Get Local Rewards For Biking in Vancouver with the ‘Biko’ App

The new app Biko is on a mission to pay Vancouver cyclists by turning kilometres biked into rewards earned from local businesses. By downloading the free app on their smartphones, users can earn a digital coin called “biko” for every kilometre they pedal. Bikos can then be exchanged for goods and services from participating businesses or donated as cash to the user’s charity of choice.

Currently, Vancouver users can redeem their bikos at Big Rock Brewery, Reckless Bike Stores, Zend Conscious Lounge, Rocanini Coffee Roasters, The Burrard Hotel, Vancouver Art Gallery, Granville Island Brewery, The Juice Truck, Steel Toad Brewery, Off the Tracks Espresso Bar & Cafe, Yaletown Brewery, Red Track Brewery, with more partners expected to be added every week.

Vancouver is the fourth city in which Biko has launched – the app was founded in Bogota, Colombia by entrepreneurs Enrique Cuellar,  and Tomas Belier.  In Bogota, Medellin and Mexico City, Biko has garnered 74,088 users who have cycled 7,759,000 kilometres, which is the equivalent of 194 trips around the world.

 “We want to help further Vancouver’s goal of becoming the greenest city by 2020. Incentivizing cycling through rewards can help reduce the city’s carbon emissions and we have the data to prove it. By choosing to ride their bicycles, our users have collectively reduced carbon emissions by 1,008 tonnes.”  – Emilio Pombo, Co-Founder, Biko

Other features on the app include mapping routes, measuring average speed, calculating carbon emissions saved, and recommending safe bikepaths and local bike shops. This also allows Biko to offer a valuable data on urban biking behaviour to city planners looking to increase bike lanes and facilitate safe cycling.

For more information about Biko in Vancouver visit biko.com.co/en.

Facebook
Pinterest
LinkedIn
Twitter
Email

3 Responses

  1. Hi Vanessa, great summary on biko. I just want to point out that my home country’s name is Colombia, not Columbia as in British Columbia.

  2. It is an amazing app! It was the incentive I needed to park my truck buy two bicycles and a trailer for my dog so the three of us could commute by bike to work!

    I love the rewards but also love giving my bikos to charity!

Leave a Reply to Alex Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *