Cleveland Defends Rust Cup

The results for the National Bike Challenge are in, and we did it! Cleveland once again takes down Pittsburgh in the coveted Rust Belt Battle of the Bikes! Cleveland put up 806,687 miles to Pittsburgh’s 585,534, smashing the Steel City to the tune of 221,153 miles! Bam! To keep things fair, this year we calculated mileage per 1,000 residents with Cleveland scoring 588 to Pittsburgh’s 489. All told, the two cities logged 1,389,622 miles! That’s a lot of pedaling! Well done to all involved! Special shout out to the Mind Brain Social Club for ranking 2nd in the nation for both of the teams they fielded!! An awesome achievement! You rule!

It should be noted that although it’s great fun mauling PGH in mileage to the tune of 221,153 miles, both areas benefited greatly from everyone’s participation. Pittsburgh and Cleveland combined offset 362,130 pounds of carbon dioxide, burned over 74 MILLION calories, and saved $227,000 for our communities at large. Nationally, the challenge logged over 37 million miles, offset over 8 million pounds of carbon dioxide from being pumped into the air we breathe, and saved us nearly $5 million. A great demonstration of the positive spillover effects of bikes on our society. As a society, we’re healthier and richer when people choose to ride rather than drive. An important fact everyone should acknowledge.

Airborne pollutants present a very real danger to us as human beings, and we need to do more to reduce the amount we pump into our atmosphere. The end of the challenge is quite timely with the United States EPA announcing yesterday new, tougher standards aimed at reducing smog. Our transportation sector is a primary contributor of CO2 and nitrous oxide, and we need to continue to reduce the amount in our air if we wish to improve public health. One of the best ways to do that is to reduce vehicle miles traveled, and that is exactly what the National Bike Challenge encourages people to do.

So, chapeau to everyone who participated. You’re awesome! As the reigning, defending champions, we’re already looking forward to next year and going for the 3-peat! If you didn’t participate this year, no worries, get out on your bike today knowing that every pedal rev and every mile is helping to create a safer, healthier, and more sustainable world for everyone to enjoy. The battle will resume next spring, so be sure to sign up at www.nationalbikechallenge.com