The great thing about owning property in Adelaide is the city's accessibility – and there is no better way to get around the city of churches than by bicycle. Adelaide City Council has harnessed the potential of a bike-powered community with The Love to Ride Challenge, a free competition to encourage residents to experience first-hand the joys and benefits of riding a bike.
The competition is part of Adelaide City Council's Smart Move strategy, a 10-year transport and movement plan to make the city's streets safer, more connected and easier to access. Smart Move will see eight outcomes being delivered over the next ten years to enhance the ways people move from place to place, which will ideally help Adelaide retain its position as one of the most liveable cities in the world.
The Love to Ride Challenge is quite simple – get as many people in your workplace to get on a bike for as little as ten minutes a day, from Friday 23 January to Monday 23 February 2015. With 88 per cent more people cycling to Adelaide from 2003 to 2011 according to council statistics, this initiative will ideally help to further reduce congestion and get local organisations more involved in community outcomes.
People who work in the City of Adelaide, Unley, Charles Sturt, Norwood, Payneham and St Peters, Burnside or City of West Torrens can take part and are eligible for all sorts of great prizes, ranging from cinema tickets to bike gear. Individuals who are not a part of an organisation can also take part, given they live or work in one of the above council areas.
Online registration is simple and all organisations and departments who take part will compete against similarly-sized offices to give everyone a fair chance. It's not about how far or often you can ride a bike, but about who can encourage the most people to give the bike a go. If you don't have a bike, don't worry – it's free to hire one from Adelaide Free Bikes or rent one for a longer term from Bike SA.