The numbers are still coming in, but it looks like the Coast surpassed last year's Bike to Work Week enrollment despite a rainy May 27 to June 2.
"We definitely had conditions against us. The weather was appalling, it couldn't have got much worse really," said organizer Martin Prestage. "But we are elated at the turnout, absolutely. It was a very successful event."
Last year 61 teams registered to forego their vehicles and pedal two wheels to work, while 86 teams registered this year.
As of Wednesday, June 5, the Bike to Work Week website showed Sunshine Coast cyclists clocked 10,942 km and saved about 2,539 kg of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere. That total will likely change, however, as many teams still have to enter how many cyclists actually came out that week and how many kilometres they ended up riding.
"Our role now is to chase people down and get them to enter their information," Prestage said. "We want to be able to keep track and compare our results from year to year."
Prestage and fellow coordinator Mark Wilson said they felt like the community really embraced Bike to Work Week this year.
"What's huge over here for us is that it's such a community event, and because we know a lot of the people involved in Bike to Work Week, there's a real camaraderie in it over here," Prestage said. "They come out because they know us and because they want to come to the party and enjoy the community event."
Bike to Work Week participants enjoyed the celebration stations where they could grab a coffee and a muffin and swap stories daily, Wilson said. Riders could also pick up tickets to enter prize draws at the stations set up throughout the Coast.
The two most sought after prizes were the adult and child sized Giant bikes supplied by Spin Cycles.
The winners of the bikes were adult rider Litze Boghean and student rider Ethan Hafey from Halfmoon Bay Elementary School.
Students were encouraged to take part and ride their bikes to school daily during Bike to Work Week. Last year two schools took part, and this year five schools got involved.
The wrap-up event in Roberts Creek saw about 150 riders come out to enjoy a party and slideshow of more than 200 pictures participants uploaded during the week to photobucket.com.
Prestage and Wilson were encouraged by the turnout and thanked sponsors for their "tremendous support" of Bike to Work Week, noting the annual event has been embraced by the business community.
While coordinators look to next year's event, Wilson encourages cyclists to keep up the alternate form of transportation.
"Our goal is to make this a lifestyle for people, to get them to realize that it is actually feasible to ride your bike much of the year here," Wilson said. "And if you did it last week during those rains, you can do it pretty much year round."
