07.16.10 // A Team Gold Challenge

I’ve mentioned before that I’m the Gold Team Leader for Clif Bar’s 2 Mile Challenge, but I haven’t said too much about campaign, and today, I’m going to fill you in.

Clif’s 2 Mile Challenge is really important to me and my cycling style. I appreciate a good recreational ride as much as the next cyclist, but for me, it’s not about excessive mileage or speed. I don’t race (often), I don’t torture myself with hill repeats or sprints. And I firmly believe that the best way to use a bike is as a form of transportation. Using bikes as transportation has serious implications for the state of our environment and our health. My feelings on this are why I really support Clif’s 2 Mile Challenge, and why I’m the leader of Team Gold, which represents the non-profit The Alliance for Biking and Walking.

Clif Bar gave three nonprofit organizations each a grant of $25,000. But Clif has committed to giving away $100,000. You can see how that math doesn’t quite add up…So Clif is using the 2 Mile Challenge to decide which nonprofit gets the extra $25,000. Want to help the Alliance for Biking and Walking win that extra grant? All you have to do is ride your bike…

Here’s how you can help the Alliance For Biking and Walking win $25,000 from Clif Bar:

Go to www.2MileChallenge.com.

Sign up (be sure it’s for Team Gold).

Ride your bike as a form of transit.

Log your miles.

That’s it! You can log up to four trips per day, and each trip is worth 2 points (we’re counting trips, not miles, here people!).  You can also challenge other members (or your friends, invite them to join!) to earn extra points. And if that isn’t reason enough, I also do trivia contests, give-aways, and challenges.

Speaking of Challenges:

I have one for new and current members alike. If you’re on Team Gold, you have the chance to win an awesome 2 Mile Challenge package. I (via Clif Bar) will send you team colored socks (by Sock Guy), arm warmers (also by Sock Guy), a bandanna, stickers, a keychain, some 2MC buttons, and some 2MC postcards to put out at your local bike shop or mail to friends.  Sounds good, right? Here’s the challenge:

Ride your bike as a form of transportation three times in one week.

On each trip, be sure you ride to (or past) a sign that displays the date (ideas: banks, schools, some fast food restaurants, you get the idea).

Take a photo of yourself with the sign in the background showing the date (this might take some coordinating if the date flashes for a only a brief amount of time–I realize this, but it’s part of the challenge!).

Send the photos (all in one email, please) to kaitlin (then the at sign) bicycleboulevards.com. (the weird email format is to avoid spam emails). At the end of the challenge, I’ll pick at random 3 of the folks who completed the challenge and send them the prize package. I may also pick several runner-ups for smaller prizes.

The challenge starts NOW, and runs through the end of August (that’s midnight PST, August 31, 2010).

Get out there and RIDE!