You probably know people who can’t bike commute, but they do like to bike for recreation. Have them register, too! They can attend any of our recreational events throughout the month. This year, both types of registered riders (Commute Challenge or Recreational) will receive a 24-page Bike Month Passport (handy 4×5.5″ pocket size; see cover above). Participants get their passport stamped at Bike Month events.

We’ve created participation rewards. Get your passport stamped at five events and receive a pair of 2013 Bike Month socks (first 500 riders). Very cool. Achieve 10 stamps and we’ll give you a $25 gift card to a bike shop (first 80 riders). Attend 15 events and you get a gift card to a local restaurant (first 30 riders) AND your name goes into a drawing for grand prizes.

Passports available at public libraries in Des Moines, West Des Moines, Johnston, Altoona, Perry, Indianola, Ankeny, Bondurant, Urbandale, Carlisle, and Grimes. Ditto for  the Greater Des Moines Partnership office and the Des Moines Bicycle Collective’s new shop at 506 E. 6th. Many of the large companies in the metro also have passports for their employees. We will also have them available at our Bike Month events until we run out.

Glad you asked. Here’s a handy link to 2012 results. Among companies with more than 25 employees, RDG Planning & Design was the leader with a 7.54 % commute rate. Impressive.

Thanks to Paul Harrington-Taber for building the spiffy PDF pages with complete standings.

Thanks to John Sayles and his team at J. Sayles Design for creating this year’s Bike Month branding. The thumbnail above gives you a glimpse of the passport.

And thanks to Justin Gruca and Rob Cook at August Home who have volunteered to customize and maintain the Bike Commute software for use in Central Iowa.