Attn CEO's - Bike to Work Challenge

Bike to Work Launch Event
Cycling CEO Challenge - Monday, May 17, 2010

What - Join your other Columbus CEOs and their friends, family and colleagues for the 1st annual Cycling CEO Challenge. Join Mayor “Bikin’ Mike” Coleman, ODOT Director Jolene Molitoris, members of Columbus City Council, the Columbus Foundation and Consider Biking for a Bike to Work Celebration and Cycling CEO Challenge.

Why – The Columbus Foundation will be announcing a significant investment in Consider Biking and our bold “2 by 2012” Mode Shift program which will work within Columbus’ major workplaces to encourage and incentivize active transportation. With the support of our corporate and civic leadership, we will demonstrate that there is a direct relationship between increased levels of active transportation and/or bicycling (in any form) and the economic competitiveness of our businesses and community. This effort in Columbus is innovative and transformative; it is drawing attention from transportation leaders across America.

When – Monday, May 17th. 7:30am – 9:00am

Where – The Cycling CEO Challenge Bike to Work will gather at the OSU Gateway Plaza at 1546 North High Street for a brief ceremony with Mayor Coleman at 7:30. We’ll ride en mass, under safe police escort, the 2.5 miles south on High Street to the Statehouse, for the Consider Biking Celebration event at 8:30 am. We will launch our “2 by 2012” Campaign at the Statehouse event, and recognize you and our many corporate partners.

How – We’d like to make this as easy and enjoyable for you as possible. There is ample car parking at the OSU Gateway parking deck. If you don’t have a bike, we’ve provided an attached list of the area’s best bike specialty stores. We’ve made arrangements with several of them to offer a demo or loaner bike for the May 17th ride if you’re wary of making a purchase commitment. You can either set an appointment with the referenced owner (and identify yourself as participating in the Consider Biking CEO Challenge), or send Consider Biking’s Executive Director, Jeff Stephens jeff@considerbiking.org a note with your height & inseam. He and the participating shops will make the arrangements and have a bike delivered for your use to the OSU Gateway on May 17th. We’ll arrange bike storage options downtown for the day; it’ll be as easy as valet car parking! Finally, if you choose to “ride home” that afternoon, we’ll have experienced bicycle leaders leaving the Statehouse every half hour from 4:30pm to 7:30 pm to shepherd you back north on High Street to your car at the OSU Gateway.

Clothing – You’ll barely break a sweat! You can either wear your business clothes for the ride, or wear more comfortable clothes on the ride and leave a set of business clothes at your office the week prior. The loaner bikes will have flat peals, which are functional for tennis shoes to wingtips (maybe not ladies heels). We’ll provide straps for your pant legs to keep your pants away from the chain. We’ll provide a list of downtown health clubs (later) that will offer shower & locker facilities free of charge for the event.

The Cycling CEO Challenge Cup – We encourage you to gather as many of your employees to participate as possible. Please invite your family and friends too. We’ll award a CEO Challenge Cup Award to the organization that has the most employees participating. We’ll also extend our Bike Loaner hospitality (based on availability) to any member of your organization that would like to try biking to work on May 17th!