Bay Area Bike Challenge
30,000 Miles for 30 Years of BTWD
Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Bike to Work Day by participating in the Bay Area Bike Challenge!
Log your rides in May to count towards our collective goal of 30,000 miles and earn the chance to win prizes! All of your rides during Bay Area Bike to Wherever Days from May 1-31st are eligible. Sign up for the Bay Area Bike Challenge on Ride with GPS where you can use the app to track your rides or log them yourself manually.
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) proudly presents this challenge to strengthen community bonds and promote unity across the region. Whether you're commuting to work, running errands, or enjoying a leisurely ride, every mile counts toward our goal.
Logging Rides
Ride with GPS integrates with all your favorite ride tracking platforms, including Strava, Apple Fitness, Google, and more. Sign up today to start building momentum and be ready to ride on May 1st!
Prizes
Logging rides in the Bay Area Bike Challenge makes you eligible for prizes, with eight ways to win at different skill and ridership levels, some as easy as riding a bike:
TIER ONE - The Most!
Most Miles Overall - $500 gift card
Most Trips - $500 gift card
TIER TWO - Creative! Make something awesome
Most Creative Route - Shape - $250 gift card
Most Creative Route - Points of Interest - $250 gift card
TIER THREE - Raffle! Everyone has a chance to win
Raffle based on Miles (1 Mile = 1 ticket) - $200 gift card
Raffle based on Miles (1 Mile = 1 ticket) - $200 gift card
Raffle based on Trips (1 Trip = 1 ticket) - $200 gift card
Register and Ride Raffle - $200 gift card
Learn more about Prize Rules below!
Bike Route Library
We’ll be building out the challenge with preprogrammed routes for rides in each of the nine Bay Area counties. Access this Route Library for free as a participant in the challenge!
We’re Here to Help
Need some roadside assistance? Check out our FAQ below or reach out with any questions.
PRIZES
Participating in the Bay Area Bike Challenge also makes you eligible for prizes, with eight chances to win at different skill and ridership levels!
Winner #1: Most Miles Overall ($500 gift card)
Whoever tracks the most miles using the Ride with GPS app wins this grand prize
Winner #2: Most Trips Overall ($500 gift card)
Designed to lift up those who use their bike for work, play, and everything in between, whoever tracks the most individual trips using the Ride with GPS app wins this other grand prize
Winner #3: Most Creative Route - Design ($250 gift card)
What designs can you draw with your bike routes? Go beyond straight lines and loops for this prize. You can plan your route ahead of time using Ride with GPS and then open it in the app for turn by turn directions! Or you can simply record your ride live.
Winner #4: Most Creative Route - Points of Interest ($250 gift card)
Oh the places you’ll go! How many Bay Area landmarks or treasures can you fit into one ride? You can plan your route ahead of time using Ride with GPS and then open it in the app for turn by turn directions! Or you can simply record your ride live.
Winner #5 & 6: Raffle Based on Miles ($200 gift card)
This prize can go to anyone who rides! Every mile you track gets your name in the hat another time. Increase your odds by riding further. Anyone can win!
Winner #7: Raffle Based on Trips ($200 gift card)
This prize can go to anyone who rides! Every trip you track gets your name in the hat another time. Increase your odds by riding more often. Anyone can win!
Winner #8: Register and Ride ($200 gift card)
Everyone has an equal chance of winning this prize, no matter how many miles or times they ride. Register and then ride at least once in May for a chance to win! Anyone is eligible whether they are tracking their rides live via the Ride with GPS app or logging them manually.
While you can log any amount of miles or trips you want towards the challenge and our collective 30,000 miles, only miles and trips tracked live with the Ride with GPS app will be counted towards prizes. It’s the best way to keep things honest ;-) The challenge will run from 12am Pacific Time on May 1st to 11:59pm on May 31st.
In the unlikely event of a tie, a prize rewarding the most miles will be broken based on whoever has the most trips of the two, and a prize rewarding the most trips will be broken based on whoever has the most miles between the two.
FAQs
What is the Bay Area Bike Challenge?
Throughout the month of May for Bike to Wherever Days, we are challenging the Bay Area to collectively log 30,000 miles on their bikes. And we can’t do it without you! The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) proudly presents this challenge to strengthen community bonds and promote unity across the region. Whether you're commuting to work, running errands, or simply enjoying a leisurely ride, every mile counts toward our goal. Join the Challenge!
How can this be the 30th Anniversary of Bike to Work Day?
I know, right? We got this party started in 1994. Let’s do it for another 30! Biking never goes out of style.
I don’t allow my phone to see my location and don’t track my rides with apps. Can I still participate in the challenge?
Yes! While only miles and trips tracked directly by the Ride with GPS app will count towards most of the prizes, you can still contribute to our collective goal of 30,000 and be eligible for the “Register and Ride” Raffle. You can manually enter your rides via a web browser instead of through the app. Here’s how:
How do I enter my miles manually and get the credit in Ride with GPS?
In a web browser, log into your account at www.ridewithgps.com. (NOTE: this will NOT work from the Ride with GPS phone app. You may use a web browser on your desktop or your phone.)
Select “Upload” from the main menu on the left side of the home screen.
Click “Create Manual Ride” on the right side of the screen.
Fill in the details of your ride. You can enter each ride individually, or estimate all of the miles you rode in May in one giant ride.
Click “Save” to complete your manual ride log.
Learn more here: Manually Logging Miles in Ride with GPS
I use Strava or another ride tracking app. Can my Ride with GPS data show up there?
Yes! You can connect your Ride with GPS account to Strava, Garmin, and more, so that when you log your miles for the challenge they will also show up in your favorite tracking app. Click here to learn how!
Note: you will still have to use Ride with GPS for the miles you want to count towards the challenge, because this connection is a one-way street. Ride with GPS data will automatically show up in Strava, but Strava data will NOT show up in Ride with GPS. If you can’t bear to use anything else but Strava, you can also log your rides manually throughout the challenge. Here’s how.
I have an Apple Watch. Can I use that to participate in the Challenge?
Yes! All you have to do is download the Ride with GPS app and be sure to add the app to your watch. Then all you have to do is open the app from your watch, hit “Record,” and you’re done! Be sure to hit “pause” and then “finish” when you’re done. Your rides will automatically show up in your Apple Health data, though there may be a slight delay. Click here to learn more.
Is there any reason other than the Challenge to register with Ride with GPS?
Yes! In addition to being able to log your miles and help us with our regional goal of riding 30,000 miles, you’ll also have access to our route library to learn all sorts of awesome new routes by bike. Plus, there’s a whole community of cyclists on Ride with GPS just waiting to learn about you.
Once you register for the Bay Area Bike Challenge, don’t forget to pledge to ride!
