They’re off! And … we have a Pedal Power Challenge winner!

Chart ranks the leading San Mateo and Santa Clara county cities, by proportion of population to have pledged to ride, to level the difference between small and large cities. For reasons of space we don’t show all 30+ cities. The challenge ended May 20. See the full data.

Whose town has the true Pedal Power?

We mean the most people with wind in hair. With wheels turning. With young people and adults joyfully rolling in the open air.

Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition invited the cities across San Mateo and Santa Clara counties to a friendly competition. No trash-talking. No humble-bragging. Well, maybe just a bit.

And the winner is … Gilroy!

As the Pedal Power Challenge launched in April, Los Altos leapt to an immediate lead. Menlo Park then pushed to the front, as intense jousting took place further along the line. Then came Gilroy, with a surprise surge to the top.

The determination and commitment displayed by residents across the board are truly inspiring, as we embrace the spirit of the challenge and celebrate the joy of bicycling throughout our community.

The challenge to the cities was: Which among you will sign up the greatest proportion of your people to pledge to ride at least once during Bike to Wherever Days, May 18-20. Yes, some cities are huge, like San Jose. Others are tiny, like Colma. So we evened the field by counting riders in relation to city population. We asked community leaders in each city to step up and promote the cause — and we promoted the competition via web, email and social media.

Why your pledge to ride matters

The more people who ride, whether child or adult, whether first-time, returning or experienced, the better we all can support the goal of building healthier and more just communities by making bicycling safer and more accessible for everyone. Just by biking, you help SVBC on its mission to build healthier and more just communities.

Plus, who does not want to win the Pedal Power Challenge? The winning city, Gilroy, gets the title for the year!