Cycling app Toertje launches 'Toertje Companies' helping companies get moving during Cycle Mobility Summit

Editorial Board
October 03, 2024
3 min

Activate employees with challenges and knowledge, achieve sustainability goals and grow in vitality

Toertje, the innovative cycling app that encourages people to exercise more, introduced a new platform this morning during the Cycle Mobility Summit, part of the Dutch Cycling Week: Toertje Companies. This platform easily helps companies become healthier and more productive by encouraging employees to take the bike more often, with cycling challenges, knowledge sharing and shared sustainable goals. Cycling not only contributes to better health, but also to a cleaner world and a vital company.

Cycling is one of the most effective ways to get healthier: it helps drain stress hormones and increases productivity - 80% of workers who exercise regularly perform better at work. Moreover, colleagues who exercise regularly over a four-year period average 25 fewer days of illness. Yet 70% of people choose to drive short distances of less than 7.5 kilometers by car, while half the population struggles with obesity.

Time to unwind
Ambassador Thijs Zonneveld (journalist, columnist, podcast producer and cyclist with BEAT Cycling Club) is crystal clear: "It is time to unwind. There are countless ways to do that but one that fits us wonderfully well: get on your bike more often! Almost all of us have learned to ride a bike, and there is a great network of cycling routes that the knowledge of the Cyclists' Union makes accessible and easy to use in the Toertje app. So, pedal away!"

Even 'cycling professor' Marco te Brömmelstroet leaves no doubt: "The best ideas are born on the bicycle. It is the simplest solution to complex social challenges. For employers, the bicycle not only means more productive employees, but also happy and healthy colleagues. And that's not even mentioning the benefits of reduced traffic congestion and CO2 reduction."

Toertje Companies
With Toertje Companies, employers have a simple way to make an impact with cycling happiness. The platform offers insight into cycling behavior and stimulates and motivates employees with challenges and knowledge. This allows you to get on the bike together towards a vital lifestyle, with colleagues actively contributing to health goals and CO2 savings. Employers become part of an active community that focuses on meeting, discovering and providing the best services for cyclists. Easily make use of the work expense scheme, register business bike miles and work on a positive culture change.

Success in Overijssel
In the province of Overijssel, Toertje Bedrijven is already in full swing. From September 16 to October 11, 24 companies are participating in the Toertje Bedrijven Battle. So far, 532 employees have collectively cycled 4,937 tours, covered 38,946 kilometers and saved 4,675 kilograms of CO2. If these employees continue to cycle 30 minutes three times a week for a year, they will collectively earn 1.7 life days and will be sick 0.3 fewer days. Employers will collectively save €731,000. Toertje Bedrijven thus makes visible what bicycle stimulation can deliver¹.

For the province of Overijssel, the Toertje Companies Battle project was more than successful. "In the companies battle of Overijssel Onderweg and Keijzer (marketing consultancy and communication agency), more than 500 employees cycled an average of 7 times a week, encouraged by Toertje, the motivational cycling coach. This led to a saving of 4,000 kilograms of CO2 for their companies and healthier, happier employees - a win-win for everyone. The Toertje Companies Battle shows how powerful bicycle encouragement can be for both employees and companies," said Arnold Helfrich, mobility consultant for the province of Overijssel.

¹Calculated from: https://werkeninbeweging.nl/rekentool/

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