The TRU community concluded its most recent GoByBike Week with a total of 89 rides, covering approximately 685 km of distance and saving around 148 kg of greenhouse gases.
GoByBike BC Society is a 30-year project, and counting. Beginning in Victoria in 1995 as Bike to Work Week, the provincial body was committed to promoting the joys of cycling, encouraging commuter habits amongst BC residents and promoting environmental consciousness.
After several years, Bike to Work Week began to expand and the name soon became too restrictive for the charity’s lofty goals. They rebranded as GoByBike B.C. and have continued their work in sustainability and community action ever since.
Over the years, the society has made a significant impact throughout the province, achieving consistent growth. In 2014, GoByBike saw 25,000 Participants and saved over 200,000 kilograms of CO2. Ten years later, in 2024, the charity saw over 60,000 participants, with about 2.2 million kilograms of CO2 saved from entering the atmosphere.
GoByBike Week, a week-long cycling event that turns the environmental sustainability project into a healthy competition, accounts for a significant portion of the society’s bike riding activities throughout the year. The event takes place three times annually, in the spring, summer, and fall, during which participants are encouraged to form riding teams and compete for a chance to win prizes.
This fall’s GoByBike Week ran from Sept. 27 to Oct. 3. Participants were encouraged to forgo cars or alternate forms of transportation in favour of their bicycles.
“Ride to work, to school, for fun, for exercise, to relieve stress, to clear your mind,” the website said. “No matter the reason, just ride your bike.”
The university’s sustainability office leapt to the challenge. Creating the TRU Folks on Spokes, they made a space where students, staff, faculty, and other community members could participate as a team and track their combined distances over time.
There were 28 participants in the Folks on Spokes community, of whom just two were students. Their almost 90 rides through the week made a notable dent in the average number of carbon being released to the atmosphere, and significantly contributed to TRU’s sustainability goals.
Before the start of GoByBike Week, participants were offered a free tune-up from a bike mechanic and a chance to learn a few maintenance tips that they can carry with them. They were also encouraged to register their bikes with 529 Garage, an anti-bike theft application, and received free tamper-proof decals, presumably to protect their bikes from going missing or getting stolen.
The week concluded on Friday, Oct. 3, with an evening of food, games and prizes at The Noble Pig, downtown Kamloops. Prizes like flashing lights, multi-tools or air pumps were shared for the daily prize draws, while a lucky winner of the grand prize draw took home a $75 gift certificate to their favourite bike shop.
This comes as an addition to GoByBike’s provincial prizes, which include a variety of items from electric bikes to classroom pizza parties.
TRU has taken strides towards a commuter-friendly environment that goes beyond just GoByBike Week. Even on regular days, community members have access to free and secure bicycle storage facilities around campus, accessible tune-ups and air pumps at the TRU bike shelter, E-bike discounts for all TRU employees, and a $40 bicycle purchase program for TRU students who don’t own a bike but are interested in joining the growing biking community.