Tallinn Leading the Cycling Challenge
The race is on! May 1st marked the start of the European Cycling Challenge and Tallinn is currently ahead of the bunch.
Initial results show Tallinn is leading the competition on Europe’s Cycling Challenge. By the end of day one, local organisers the City of Tallinn, Cyclicious Estonia & Tallinn Bicycle Week confirmed that the Tallinn Facebook event page had registered 177 partipants. Since then, participants have returned to the Facebook wall to record their experiences and enthusiam about beating the competing cities, all of whom are tracking mileage by GPS. Originally started as a MIMOSA measure in Bologna in 2011, the month long European Cycling Challenge now covers Barcelona (Spain), Iasi (Romania), Reading (United Kingdom ), San Lazzaro di Savena (Italy), Elliniko-Argyroupoli (Greece), Kessariani (Greece) and Saronikos (Greece). In Tallinn, bicycles are most commonly associated with leisure, sports and sweating! European Cycle Challenge 2012 seeks to promote the bicycle as a mode of transport for everyday trips, reduce CO2 emissions and other harmful effects of motorized transport and improve public health through healthier lifestyles. What’s more, the GPS system used by competing cyclists to track mileage provides information on people profiles, favoured cycling routes, distances covered, bike neighbourhoods and problem spots. Information like this will prove for Tallinn’s mobility decision makers when it comes to planning for future bike infrastructure and marketing activities. Who can participate? Anyone who has a mobile phone with GPS and internet connection with Endomondo application can participate for free. All people that have mapped at least 50 km roads by bike in Endomondo will have a chance to win gadgets and the grand prize is a top quality city bike. Competition results can be followed online on the Endomondo webpage.
Author: Anu Leisner
