracing each and every one of them, such as: 

⚡️ Supercharged physical health – even a 10-minute bike ride will boost your immune system, improve cardiovascular health, and help you live longer 

🧠 Improved mental health – riding a bike is a mindful activity that promotes the release of endorphins and can reduce the causes of depression 

🧡 Reduced stress and anxiety - biking can calm the mind, improve self-confidence, and elevate your mood 

🌍 Protecting the planet – reduce your carbon footprint by leaving the car at home

💰 Saving money – cut down on transport costs and car maintenance

Download the Love to Ride app from the App Store or Google Play Store.

Learn more about the Bike Month Challenge.