Cash in on mileage for free coffee and beer with new app
Tallying up kilometres comes with a number of perks already but for Toronto and Vancouver runners, that list continues to grow.
Get a little extra bang for your… bike.
For runners and endurance athletes, cross-training is key. If you’re one to pile on the mileage as prep for your fall marathon, chances are that you’re varying up the workouts by throwing in a ride every so often. Or, as a general active type, you’re already hopping on your set of wheels to commute around your city.
Staying fit comes with a whole slew of rewards already but for Canadians who live Toronto and Vancouver, the list of perks continues to grow. On our radar this summer is the Biko App. Biko, which launched in Bogota, Colombia, allows cyclists and runners to accumulate their mileage to collect points that can be cashed in for discounts and freebies. For every kilometre travelled, a user earns one “biko” point. The app’s partners then exchange items for a set amount of points.
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The motivation: the developers aim to encourage others to use environmentally-friendly ways of commuting. Using the app, endurance athletes can cash in their points for items like free coffees or beers, or discounts at local bike shops. Hitting the rewards tab, folks will see offers from shops, breweries, cafes, restaurants or museums.
How does it work exactly? The functionality is not dissimilar to other running and cycling apps. Simply press go, start out on your route, stop the app once you’ve reached your destination and view your stats. Biko will record speed, calories burned, distance, and grams of CO2 saved. Once you’ve racked up points, cash ’em in for your prize of choice. New rewards pop up each week. While it’s aimed at cyclists, runners can use the app to tally up kilometres by foot.
This idea started in Colombia but Torontonians were lucky to get the app last month and it has already been in Vancouver for a while. Since it launched, Biko spread to 10 cities. It’s now in Colombia, Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.
Since its initiation, over 24 million kilometres have been logged with Biko allowing users to save 3,143 tons of carbon dioxide.
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