Editorial
Biking to work: leave your car at home
Focusing on the environmental and health benefits of using your bike as a means of transportation, Jens Vigen and Yngve Inntjore Levinsen have started two initiatives this year: both a ten-month individual challenge, and a summer team competition to get each and every CERNois out in the saddle this year.
The first competition started at the beginning of March with the unofficial Bike2Work challenge, which lasts all year long.
Using the Endomondo training application, participants report the number of kilometres they travel daily while commuting to work by bike. The winner will be the person with the most kilometres, and is promised a lot of good karma coming her or his way. “It is not too late to sign up,” Yngve insists. “It is as much about showing commitment and having fun, as it is about winning.”
In June, CERN will officially participate in the national Swiss bike to work (http://biketowork.ch/) initiative. Participants team up in groups of four, and make sure each of them travels to work by bike at least every other day. Read more about the initiative of the corresponding article in this week’s Bulletin.
“The Staff Association definitely recognizes the health benefits of such an initiative, which we are happy to endorse,” says the Staff Association president, Michel Goossens. “But, one should not forget the safety concerns in this area. There are some particularly dangerous road crossings around,” he continues. To improve the bikers’ safety, the Staff Association will provide free yellow safety vests for the participants. They will be available for pickup in Y. I. Levinsen’s office (see http://cern.ch/Bike2Work for more details).
“By participating in these events, you show that you believe in the benefits of using the bike as a means of transportation,” says Yngve. “We encourage everyone to sign up, regardless of fitness level!” Jens continues. More information about both initiatives can be found at the common web-site http://cern.ch/Bike2Work.
