For up-to-the-minute information about the Bicycle Commuter Contest, visit the BCC blog.

It's our 25th year! The Bicycle Commuter Contest (BCC) began in 1988 as a challenge between a few workplaces in Olympia with 30 people participating. The event has since eclipsed 1500 individual registrants, with up to 60 workplace and school teams from throughout Thurston County, and 40 to 50 sponsors and supporting businesses. The BCC has shown, through friendly competition, how simple, rewarding and fun it can be to ride a bicycle for transportation.

From the beginning the Contest assisted in building a sustainable bicycle transportation culture by encouraging new riders to try bike commuting for a month rather than the usual bike to work day or week, thus helping them experience different conditions and develop the habit of bicycle travel. Innovative community events have drawn more people to participate in the BCC over the years. One of these is the “Wrencher’s Ball,” begun with Intercity Transit’s leadership in the early years of the Contest, which offers a free bicycle safety check-up to everyone who registers for the BCC.

Intercity Transit began hosting the Contest in 2006 and it is now one of many programs at Intercity Transit designed to enhance mobility and the quality of life in Thurston County. Climate Solutions, the area non-profit and longtime host announced it could no longer support the planning and organization of the contest. Intercity Transit put forward time and resources to ensure that this beloved local tradition would not disappear. Thanks to the generous support of volunteers, businesses, Intercity Transit and most importantly our contest participants, the Bicycle Commuter Contest is enjoying its 25th year of continuity!