Bay Area Bike Challenge 2026
Log your rides in May to help reach our 175,000 mile goal and win prizes!
Every ride you log during Bay Area Bike to Wherever Days from May 1-31 counts, and each trip you track via the Ride with GPS app make you eligible for cash prizes.
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) proudly presents this challenge to strengthen community bonds and promote unity across the region. Whether you're commuting, running errands, or enjoying a leisurely ride, every mile counts toward our goal.
Logging Rides
Ride with GPS integrates with all your favorite ride tracking platforms, including Strava, Apple Fitness, Google, and more. The challenge runs through May 31st, so sign up today!
Logging rides in the Bay Area Bike Challenge makes you eligible for prizes, with twelve ways to win at different skill and ridership levels, some as easy as riding a bike:
TIER ONE - The Most!
Most Miles Overall - $500 gift card
Most Trips - $500 gift card
TIER TWO - Creative! Make something awesome
Most Creative Route - Shape - $250 gift card
Most Creative Route - Points of Interest - $250 gift card
TIER THREE - Raffle! Everyone has a chance to win
Raffle based on Miles (1 Mile = 1 ticket) - $200 gift card
Raffle based on Miles (1 Mile = 1 ticket) - $200 gift card
Raffle based on Trips (1 Trip = 1 ticket) - $200 gift card
Register and Ride Raffle - $100 gift card
Register and Ride Raffle - $100 gift card
Register and Ride Raffle - $100 gift card
Register and Ride Raffle - $100 gift card
Register and Ride Raffle - $100 gift card
Learn more about Prize Rules below!
Bike Route Library
We’ll be building out the challenge with preprogrammed routes for rides in each of the nine Bay Area counties. Access this Route Library for free as a participant in the challenge!
We’re Here to Help
Need some roadside assistance? Check out our FAQ below or reach out with any questions.
Prizes
Participating in the Bay Area Bike Challenge also makes you eligible for prizes, with twelve chances to win at different skill and ridership levels!
Winner #1: Most Miles Overall ($500 gift card)
Whoever tracks the most miles using the Ride with GPS app wins this grand prize
Winner #2: Most Trips Overall ($500 gift card)
Designed to lift up those who use their bike for work, play, and everything in between, whoever tracks the most individual trips using the Ride with GPS app wins this other grand prize
Winner #3: Most Creative Route - Design ($250 gift card)
What designs can you draw with your bike routes? Go beyond straight lines and loops for this prize. You can plan your route ahead of time using Ride with GPS and then open it in the app for turn by turn directions! Or you can simply record your ride live. To submit your route, please add "Creative" to the name of your ride, then email the ride’s link to info@bayareabiketowork.com
Winner #4: Most Creative Route - Points of Interest ($250 gift card)
Oh the places you’ll go! How many Bay Area landmarks or treasures can you fit into one ride? You can plan your route ahead of time using Ride with GPS and then open it in the app for turn by turn directions! Or you can simply record your ride live. To submit your route, please add "Creative" to the name of your ride, then email the ride’s link to info@bayareabiketowork.com
Winner #5 & 6: Raffle Based on Miles ($200 gift card)
This prize can go to anyone who rides! Every mile you track gets your name in the hat another time. Increase your odds by riding further. Anyone can win!
Winner #7: Raffle Based on Trips ($200 gift card)
This prize can go to anyone who rides! Every trip you track gets your name in the hat another time. Increase your odds by riding more often. Anyone can win!
Winners #8, 9, 10, 11, & 12: Register and Ride ($100 gift card)
Everyone has an equal chance of winning this prize, no matter how many miles or times they ride. Register and then ride at least once in May for a chance to win! Anyone is eligible whether they are tracking their rides live via the Ride with GPS app or logging them manually.
While you can log any amount of miles or trips you want towards the challenge and our collective 175,000 miles, only miles and trips tracked live with the Ride with GPS app will be counted towards prizes. The challenge will run from 12am Pacific Time on May 1st to 11:59pm on May 31st.
In the unlikely event of a tie, a prize rewarding the most miles will be broken based on whoever has the most trips of the two, and a prize rewarding the most trips will be broken based on whoever has the most miles between the two.
Staff members at host organizations for Bay Area Bike to Wherever Days will be ineligible to win prizes. This includes: Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Silicon Valley Bike Coalition, Bike East Bay, 511 Contra Costa, Marin County Bike Coalition, Napa County Bike Coalition, San Francisco Bike Coalition, Solano Transportation Authority, Sonoma County Bike Coalition, and Next Steps Marketing. They are still encouraged to participate!
FAQs
What is the Bay Area Bike Challenge?
Throughout the month of May for Bike to Wherever Days, we are challenging the Bay Area to collectively log at least175,000 miles on their bikes. And we can’t do it without you! The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) proudly presents this challenge to strengthen community bonds and promote unity across the region. Last year we crushed our goal for a total 159,200+ miles, so we know we can do it! But we can’t do it without you. Whether you're commuting to work, running errands, or simply enjoying a leisurely ride, every mile counts toward our goal. Join the Challenge!
Is the Ride with GPS app free to use?
Yes! If you are downloading the app for the first time you may see a pop-up window with the option to upgrade, but you can always close that window and proceed with signing up for the app and the Challenge free of charge.
How do I record a ride?
It’s easy! Here are the steps:
Open the Ride with GPS app on your phone
Find and hit “Record” on the bottom of the “Home” screen
Hit “Start Ride”
Press and hold the “Pause” button when your trip is over
Make sure to click "Finish Ride" so your ride saves and is added to the Leaderboard!
I recorded a ride! Do I need to do anything else to have it count towards the Challenge?
As long as you are signed up for the Bay Area Bike Challenge, any ride you record in Ride with GPS from May 1-31 will count towards the Challenge!
I don’t allow my phone to see my location and don’t track my rides with apps. Can I still participate in the challenge?
Yes! While only miles and trips tracked directly by the Ride with GPS app will count towards most of the prizes, you can still contribute to our collective goal of 120,000 and be eligible for the “Register and Ride” Raffles. You can manually enter your rides via a web browser instead of through the app. Here’s how:
How do I enter my miles manually and get the credit in Ride with GPS?
In a web browser, log into your account at www.ridewithgps.com. (NOTE: this will NOT work from the Ride with GPS phone app. You may use a web browser on your desktop or your phone.)
Select “Upload” from the main menu on the left side of the home screen.
Click “Create Manual Ride” on the right side of the screen.
Fill in the details of your ride. You can enter each ride individually, or estimate all of the miles you rode in May in one giant ride.
Click “Save” to complete your manual ride log.
Learn more here: Manually Logging Miles in Ride with GPS
I use Strava or another ride tracking app. Can my Ride with GPS data show up there?
Yes! You can connect your Ride with GPS account to Strava, Garmin, and more, so that when you log your miles for the challenge they will also show up in your favorite tracking app. Click here to learn how!
Note: you will still have to use Ride with GPS for the miles you want to count towards the challenge, because this connection is a one-way street. Ride with GPS data will automatically show up in Strava, but Strava data will NOT show up in Ride with GPS. If you can’t bear to use anything else but Strava, you can also log your rides manually throughout the challenge. Here’s how.
I have an Apple Watch. Can I use that to participate in the Challenge?
Yes! All you have to do is download the Ride with GPS app and be sure to add the app to your watch. Then all you have to do is open the app from your watch, hit “Record,” and you’re done! Be sure to hit “pause” and then “finish” when you’re done. Your rides will automatically show up in your Apple Health data, though there may be a slight delay. Click here to learn more.
Is there any reason other than the Challenge to register with Ride with GPS?
Yes! In addition to being able to log your miles and help us with our regional goal of riding 175,000 miles, you’ll also have access to our route library to learn all sorts of awesome new routes by bike. Plus, there’s a whole community of cyclists on Ride with GPS just waiting to learn about you.
How do I enter a route for Most Creative?
Looking to win a prize for a creative route? Whether it’s for most creative design or for creative points of interests, please submit your route(s) by doing the following:
Adding “Creative” to the name of your ride
Adding a description so we know what it is or what you saw. Be as detailed as you want!
Emailing the ride’s link to info@bayareabiketowork.com
Pro tip: you can use Ride with GPS’ route planning tools to plan your creative route before your navigate it! Route Planning 101
What happens if we reach 175,000 miles before May 31?
We celebrate and keep riding! Remember, every mile and every trip you track acts like a raffle ticket, and every ride counts up until May 31st at 11:59pm. Let’s see how far we can go, together!
Explore Past Years’ Challenges!
Each Bike Challenge contains so many stories! From collectively tripling our 30,000 mile goal for the 30th anniversary of BTWD to riding the Bay Trail in a day, each year has moments worth remembering. Join the challenge and maybe we’ll share yours this year.
RECAP: Bay Area Bike Challenge 2025
Congratulations to all everyone who participated in the 2025 Bay Area Bike Challenge and in Bay Area Bike to Wherever Days all May! Here’s some of what we accomplished together:
159,000+ miles traversed over nine counties
15,125+ trips logged
959 participants in the Bay Area Bike Challenge
133% of the initial Bay Area Bike Challenge goal
9,500 miles logged as part of the Bay Area Bike Challenge on May 16th alone for Bay Area Bike to Work/Wherever Day
335 Energizer Stations hosted throughout the region by Bay Area agencies and advocates on Bike to Work/Wherever Day
16,000 riders visited those Energizer Stations
5,600+ Pledges to Ride in May
All of the participating riders, as well as agencies and nonprofits worked hard to make the Bay Area Bike to Wherever Days a huge success this year, and we congratulate them–the region not only reached our goal, but exceeded it by 33 %.
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) used Ride with GPS–an app that helps you log and navigate routes while biking–to create the Bay Area Bike Challenge with the goal of strengthening community bonds and unity across the region.
For 2025, we knew we wanted to go bigger than our collective 110,068.8 miles in 2024, so we set the goal at 120,000 miles. Participants blew us away again, clocking a total of 159,204 miles across 15,129 trips, with 959 people signing up to ride.
Winners
12 different prizes assured that everyone from first-time bikers to the most experienced long-distance cyclists had a chance to win. Explore this year’s illustrious winners below and hear about their Bike Month.
Grand Prizes ($500 each)
Most Miles Overall: Paul Ashton (Alameda County) – 2,312 miles
Most Trips Overall: Jay Gardner (San Francisco County) – 116 trips
Creative Routes ($250 each)
Most Creative Route – Design: Anna Maria Irion (San Francisco County) – I’m Falling in Love with You
Most Creative Route – Points of Interest: Dani Blake (Contra Costa County) – Bike to Books in East Brentwood
Raffle Winners ($200/$100 each)
Based on Miles: Jennifer Fong (San Francisco County), Phi N. (Sacramento County)
Based on Trips: Kathleen Kara Conley (Santa Clara County)
Register and Ride: Elena Ayers, Jennifer Watters, Nick Umemoto (Contra Costa County); Katie Riutta, Tasha Trego (Santa Clara County)
Most Miles: Paul Ashton, Alameda County - 2,312 miles
“I moved over from the UK 2.5 years ago and have found cycling in the Bay Area fantastic. I decided not to buy a car and commute to work an hour each way 5 days a week now. I also joined the SF Randonneurs and do quite a bit of long distance riding. The first two weekends of May happened to coincide with two 600km (375mile) rides which I thought would be a great start to the Challenge which I also joined last year. I actually cycled about 800 miles in a month more than I'd ever done before trying to keep number 2 and number 3 in the challenge from overtaking me!”
Most Trips: Jay Gardner, San Francisco County - 116 trips
“I love figuring out how to bike anywhere and how to fit everything I need (kids/gear/oversized items) on my bike! I ride regularly with my two kids all around San Francisco (and beyond) and they were especially excited to help make sure I tracked all my rides for the Bay Area Bike Challenge.”
Most Creative Route (Design): Anna Maria Irion, San Francisco County
I’m falling in love with you
“Perhaps self-evidently, when I first conceived of this idea, it was as a romantic gesture. And it still is one, but now there’s even more to it: while I was riding this route, I really felt how the statement also applies to the entire city of San Francisco. I’ve been in the Bay Area since I was 7 years old, but this is my first time living in the city, and it’s delightful to be on a bike here. It also turns out this would be my last ride before I broke my wrist and was thus unable to ride the final AIDS/LifeCycle. I still joined the ride as a roadie and have spent the past week falling in love with this queer cycling community, too.
But also you - I am falling in love with you.
My favorite parts of mapping out this ride were: touching as many parks as possible, how the Haight just had a perfect spot for a W, and the little loop in Duboce Park for the Y.”
Most Creative Route (Points of Interest): Dani Blake, Contra Costa County
Bike to Books in East Brentwood
“I have restarted riding a bike in the last year and I have loved riding outside so much. When I saw the bike challenge I was very excited to join in because it gave me even more incentive to get outside. The highlight ride was definitely my creative route entry. I have come back to reading a few times in my adult life, just like I’ve recently come back to biking. Each time I return to these hobbies, whether it be reading or enjoying the outdoors, it’s like I re-access myself. So when I saw the prompt I knew I wanted to recreate one of my favorite biking ventures: visiting Little Free Libraries all over town! This ride also included stops at the public library and the new Brentwood Barnes and Noble because they are also awesome places to access books in Brentwood!”
Raffle Based On Miles #1: Jennifer Fong, San Francisco County
“I am a High School Principal who both bikes to work and promotes students to bike to school so that we can get fewer cars off the street, to be safer for our community and to reduce carbon emissions and improve our planet. I loved seeing so many people out this year biking, especially when I see women, and people of color. (Mostly I see younger white or Asian men.) I am very proud to have logged 16 rides for Bike to Wherever month. There are very few 50+ year old women out there biking to work.”
Raffle Based on Trips: Kathleen Kara Conley, Santa Clara County
“I am totally stoked! I am a new cyclist who started just this year as a mature rider (in the baby boomer generation) and laid down over 500 miles in my first Bay Area Challenge! Fitter than ever thanks to cycling!”
Raffle Based On Miles #2: Phi N., Sacramento County
“Although I don't live in the Bay Area, I often take the train to do bike rides in the Bay. I'm always inspired by posts from r/BAbike; a great and engaging community. Also, being able to see all the new bike infrastructures built over the last 5 years or so, inspires me to be more proactive in my city to get more people on bikes.”
Register and Ride Raffle: Jennifer Watters, Contra Costa County
“The Bay Area Bike Challenge is a reminder that I can get around to many errands on my bike instead of in my car. And it’s more fun!”
Register and Ride Raffle: Katie Riutta, Santa Clara County
“I joined the Bay Area Bike Challenge because it sounded like a fun way to connect with the biking community as I'm getting back into biking as an adult. Bike highlights from May included riding with friends around the salt ponds at Alviso and coordinating a bike to lunch event for my coworkers!”
Register and Ride Raffle: Elena Ayers, Contra Costa County
“I had a great time riding a shorter course in the Grizzly Peak Century this year! As a busy mom I don’t get to ride as often as I used to, but it’s important to keep doing all the things you love!”
Register and Ride Raffle: Nick Umemoto, Contra Costa County
“I joined the Bay Area Bike Challenge because I love riding my bike and cycling is one of my passions. Every year, I organize a bike to work event for my co-workers so we could ride together to work while stopping at amazing energizing stations.”
Register and Ride Raffle: Tasha Trego, Santa Clara County
“I joined the Bay Area Bike Challenge to boost my cycling mileage and keep the momentum going. One of the highlights from Bike Month was doing my first solo grocery trip by bike. I’m usually too nervous to lock my bike out of sight, but this time I was able to bring it inside the store—making the whole experience feel safer, smoother, and way more rewarding.”
Technically Most Trips: Tim Oey, Santa Clara County - 138 trips
For the second year in a row, Tim Oey has logged far and away the most trips out of any other participant in the Bay Area Bike Challenge. During May he did one 50-mile recreational ride and 137 other rides covering 486 miles that replaced car trips. Alas, since he teaches for Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, he is not eligible to win a cash prize. He clearly loves to ride and hopes he has inspired many to ride more!
Highlights
We are so wowed by each of the participants in this year's challenge! Check out all of the riders and rides by exploring the final leaderboard. The numbers only tell part of the story, so here are some highlights.
Clocking in at 2,312 miles, this year’s winner for Most Miles, Alameda County’s Paul Ashton, rode 800 more miles than last year’s winner! In fact, so did all of the top four riders in 2025, including Jonathan Izen, Mike Holt, Eugene Bernosky, who all logged over 1,500 miles. Ashton is also a randonneur, a long distance cyclist. His longest ride this year was 380 miles from San Francisco to Fort Bragg and back again all in 28 hours :-O
Another randonneur is Poppy @Vegadeux, who is also the rider in the Top 20 with the longest average rides. With 911 miles for only 9 trips, that’s an average of 100 miles per ride. Read more about Poppy here.
Tim Oey rode the most trips for the second year in a row, clocking in at 138 rides! He works for Silicon Valley Bike Coalition so the prize goes to Jay Gardner, who logged a very respectable 116 trips. Chloe Liang, Naor Deleanu, Brian Andrade, and Eddie Carrillo all also logged over 100 trips.
579 participants rode between 1 and 400 miles, contributing 81,607 miles to the Challenge: over half of the total miles! The Bay Area Bike Challenge brings together riders of all skill levels and riding habits in one celebration of cycling.
Creative Routes
This year’s submissions for most Creative Routes blew us away, so we wanted to share as many as we could! Thanks to everyone who rode and submitted, keep those creative juices flowing.
Designs
I’m falling in love with you - Anna Maria Irion
We may never know the full story of who this was written for, but we do know the incredible story behind making it. Anna Maria Irion wrote/rode this design while training for the 545 mile AIDS/LifeCycle, and then promptly broke their wrist and could no longer ride at all! This was AFTER already logging 402 miles in the Bike Challenge. To create this dense and intricate 16+ mile route, Irion took screenshots on Google Maps and then drew on top of them in the Preview App on a computer. “The V, E, and W were the only really hard ones to place. When I started a new word I’d confirm I was at the right intersection and then confirm what the top and bottom streets would be, then ride while intuitively following the shape of the letters.” Hear more from Irion above under “Winners.”
Bicycle in Alameda - Jon Randell
Jon Randell is a creative bike route enthusiast, mapping out designs in Alameda for the second year in a row! This year he mapped out a bicycle and last year he mapped a sailboat, the word "Bike," and the word "Walk." His technique? "My trusty Bike Walk Alameda map and a large sheet of tracing paper."
Ice Cream Cone with Cherry - Lisa Winter
Lisa Winter blew us away last year with a rendition of Beavis, a 33-mile ride across Berkeley, Oakland, and Emeryville and the winning Most Creative Route for Design. Lisa was planning on another elaborate ride but then took a spill on Bike to Work Day. Ouch! Winter still managed to submit this one, a cherry on top of our Bike to Wherever Days! Lisa says:
“Sometimes, I start by envisioning a specific shape and then try to overlay it onto the map, moving it around until I find a geographical area where the shape fits well. The other method, which is how I came up with this year's design, involves looking at the map itself and seeing if any inherent shapes jump out at me–almost like finding figures in the clouds. For both methods I use graphic design software to overlay my image on top of a map. Once I find a shape and placement that I like, I open the RideWithGPS app and draw the route using the Route Planner.”
Points of Interest
Bike to Books in East Brentwood - Dani Blake
For this route around Brentwood, not only did Dani Blake visit locations but also marked them on the route map and took photos for each one! Check out the full ride on Ride with GPS, and follow along the next time you’re in Brentwood! Hear more from Blake above in the “Winners” section.
Around the Entire Bay in a Day from Gilroy - Mike Holt
Mike Holt rode the entire circumference of the Bay in one day, starting in Gilroy no less! This 236.7 mile feat is definitely worthy of accolades. Holt says: “I followed the Bay Trail as much as possible and I would estimate that a majority of the ride is on it. The Bay Trail has a lot more gravel than I expected. The hardest part of this ride is the San Pablo Bay Loop because it’s massive and you can see the whole thing. You ride for an hour and feel like you haven't gone anywhere. Winds were the strongest from Pinole through Richmond. It was coldest in Berkeley and then it was warm again a few miles later. While looking for the best route around the bay I found people who had done this over multiple days but no one in 1 day. I rode through approximately 40 cities and all the Bay Area counties.” Holt also has the honor of landing in third place on this year’s leaderboard with 1,778 total miles!
47 Energizer Stations on Bike to Work Day - Naor Deleanu
Naor Deleanu managed to stop by 47 of the 335 Energizer Stations on Bike to Work/Wherever Day–that’s 14% of the stations, and a 67 mile route around the East Bay! Check out Naor’s route for a full list of the stops he visited. This was far from Deleanu’s only ride this challenge, coming in sixth for most miles with a total of 1,413 and fourth for Most Trips with a total of 113.
The determination of the Bay Area’s bike community shines through the inspiring stories during this month. We look forward to continuing to promote unity and encourage cycling throughout the region not just in May but throughout the year.
In 2024, we marked 30 years of Bay Area Bike to Work Day with a goal of 30,000 miles. Read about how we more than tripled that goal and our winners!
