Campus bikers pedal to prizes

Campus cyclists provided a big boost to the 2002 edition of Bike to Work Week in Greater Victoria May 27­June 2 and ended up riding away with a bike trailer full of prizes. More than 450 faculty, staff and students cycled to work during the week, forming 40 department-based teams. That's triple the number of university bikers who took part in 2000 and a big part of the regional total of 304 teams and 3,500 cyclists this year. UVic riders logged more than 18,000 km over the week.

For the second year in a row UVic was a major sponsor of the environmentally friendly, community-based event which aims to increase the use of bicycles as commuter transportation.

"We're incredibly proud of UVic's success," says BTWW President David Cubberley. "It's inspiring to us because it shows just how dramatically the idea of cycling to work can take hold at a major employer. In a year that saw teams and participation soar for the fifth consecutive year, UVic set the pace."

University teams also accumulated an impressive assortment of draw prizes in the BTWW commuter challenge, including two of the four grand prizes. Barb Currie (biochemistry and microbiology) won a 24-speed suspension hybrid bike and members of the "Chain Reaction" chemistry team won a 24-speed hybrid which they auctioned off to raise $425 for a student scholarship fund. Other teams acquired free bike tune ups, a back rack and panniers, bike lights, bus tickets, and biking shorts and a jersey through the draws.

Teams from computer science (large workplace), physical education, forest biology, the CALL facility, and the engineering dean's office (small workplaces) all won team meals at a local restaurant for finishing among the top five in their workplace category in percentage of trips to work taken by bicycle.