xuchi

The rising gas costs have prompted a challenge where I work as to who can bike commute the most to work.

You would draw names to make up the initial brackets. It would cost a base amount, maybe 10 bucks each and the money would continue to pass up each time. You wouldn't make any money unless you won the final round, unless people were allowed to cash out before starting the next round. So they could cash out, or go on for more money. Then you could keep a rolling bracket so as people got knock out they could rejoin against others who were eliminated or new people. Then you could pit winners of won bracket against another. Say you won in four rounds, you would win $80. Say the winner of another bracket that started after yours won in three rounds, he would have $40. You could go head to head for $40 each. We would want something that would promote biking not eliminate people right off and send them back to driving. You could do side bets to with the person you are biking against too. Like five bucks a week on top of the entry fee.

Anyone ever had any luck with something like this? Ideas?

konageezer

Holy CARP, is that ever complicated. I'm guessing you do office pools and fantasy baseball and stuff.

Anyway, if the bottom line is more people on bikes, then give'r. Sounds good.

Cyclon

^ I second konageezer. It sounds complicated.

xuchi

Yeah it is too complicated. Maybe we could just do it as a way to get some sort of friendly competition going with no $$ involved. Just talking about starting a contest got people interested in digging their bikes out of their garages..

BTW, as far as I know no one does office pools but I have heard some people talking about the fantasy baseball thing.

cooker

How about doing it more as a club or a networking/team-building thing, where the new commuters have an email list going, or a newsletter, and maybe get the company to donate team T-shirts, and helmet stickers and stuff like that?

xuchi

Good idea cooker. We have a softball team...Why not a biker gang!!!!????

We are a grocery store so we could also get vendors to donate prizes, sponsorship, etc.

Boudicca

Why don't you just each put in $10 and the last person to keep commuting (without a snow break/rain break/sickness break) gets the pot. If at the end of a pre-set period (three months perhaps) there are still people left riding you just split that money among those hold-outs and start the game again.

Loooty

Here we have an event of the same name.

https://www.bikecommutechallenge.com/bcc05

It is friendly competition/encouragement with no money at stake.