MORGAN HILL, CA (BRAIN)—It was a day to stick it to the pump and protest $4 (and climbing) gas prices as 1,340 bicycle commuters representing a combined total of 39
bicycle manufacturers, retailers and industry affiliates participated in the 10th Annual Specialized 2008 Industry Commute Cup Challenge.
Both industry and bicycle retailers were challenged for the 10th year in a row to submit their percentage of employees that rode in on Bike to Work Day to get recognized by the industry as a hero for the planet for their pedal power efforts.
Quality Bicycle Products (QBP), Bloomington, MN, took first place in the 300+ category recording 61 percent with 216 of 352 staff riding in.
Specialized repeated first place finishes for both Morgan Hill with a 73 percent tally in the 200+ division (147 riders/202 staff) and Salt Lake winning 44 percent with 34/78 riding in for the 51+ category.
Fox Racing Shox captured the 100+ category.
There was a five-way tie for the 1-50 category with 100 percent of all riders saddling up (Dirt Rag, Rocky Mounts, Kinetic Koffee, Rick Vosper/RVMS), but SmartEtailing (remote staff), had the highest number of riders, 25 of 25 staff all riding in.
In the Retail Division, Island Park Cycles, Fargo, ND; Sunflower Outdoor and Bike, Lawrence, KS and Bicycle Sport Shop North, Austin, TX tied for 1st place in the 11+ division with 100 percent participation.
Five retailers had 100 percent staff ride in for the 1-5 employee category: Yorktown Cycles, NY; The Bicycle Chain, Chapel Hill, NC; Pedal the Planet, KY; Bike Works, Kaila-Kona, Hawaii; Epic Cycles USA, Florida.
Companies also put the hammer down with Chris Carter from Bicycle Sport Shop, Central in Austin, TX, said the shop went all out and created a commuter challenge, "kinda-like fantasy football with commuting" and all fired up, they collectively logged 1800 miles for the past two weeks. Island Park Cycles celebrated its new home in Fargo's 100 year-old train station that will serve as a new transportation hub. Scott USA had no cars in its parking lot and fully loaded bike racks and sent photos to prove it and the snow-capped Wasatch Mountains didn't deter Salt Lake riders from commuting in.
Honorable mentions out to Kinetic Koffee who completed local deliveries by bike, newcomer/first time entry Crankbrothers, Jenson USA for a personal best 72 percent turnout and a fox sighting by Alison Rockwell of SmartEtailing en route on a Boulder roadway. First place winners in all categories will receive a token commute trophy to recognize their CO2 reduction for the day.
Ariadne Delon Scott, director of advocacy and environment for Specialized, said, "One day, hopefully soon, since the polar icecap is melting and we are running out of time—every bicycle company will post 100 percent participation on Bike to Work Day and then we'll all be heroes for the planet."
Every pedal stroke counts as 147 Specialized riders bicycled 2,096.3 miles; offsetting approximately 1,981 pounds of CO2 emissions for the day and there were no cars in our parking lots in all locations for the 10th year in a row.
