Through the two weeks of cycling, residents and visitors have combined to pedal more than 11,000 miles as part of the 16th annual Tahoe Bike Challenge.

Hosted by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition, the month-long Tahoe Bike Challenge is a friendly competition in which teams and individuals compete to see who can rack up the most miles.

Last year, the Tahoe Bike Challenge moved from a two-week event to encompassing the entire month of June. The change resulted in a record 45,000 miles being pedaled.

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“Last year during the pandemic there was a huge increase in people biking,” said Challenge Manager Kira Smith. “And so I think that transition continued this year … We’re hoping to get as many people on bikes as possible and break last year’s record.”

In its 16 years, the event has encouraged cyclists in the Truckee-Tahoe area to cover more than 310,000 miles, which, according to organizers, means an estimated 19,888 fewer pounds of carbon dioxide were created.

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At the end of the month prizes will be given out to the top teams and individuals. Awards include a one-night stay at the Crystal Bay Club, a $50 gift certificate from South Shore Bikes, custom tie dye shirts from Tahoe Tie Dye, and entries into the Tour de Tahoe. The League to Save Lake Tahoe will be offering a 15% discount to those who bike to their store, and South Lake Brewing Company will give a dollar off pours for riding bikes to the brewery.

Registration for the event is free. To sign up or for more information, visit http://www.lovetoride.net/tahoe.

Justin Scacco is a reporter for the Sierra Sun. Contact him at jscacco@sierrasun.com or 530-550-2643