Workplace Toolkit

Use Bike Month to encourage bicycling at your workplace

May is a great time to promote bicycling at your workplace, and the best time for beginners to get started biking. Leverage Bike Month events and programs to increase bicycling to and from your workplace, or as a form of exercise and stress relief while working remotely, and generate momentum for onsite improvements.

Suggested to-do list

This sample timeline will help you plan for a fantastic Everywhere Challenge and inspire riders. You can find the full schedule of Bike Everywhere Month events here.

April

  • Set a goal for your workplace (number of teams, new riders, trips), and offer incentives for people who recruit new people to ride.
  • Plan workplace Bike Month activities:
    • A bike commuting roundtable lunch where regular riders share tips and routes with the bike-curious.
    • Organize an early May kick-off party or breakfast and an end-of-the-month awards ceremony.
    • Celebrate commuters by hosting a Bike Everywhere Day celebration station in your neighborhood, along your commute, or at your workplace.
  • Update internal website with bike commuting information and resources.
  • Fill a table with your colleagues and friends for the Kaiser Permanente Bike Everywhere Breakfast May 25, 2022.
  • Promote the Bike Everywhere Challenge to your employees using sample recruitment email below. Registration for the Challenge opens in April.
    • Offer incentives (like a gift card) to team captains for starting a team and recruiting people to ride.
  • Recruit your CEO or a high-profile leader to participate in bicycling activities. Invite them to a post-Bike Month awards lunch or organize a fun ‘Ride with your CEO’ bike ride.

May

  • Go anywhere by bike! The Bike Everywhere Challenge starts on May 1, 2022.
  • Recognize bike commuters on Bike Everywhere Day, May 20, 2022.
  • Feature bike commuters in your blog or newsletter, especially a team captain or new rider who are especially inspiring.
  • Promote existing bike events and free group rides as listed on the Cascade calendar.

June

  • Celebrate your organization or team’s efforts by organizing a fun awards ceremony or bike commuter breakfast.
  • Share results and success stories with senior leadership and in your internal communications.

Ongoing

  • Poll participants for suggestions to increase bike commuting at your business.
  • Make strategic enhancements for bike commuting.
  • Contact Cascade Bicycle Club for advice.

Inspire your employees

New bike commuters respond to support, encouragement and incentives. Below is a list of suggestions to guide your Bike Month planning.

  • Host a riding class for new commuters or point employees towards the League of American Bicyclists’ videos.
  • Submit a compelling video about bicycling at your workplace.
  • Propose theme days (lycra, business suits, tutus, super heroes, tweeds, etc).
  • Organize free food for bicyclists (breakfast, lunch, or happy hour).
  • Use your ride-matching skills to pair new bike commuters with experienced riders.
  • Raffle off fabulous prizes.
  • Get your CEO to participate – organize a CEO ride to your workplace!
  • Stage a bicycle fashion show (demonstrate that bicycling is a diverse activity with lots of different purposes).
  • Share inspiring stories via company newsletter, intranet, or blog.

Email templates

Feel free to use these templates to promote the Bike Everywhere Challenge via email, online, or newsletters. Registration for the Challenge is free and opens May 15. Graphics and additional promotional ideas can be found here.

To recruit captains

Dear ________,

Bike Month is coming up and __________ (organization) will be participating in the Bike Everywhere Challenge. I’d like to encourage you to join the all-star cast of team captains.

As a team captain, you can significantly increase bicycle commuting at _________ (worksite). And we’ll be backing you up with some fun events and incentives, including:

  • Events
  • Incentives
  • Classes
  • Other

To start a team, you simply sign up online, recruit three or more coworkers to join your team, and encourage them to ride as much as possible throughout June. The challenge starts June 1; please start your team today!

________(your name, title, department, contact information)

To encourage executive support

Dear __________ (title)

I would like to encourage ___________________(business) to participate in the Bike Everywhere Challenge. Bicycle commuting makes great business sense. Bike commuters are healthier and more productive employees. Bicycle parking is a fraction of the cost and space of car parking. Bike commuting is especially valuable to me as an employee because _____________________.

The Bike Everywhere Challenge is a simple turn-key program that has significantly increased bicycle commuting among both new and experienced riders.

What’s more, it’s very simple for businesses to participate. Team captains like me recruit and encourage riders. The riders track their own trips online. Washington Bikes provides a comprehensive business toolkit with email templates, newsletter blurbs, graphics, and inspiration.

At the very least, I’d like to ask you to promote the Bike Everywhere Challenge to all staff. Please check out the Bike Month website for information and resources.

Captain ________(your name)

________(team name)

________(business name)

________ Department

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