Knowing that the MassCommute Bicycle Challenge is coming up, I decided to do my part and register for the Tufts cycling team. Being fully away of how difficult it can sometimes be to register for large events such as the Challenge, I decided to document the process in hopes that it would serve to be of some use for interested Jumbos looking to ditch the car and grab their bikes for the week.

Screenshot 2014-05-02 14.41.53After typing in the URL, I was met with the MassCommute Bike Challenge main page. It was incredibly simple to read, easy to navigate, and fairly minimalist. The sections were displayed on the left and were short and sweet. Below the main  “Welcome” message was what looked like the log data for the upcoming event, and the tab “Register for the Challenge Today!” was directly in front of me.

Screenshot 2014-05-02 14.50.30Clicking on it led me to a page that asked me to type a username and come up with a password. I used my email for the username, jotted down a password for the website, and clicked continue.

Screenshot 2014-05-02 14.57.49

The information page loaded after this. Being familiar with registration sites, I was prepared for copious amounts of information to be asked (Email, phone number, home address, blood type, mother’s maiden name, work history, your kindergarten teacher’s best friend’s third cat’s middle name) and feared for the worse. I was surprised that, much like the other pages of the website, it was incredibly simple and uncomplicated It asked me my affiliation, so I selected “school” and picked Tufts from a drop down menu. I was also asked my age, gender, typical bike mileage, and reason for registering. It took me two minutes to give them the information before I continued to the next page.

I agreed to the Terms and Conditions after that and was told that my registration was complete. “That was it?!” I thought to myself. “Really?!”

I was fascinated by the expedient nature of the website, how easily I was able to prepare to cycle for Tufts, and how ready I was to grab my bike and hit the road. The takeaway from this is: Signing up for the bike challenge is simple, painless, and takes less than a few minutes.  If you want to represent the school, its as easy as that.

-Tim