EMPLOYEES of York businesses have cycled the equivalent of four times around the world in the York Cycle Challenge.

More than 1,500 people took part in the challenge, cycling more than 100,000 miles in 16,500 journeys, and 132 of those got back on a bike for the first time in more than a year.

The businesses competed for team prizes, including a day at York races, office cupcake delivery, tour of York brewery or meal at The Blue Bicycle, and will also accompany the Olympic torch on bikes when it arrives in York on June 19, after York was one of only two cities in the UK, along with Cambridge, to be granted permission for a cycle escort for the torch on its 70-day tour of the country.

The three week competition between 65 workplaces aimed to introduce as many new people to cycling as possible in a bid to encourage employees to help York’s battle against congestion.

Coun Dave Merrett, cabinet member for transport, planning and sustainability at City of York Council, said: “I welcome the excellent response to the challenge from both local businesses and their employees. It all helps to reduce congestion on our roads, besides being good fun and an aid to fitness and good health.”

Andy Leak, flood incident management team member at the Environment Agency, had not cycled since 1984 when he decided to take part in the challenge.

He said: “Getting back on a bike for the first time since 1984 was a weird but fantastic experience for me. It feels like 1984 was only yesterday and reminded me just how great it was to cycle around all day everyday back in the days when we used to get decent summers.”

Andy, who grew up in Cambridgeshire, said he used to have to cycle everywhere as a teenager as it was his only way of getting around. But he had got out of the habit.

He decided to take part in the challenge after suffering a heart attack, which made him realise he had to do more exercise.

He said: “The York Cycle Challenge has encouraged me to think about cycling again and this would prove beneficial to my health, given the fact I started 2012 with a heart attack. Not something that should be happening to a 43-year-old.”

He is now considering getting a bike to cycle from York Station, where he commutes from Scarborough, to the Environment Agency’s base in Clifton Moor, which will also save him time and money spent on buses, he said.

Stef Gladders, visual designer at H&A, which develops and supplies branded washing and bathing products at York Business Park in Poppleton said she had been challenged by her mum to do the challenge, who was convinced they wouldn’t be able to do it.

She said it was not difficult through persuasion to convince 95 per cent of their team to take part.

Holly Orton, another visual designer at H&A, hadn’t cycled for ten years, since she was a child. She said: “I was scared of the traffic, but the off road cycle paths are really safe, and it has been really nice weather.”

Now Holly, who lives in Heworth, said she had been getting home faster with cycling taking only 30 minutes, compared with at least 40 minutes joining the city traffic.

Liza Edmonds, information manager for NHS North Yorkshire & York, said: “I bought a bike six months before I found out I was pregnant. I hadn’t cycled since I was ten years old before that.” Then having a baby, now ten months old, and the miserable weather, put her off getting back in the saddle.

After cycling during the challenge, Liza now intends to cycle to work more often when she does not need her car for meetings.

The winners

500+ employees – Shepherd Group Industrial Division, 13.7 per cent of staff cycled

200-499 employees – Biology, The University of York, 18.4 per cent of staff cycled

50-199 employees – Economics, The University of York, 62.3 per cent of staff cycled

20-49 employees – H&A, 95 per cent of staff cycled

7-19 employees – DFR, Environment Agency, 100 per cent of staff cycled

3-6 employees – Sales Support, RedBlack Software, 100 per cent of staff cycled

Angela Rogers from Garbutt & Eliott also won a two-night break for two at Best Western Grasmere Red Lion Hotel in the Lake District for encouraging her colleagues to ride for the first time in a year.