Essay Contest

The Smart Trips “Win a Bike” essay contest was a big hit! We were overwhelmed with the number and quality of entries. It was a difficult decision to come up with just one winner, so we added second place and runner-up categories. Participants were asked to write 350–500 words telling us how they would use a new bicycle as an alternative to a car. We received a wide variety of entries, from a 12-part haiku to essays with photographs attached.

The winner of the commuter bicycle is Mary Fran Aptaker. She will receive a new commuter bike, tailored to meet her biking needs. She has been biking for exercise for the past year, and looks forward to replacing her 5:30 a.m. fitness ride with biking to work and running errands. She hopes to be a role model for her two sons, showing them that being over 50 “doesn’t mean life is over” as well as for her residents in assisted living. She always tells them, “If you don’t use it, you lose it!” and feels her new bicycle will let her practice what she preaches.

The second place winner, who receives the equivalent of $450 toward a new bike or improving his existing bike, is Tony Hullett. Tony has been biking to work on an old 12 speed racing bike, using a backpack to carry his stuff. He also swears by biking for fitness and has lost 20 pounds since starting to bike to work last November. He is very committed to bike commuting and just needs a little help to keep at it.

The runners up, who will each get $100 toward bike stuff, are Carole Lynne Davies, Orla Dermody, Emilie McClaine, and Forrest Gibson.

Congratulations to all our winners. A big thank you goes to Harper's Bike Shop for their help with this contest and for their generous donation.

Read some of our favorite essays. >>