2018 Results

In the Central Okanagan, nothing but new records were set this year!

The team at smartTRIPS is blown away by these amazing results, all thanks to you. Every single person who rode their bike and took the time to go online and log their trips – this is your result, and it’s amazing. Kudos to you!

Provincial New Rider Winners

• Gabriel Joseph – Ministry of Environment, $250 gift card to Sport Check
• Team Leader is Josphine Nurse – Ministry of Education, she opted to get 5 - $50 Gift Cards to MEC to share with her team

Provincial Grand Prize Exodus Trip Winner

The 2018 Grand Prize Winner of the Exodus Travels Trip to Portugal is...

Melene Foyd from Greater Victoria!

“I couldn’t believe it when my friends texted me to let me know I won,” says Foyd. “I have dreamt of going to Portugal for years to swim in the Atlantic Ocean [and] I have been wanting to go on a bike trip.”

Foyd works for the Ministry of Environment and logged four trips during BTWW for a total of 48.88 kilometers, but she isn’t new to two-wheeled travel. “I have used my bike as my method of transportation since I learned biking as a three-year-old in Denmark. I always bike to work, rain or shine, as it’s fun to bike.”

She will spend eight days with her husband exploring Portugal by bike while riding from Porto to Lisbon. “I am excited about seeing the country by bike, as it is a wonderful, calm way to travel. And then to be treated to stay in hotels along the way with dinner and wine tasting –I can’t wait!”

Exodus Travels has been supporting Bike to Work for the past four years by sponsoring their grand prize trip. Robin Brooks, Exodus Travels’ Marketing and PR Manager, says that this initiative is directly in line with their company vision.

“After 44+ years of creating cycling tours across the globe,” says Brooks, “we truly believe in giving back to people in the communities we visit and the natural environment… 2018 has been a record year for Bike to Work BC for riders and words cannot describe how thrilled we are to have seen so many people taking part in this extraordinary cause.”

Provincial School Winners

Each school won a $50 gift card for the store of their choice.

• South Kelowna Eagles
• St. Joseph’s Elementary
• CNB
• Ecole Sir James Douglas Elementary
• Muhiem School
• Pleasant Valley Elementary
• Conrad Elementary
• Alberni Elementary

Become a Sponsor

Bike to Work and School Week simply could not happen without all the generous support from our sponsors. Is your business interested in supporting BTWW? Contact events@smartTRIPS.ca to let us know and we will get in touch with you next year for BTWW 2019.

A huge and sincere thank you to all 72 of our 2018 sponsors. You are amazing! See the full list of sponsors here.

Update on Dropbike

Dropbike has hit the streets and is already brightening the day for many folks around town. The system has already registered over a thousand rides during the first weekend. This smart-bike program is run through the Dropbike app and provides a fun, low carbon, affordable way to get around Downtown Kelowna. The boundaries for the current system are Clement St., Ethel St., and Rowcliffe Park. In the next few months you will start to see more of these cheery bikes.

Many people in Kelowna have been wondering how to best use these bikes and here are a few tips: First, make sure to bring your own helmet for the ride; second, always lock your bike to end your ride manually; third, bring your bike back inside the boundaries after your ride; and last but not least please do not leave your bike in a pedestrian path. The Dropbike team is having a lot of fun taking care of these delightful bikes and hope you are enjoying them just as much!

Keep Riding

Bike to Work Week is officially wrapped up, but that doesn’t mean you should put your bike away! Keep pumping those pedals all summer long and keep a good thing going! We’ll see you out there.

Until Next Time…

This e-newsletter is taking a well-deserved hibernation. We might pop our head up for a few announcements here and there (keep an eye out for Summer Streets 2018), but we’ll see you again starting spring 2019 for the next Bike to Work and School Week. Ciao!