Bublr Bikes on Thursday announced its Bublr Winter Bike Challenge 2017, which encourages Milwaukee residents to keep biking and stay active over the winter with prizes to hardy riders who ride Bublr bikes during February.

“Prove you’re a true Wisconsinite and a hardcore Milwaukeean by riding throughout February, and win some great prizes,” said James Davies, acting executive director of Bublr Bikes.

Davies said that outdoor winter biking in Milwaukee is on the upswing, and that Bublr has seen steady use during winter months.

Bublr currently operates 57 bike share stations in several City of Milwaukee neighborhoods and Wauwatosa. Bublr Bikes are available year-round, including all winter, except during official snow emergencies or as needed due to extreme conditions. Bublr shovels out stations after snowfalls so that bikes are ready to ride.

“Staying open year-round is part of Bublr’s commitment to being a sustainable, world-class bike-share system for all Milwaukeeans,” Davies said. “Increasingly, people from all walks of life are relying on Bublr Bikes to get to school, run errands, go to work and stay active, so it’s important to us to be there for our riders.”

The Bublr challenge is presented by Wheel & Sprocket, a bike retailer with locations across Milwaukee and Wisconsin.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett encouraged residents to keep healthy by exercising and being physically active during winter months. “It’s important to exercise even during the cold winter months,” Barrett said. “Accepting the Bublr ‘challenge’ is one way to stay healthy and keep in shape.”

The “Bublr Winter Bike Challenge 2017,” which runs from February 1 – February 28, offers three levels of prizes for hardy cyclists ready to accept the challenge of defying winter. A Bublr cyclist riding:

• 10 days in a row earns a “Bicycle Benefits” sticker that provides discounts for purchases at area stores and restaurants.
• 20 days in a row receives two Bublr 30-Day Passes.
• All 28 days wins a $100 gift card to the Wheel & Sprocket Bike Expo.

A Bublr Winter Bike Challenge “ride” is defined as a trip on a Bublr Bike lasting more than five minutes that starts and ends at different stations.

Participating “challenge” riders must be active Bublr pass holders.

Registration is free. Challenge participants must register by 5:00 PM on Wednesday, January 25. Details on the challenge, rules and a link to the registration site are at: http://bublrbikes.com/bwbc/