Civia Challenges Bike Industry to a Showdown

MEDIA RELEASE from Civia Cycles

Where the Web Meets the Asphalt: Civia Challenges the Bike Industry to a Showdown

Think of it as a fantasy sport, but with a daily dose of sweat added. Last fall, Civia unveiled its Greenlight web application. Free to register and use by anyone, Greenlight promotes transportation cycling by providing trip-tracking software for logging bicycle riding miles. It is also a venue for friendly competition. Greenlight, now boasting more than 1,600 registered users, will be the arena for Civia’s industry-wide challenge.

“We’re setting up two challenges, one for vendors, one for dealers,” said Civia general manager Scott Thayer. “There’s no limit to the number of teams, and the team that rides the most miles wins. Simple.”

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What Thayer really wants to show the industry is how organizations large and small can use Greenlight to promote commuting. Steve Flagg, president of Quality Bicycle Products (QBP), saw the benefit of trip tracking and competition first hand:

“Greenlight is the solution for tracking rider mileage, especially for organizations” said Flagg. “We’ve had a bike commuting incentives program for years, but when we set up teams to compete against each other, ridership went up forty percent. It’s free, fun and benefits the community.”

Greenlight has had recent success on a much larger scale. The Austin Commuter Challenge, a city-wide promotion by the Bicycle Sport Shop in Austin, Texas, encourages residents to bike further and more often. So far the challenge, which started May 4th and runs through the end of the month, has tracked more than 25,000 miles ridden by 317 of Austin’s residents. In addition to promoting the environmental and health benefits of cycling, organizers hope participation numbers and mileage totals will stimulate increased bicycle advocacy and infrastructure.

While Thayer enjoys the grandiose challenges happening on greenlightride.com, he acknowledges that the individual rider is the heart of Greenlight.

“There are a lot of people out there who just want to track their rides, set goals and gain a sense of accomplishment from seeing the miles add up,” he noted. “Now is a perfect time to start—they’re shaking off the garage-dust and getting back in the saddle.”

Interested individuals can register and start tracking miles at greenlightride.com. Organizations with questions about setting up leagues or challenges can feel free to contact Thayer via email: scott@civiacycles.com.

About Civia Cycles
Devoted to transportation, Civia bikes are designed and engineered in Minnesota for the nation’s widely varied
roadways and terrain. We design our bikes from the ground up, studying every aspect of commuting, hauling and
trekking. Then we create forms to fit function and select the best materials for the job. The result is a bicycle like
no other—a machine tailored to the needs of people who live on the go, on the road, on their bikes. Visit Civia in
Bloomington, MN, or online at www.civiacycles.com.

About Greenlight
Greenlight is an online application created by Civia Cycles. Registration for the site is free and allows users to access a
personal trip tracking system, create or join teams and leagues to compete against other riders, as well as engage other
riders through messaging functions. In this manner Greenlight promotes transportation cycling and provides an arena
for riders to interact with each other. Visit www.greenlightride.com for more information.

About QBP
Based in Bloomington, MN, QBP is a leading distributor to the cycling industry. QBP offers domestic and international
retailers a wide array of products and services including a 1,500-page catalog, a robust online ordering system, a
renowned custom wheel service, a specialty bike-building program and more. QBP continues to be a vigorous advocate
for the cycling industry. For more information, please contact Jo Wright, director of marketing at 952 -941-9391, or
visit: www.qbp.com.