Since the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year, more British Columbians than ever are working from home and foregoing their typical commutes to the office.
That's why registered non-profit society GoByBike BC has expanded its initiative formerly known as "Bike to Work Week."
This year, Whistler cyclists will instead be able to log any pedal-powered trips they take during the event—whether to work, to the grocery store, to the lake, or elswhere—between Sept. 24 and Oct. 4.
As local environment charity AWARE pointed out in a Facebook post, 54 per cent of Whistler's community GHG emissions came from passenger vehicles in 2019. To that end, this year's Go By Bike Week is giving local participants an opportunity to help reduce our emissions while creating a healthy habit, as well as the chance to win some pretty sweet prizes.
Whistlerites are encouraged to register individually or as a team for the week-long event and keep track of their bike trips over the seven days—not just to qualify for numerous prize draws, but to also quantify the amount of CO2 being saved. Those registered can log their rides using GoByBike BC's online tracker, or link up to your Strava or Map My Ride account.
Any riders registered for Go By Bike Week will also be eligible to recieve a free bike light they can use for safe nighttime cycling.
After all, as organizers point out on Whistler's GoByBike community page, this is a resort "where your bike might be worth more to you than your car. It might have its own room in your house. And your partner might complain that you spend more time with your bike than you do with them. So why not use a bike for your everyday life as well as your recreation?"
Other pros to joinging the challenge? "Save some money on gas and parking, get some exercise, and enjoy that fresh, clean Whistler air on your rides around town," the page reads (well, once the wildfire smoke has gone). "Who knows? You might like it so much that you start bike commuting every week of the year!"
