In and around Seattle, sedan owners, bus commuters and weary walkers are all donning their neon yellow jackets, fingerless gloves, and padded shorts and taking to two wheels to participate in the annual Commute Challenge, known colloquially as Bike to Work month. During the challenge, gangs of around eight riders team up to compete against other groups around the region. Scores are tallied based on number of rides, number of miles ridden, and rate of ridership, all logged and calculated through the Commute Challenge website. At Weber Thompson, the challenge is a much-anticipated opportunity for heated intra-office competition. Riders are separated into three teams, each of which assumes a team name and identity, creates a logo, brand, and various propaganda to win the popularity of their competing, and non-competing coworkers.

Weber Thompson hosted a Bike to Work Day breakfast for all bicycle commuters as a way to encourage and celebrate commuting without fossil fuels.

The first two weeks of the challenge have brought various highs and lows: flat tires; a friendly all-team pub crawl; broken chains; borrowed bikes; Bloody Mary’s during Friday’s Bike to Work Day breakfast, team photo shoots, and staff meeting shenanigans.  At the time of publication, WT’s teams were neck and neck:

• Draft Punk:  68 rides, 618 miles ridden, and 77% ridership
• Jitensha Ninjas: 65 rides, 569 miles ridden, and 71% ridership
• Rushin’ Roulettes: 69 rides, 646 miles ridden, and 76% ridership

Good luck to all the teams, and stay tuned for additional updates as the competition rolls on.