Content Index – FAQs – Active Travel Challenge

FAQs

Here you will find answers to common questions about the challenge.

Still having trouble? You can get in touch with us here: challenge@sustrans.org.uk

What is the Challenge?

The Active Travel Challenge is a friendly competition encouraging individuals and workplaces, community groups or organisations to walk, wheel, scoot and use public transport for more of their everyday journeys this summer.

When is the challenge?

The Active Travel Challenge will take place from Saturday 1 June - Sunday 30 June 2024.

What counts as a 'journey'?

Any journey to work, for work, to your local shops, to a leisure activity, the school run, or your daily exercise all count.

A full list of travel modes you can log journeys against is on the Home page of the Challenge website.

If your travel mode is not listed on the Home page, get in touch and we may be able to add it for you challenge@sustrans.org.uk.

I'm working from home, can I still take part?

Absolutely! If you are working from home we want you to take part by logging all the exercise you are doing to get outdoors and get active.

When logging your journeys, select Daily Exercise, and your lunchtime walks, runs or cycles will be added to your total.

This same box gives you the option to log your active trips to the shops, school run or leisure activities. So you can challenge yourself to get more active with other regular journeys you are making.

If the Challenge has already started. Can I still join?

Definitely! You can sign up at any point during the challenge up until the 29 June.

It's too far for me to walk or cycle to where I want to go

You may be surprised how far you can comfortably cycle. Commutes of five miles or more are perfectly manageable, even for relatively inexperienced cyclists.

If the trip seems daunting, why not compromise by walking or cycling to a bus stop or train station to incorporate some active travel into your daily commute.

What does the challenge hope to achieve?

The challenge aims to encourage people to travel actively more, such as waling or cycling, and to use public transport. This has benefits for your health and the environment.

Does a short walk or cycle ride really make any difference?

Making one short journey on foot or by bike can save around 2kg of carbon compared to driving. There are also significant health benefits if journeys are made regularly. One journey today is a great way to start.

Why are electric vehicles not included as a category?

In this challenge we are focusing on reducing the level of single occupancy car trips. Whilst it's great that electric vehicles reduce emissions, they don't have the benefits to health and congestion that other forms of sustainable travel do.

Car-sharing or taking the bus, for example, would benefit emission levels as well as congestion, and has an additional benefit of reducing isolation.

If you are using your electric car as a car-share please log these journeys as car-share.

How do I edit my profile?

Click on My Settings that can be found under the Me button on the top right hand corner of the website and you'll be able to edit your details.

If you need to edit any of your journeys click on the 'view journeys' button which you'll find under the journey totals on your Personal profile.

Do I have to be part of a workplace to take part?

No. You can take part as an individual.

How do I set up my workplace?

After registering, you will be taken to a page where you can join or create your workplace. If you create one, you automatically become the captain (although this can be changed simply to another person at a later date) and your workplace will be recorded on the platform for colleagues to also sign up to.

- Go to the Homepage and select Me at the top of the page

- Select My Settings

- Select Change your workplace and/or control how they contact you.

You can select a team already entered from the drop down list you see there, then click the Join (Workplace)/Team button. Or click on ‘Create a new team’ to register a new one.

Once registered, others in your workplace will be able to join your team.

Please contact challenge@sustrans.org.uk if you need any help with this.

I selected the wrong workplace when I registered. How do I change it?

Go to My Settings under 'Me' on the top right hand side of the website. Click 'Change your workplace and/or control how they contact you', and you'll be able to switch to a different workplace.

Then click the Join (Workplace)/Team button, or click on ‘Create a new team’ to register a new team.

If you create a new team, others in your workplace will then be able to join your team.

Please contact challenge@sustrans.org.uk if you need any help with this.

I don't seem to be part of a workplace with my colleagues. How do I join them?

If you registered but didn't click the Join workplace /team button then you'll need to edit your profile.

To do this, go to My Settings under Me on the top right hand side of the website. Click 'Change your workplace and/or control how they contact you', and you'll be able to join a workplace listed on the dropdown menu.

If your workplace isn't registered you'll also be able to register it here.

For more detail on how to do this please see the two FAQs above.

How do I amend my workplace profile?

If you were the first to set up your workplace then you will have admin rights to its profile page.

If you are the workplace administrator:

Log in and then go to your workplace's profile page which you can find under the 'Me' button on the top right of the website. Scroll down to the bottom of the profile page to the 'edit details' button under the heading 'Workplace details'. Click on this to edit your workplace's details (including adding or amending workplace departments).

You can find more workplace details by clicking the 'more details' button. This will enable you to see who has registered for the organisation as well as their contact details if you need to contact them.

If you are not the workplace administrator:

Scroll down to the bottom of the workplace profile page (see above for how to find this) and you'll see the name of the person who has this role.

Can we keep an eye on our competitors? We'd like to do better than them!

Yes you can. We call this a Nemesis Challenge!

You'll need your workplace administrator to do this simple set up.

1. Click through to the profile page of the workplace you want to watch (find all competing workplaces on the leader boards on the results pages).
2. Just beneath the workplace name click 'Watch this workplace'.

In your own workplace profile you'll now see a section with the workplaces you are watching. You can see how they are doing and how far ahead or behind them you are.

What type of bike should I buy?

Road bikes are fast and light, but new riders may sometimes find the seating position restrictive.

A mountain bike may be sturdier and has a more upright riding position, but it may be helpful to put on slick tyres if you're riding on the road.

A hybrid is a compromise between the two: a lightweight frame with an upright riding position. We suggest spending £250 to get something comfortable to ride if you can afford to do so.

Folding bikes are increasingly popular, and modern versions are comfortable and efficient.

Electrically assisted bikes take a good chunk of the effort out of even the longest commuting trips and are a long-term investment.

What should I wear for cycling?

It's important to feel comfortable when riding your bike, so above all it's a personal choice. Most people wear regular clothes, as you are unlikely to get any sweatier than walking, unless you are going fast or scaling long hills. You may want to bring a change of clothes in case you get splashed or muddy in wet weather.

If you are cycling faster, sports wear will enable you to move freely, while loose fitting clothing in the summer might help you to feel cool. A good set of waterproofs is recommended in the wetter months, although you can get by with just the jacket.

I need to take the kids to school!

Nearly 50% of children would like to cycle to school, but only 4% do. If your kids are old enough, why not try out walking or cycling together?

You could even contact other parents and organise a walk or bike 'bus'. For little kids, there's a great range of child seats and trailers available for most requirements.

Can I count the miles I pedal on an exercise bike?

No, we're afraid not. Rather than logging activity in a gym or exercise class we want you to leave your car at home and challenge yourself to make more walking, cycling, scooting, wheeling and public transport journeys. It's more fun to get out and about!

Can I count jogging or running journeys?

Yes absolutely. Put them all down as running.

How do I win?

There are prizes for the workplaces with the highest percentage of active participants, and prizes for individuals making the most journeys.

Winning workplaces are judged by the overall rate of participation, so you must encourage your colleagues and friends to get involved if you want to win the competition!

In the event of a draw the winning workplace will be the one logging the greatest number of journeys proportional to the number of people who work there.

We rank the individual leader board by the number of journeys you complete rather than by the distance you've travelled or the type of travel mode you used.

We'll be giving out spot-prizes along the way for taking part, so if you log just one journey you're in with a chance of winning some great prizes!

How are the carbon, calorie and cost savings calculated?

Carbon calculations are based on data from the UK Government GHG Conversion Factors report 2020 [Greenhouse gas reporting: conversion factors 2020].

Calories burnt and cost savings are all based on industry practice and data, while car cost calculations are based on RAC Motoring Services data. These figures are based on running an average sized car, with 10,000 average annual mileage with an average fuel price.

What will you do with the results?

Overall results will be used to demonstrate the impacts of the challenge internally, to inform future initiatives, and to promote the benefits of more active travel. We won't share any of your personal data with anyone outside of Sustrans.

Where can I get a good flapjack recipe?

250g Porridge Oats
125g Butter (melted)
125g Brown Sugar
2-3 tbsps Golden Syrup (depends how gooey you want it)

Mix all the ingredients together and press into a lightly greased baking tin.
Place in the oven and bake on 180 until golden brown (about 20 minutes).

How do I contact the challenge organisers?

If you have any questions about the Active Travel Challenge, please contact:

challenge@sustrans.org.uk