Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2017 Earth Month Bike Challenge April 10-30 at the University of Iowa! Approximately 180 people actively participated in the challenge, biking more than 16,600 miles.

Trophies were awarded to the top three teams with the highest point totals. Team Coffee Ride Science Ride Beer won the team challenge, followed by Dev Null in second place and PsyClists in third place. In the individual challenge, Jeremy Bockholt topped the leader board with 925 points and won a free bike tune up from the Broken Spoke and a $20 World of Bikes gift certificate. Duane Staskal placed second and earned bike lights and $20 World of Bikes Gift Certificate, while Matthew Kressin placed third and received a water bottle and a $20 World of Bikes gift certificate. Points were given for miles biked, days biked and riders encouraged. 

Matthew Kieffer (pictured right), Brandt Uitermarkt, and Elizabeth Hubing won Active Endeavors gift cards in the photo contest. Mary Traschel won a Trumpet Blossom Cafe gift certificate for encouraging the most riders (7). Cycle Like a Hawk seat covers were given to 34 consistent riders; six riders were also given weekly random prizes including bike locks, t-shirts, and mugs from UI Housing and Dining.

The challenge was intended to encourage bike commuting on campus, showing that riding your bike is a fun, healthy way to get around town. Plus it's good for the environment, and helping reduce carbon emissions, one of the University of Iowa's 2020 Vision sustainability goals. If all of the miles were driven by a 25 mile per gallon car, that would be a total of *12,583 lbs of CO2 saved. That's a substantial amount!

See the Earth Month Bike Challenge page for final leader boards and more information.

*U.S. Energy Information Administration (used conversion of about 18.95 lbs of CO2 for every gallon of gasoline)