An increasing number of Americans are bicycling to work, and eBay Inc. employees are at the head of the pack.
eBay Inc. cyclists are so dedicated, in fact, that they’ve created a global eBay Inc. cycling group on social fitness website Strava to connect with each other and take their love of cycling one step further by raising money for and volunteering with many local non-profits.
Let’s take a look at what eBay Inc. cyclists are doing around the globe, Tour de France-style:
Stop One: San Jose, Calif.
The San Jose cycling club recently had 37 riders participate in the American Diabetes Association (ADA)’s Tour De Cure, a race that varies in length from 50KM to 120KM. Much of the team rode the longer route and they raised over $8,100 for the ADA.
In addition to the race, club members meet regularly on weekends and for after-work rides around the city.
“In the last six months the eBay Inc. Cycling Club has grown from an idea to a global group of hundreds of eBay cycling enthusiasts,” said eBay Classifieds Head of Legal David Lancelot, who has been a driving force behind connecting many of eBay Inc.’s cyclists. “Our San Jose team has connected with grass roots eBay cycling groups in Salt Lake City, Omaha, London, Luxembourg, Zurich and Berlin. It has been a fantastic opportunity to grow all of our awareness of the size and scope of eBay Inc. as well as hugely increase our engagement with our colleagues and the business.”
Stop Two: Salt Lake City, Utah
The Salt Lake City office has been in a bike frenzy as of late, riding over 14,000 miles year to date. 23 riders recently participated in the MS150 Best Dam Bike Ride to raise funds for the Utah chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and to honor a former employee, lost to cancer, who rode every year and got many current employees into cycling. Through their efforts, and by submitting through the eBay Inc. matching gifts program, they were able to raise $7,500.
The team has also been volunteering with the SLC Bike Collective and Neighborhood House to help repair and build bikes for children from low-income and homeless families in the community. They are also involved in the Clear the Air Challenge to promote cycling internally as an alternative to a single-car commute, which contributes to the poor air conditions Salt Lake City sees every winter.
Stop Three: Omaha, Nebraska
Owl Ride, the largest organized night time bike ride between Denver and Chicago, saw 2,000 riders participate in this year’s event, and more than 50 of those were from PayPal Omaha – one of the largest corporate contingents at the event! Money raised from the ride goes to help the Meyer Foundation for Disabilities.
For the second straight year, Omaha is participating in the Corporate Cycling Challenge. Employees have already logged over 7,000 total team miles in 2013!
Omaha is also launching a Bike Share program for employees this month. Employees will be able to use a bike at no cost for things like stress-relieving lunchtime bike rides, running errands or riding between offices.
Stop Four: Boston
Speaking of bike sharing… Our last Tour De eBay Inc. stop brings us to Boston, where the company recently signed on to sponsor the city’s HubWay Bike Share program. They will be offering a discount for all Boston employees to use the program. In an office where the majority of employees take transit to get to work, this will help make their commute even easier (and a lot more fun!). It launched less than two weeks ago and twenty-one employees have already signed up.