Winter Warriors

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January 27, 2015

From Dec. 1 to Dec. 20, 117 bicyclists participated in the University of Iowa's Winter Warrior Challenge, a fun, healthy and environmentally-friendly way to show that a bike commute is possible despite chilly temperatures.

The UI Bike Advisory Committee encouraged people to bike to work or class as long as they felt safe and comfortable. Bikers logged their trips and mileage, competing for winter bike gear and services from local bike shops. The Winter Warriors logged 9230 miles and 3199 trips. Though there were less cyclists in this year's challenge the total number of miles was up from 8,294 in December 2013 and trips were up slightly from 3,167.

Even though the challenge was only for a short time, you can still bike after the challenge ends! We heard from many participants who bike year-round. See these tips for finding the right protective clothing and gear, selection of equipment and safe biking in varied weather conditions.

Winners

Most miles biked

First place: Brandt Uitermarkt, 567.9 miles, will receive a Fat Bike rental for one weekend from World of Bikes

Second place: Mark Wilson, 511.99 miles, will receive a set of studded tires and a tail light from 30th Century Bikes.

Third place: Ben Anderson, 425 miles, will receive a  $10 gift card to Geoff's Bike and Ski.

Most trips:

First place: Michael Kegel, 118 trips, will get a gift certificate for a spring bike tune-up from the Broken Spoke.

Second place: Brandt Uitermarkt, 108 trips, will receive a set of studded tires and a tail light from 30th Century Bikes.

Third place: Andrew Lidral, 76 trips, will receive a $10 gift card to Geoff's Bike and Ski.

See the complete final leaderboard here.

The Winter Warriors also entered photo contests showing them bundled up and ready to ride. Winners of the photo challenge received a $10 gift card to Active Endeavors and their pics are are posted on the Winter Warrior Challenge website. See all the photo challenge entries on Flickr: Most Bundled and Open.

Check out the media coverage as well: