Bike to Work Day 2019
Each year the month of May is National Bike Month. This week, May 13 through 17, is Bike to Work Week. And today is Bike to Work Day. The League of American Bicyclists began Bike to Work Day as part of Bike Month in 1956. Over the years, the day has grown into a widespread event with countless bicyclists nationwide taking to streets and trails in an effort to get commuters to try bicycling to work as a healthy and safe alternative to driving a car.
In the greater D.C. region, Bike to Work Day has grown from a small group of just a few hundred participants in 2001 to more than 18,700 riders in 2017. There was a slight dip in participation last year. The event is always held rain or shine, and due to thunderstorms that occurred last year throughout the preceding week as well as on Bike to Work Day itself, fewer riders came out. But this year’s 19th annual event, which was again coordinated locally by Commuter Connections and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA), will hopefully top 19,000 and set a new record.
Although I am unable to commute on a bicycle, I celebrated Bike to Work Day by coming to work this morning, getting my bike out of my office building’s parking garage, and went out and rode around for a while on some of the main bike commuter routes in the city.
Each year WABA, along with a number of local bike shops and organizations, sponsor 115 pit stops along many of the commuter routes in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. The pit stop which I signed up for was located at Freedom Plaza, the same pit stop where I’ve stopped for the last several years. By being one of the first 20,000 people to sign up, I was able to pick up a free T-shirt at the pit stop. And by signing up and stopping at the pit stop I was also entered into a raffle for a new bike.
I also rode by some of the other pit stops this morning. They were a little less crowded than previous years’ pit stops have been, but I was able to pick up some free leftover T-shirts from previous years’ bike to Work Days. I also enjoyed a nice breakfast consisting of one of the absolute best bagels I’ve had in a long time, courtesy of Bethesda Bagels, along with a fresh orange and a banana. Fresh fruit juices, coffee or tea was also available, as well as some granola bars and other snack items, which I picked up for later. I was also given a coupon for a free lunch at Nando’s, a restaurant that specializes in Portuguese flame-grilled PERi-PERi (also known as the African Bird’s Eye chili) chicken.
After filling up on food, and relaxing and listening to some of the music for a while, I then enjoyed a leisurely ride around the city. And I filled up on “swag” along the way. Various sponsors and promotors gave away free items like sunglasses, hats, water bottles, tire repair and changing kits, bike tools, bike lights and bells, bike reflectors and reflective arm bands to be seen better while riding, area maps, cell phone accessories, small bottles of hand sanitizer, and coupons for free bike and scooter rentals. And at the pit stop in the courtyard of the National Geographic Museum they were giving away surplus items such as decks of cards, games, books, and DVDs.
But Bike to Work Day here in D.C. is more than just 20,000 cool people riding bikes and enjoying music, food and lots of free stuff. (As if that wasn’t enough.) The planners help newer riders by organizing bike convoys, which are led by experienced bicycle commuters and travel through popular employment centers. They provide information about classes and seminars throughout the area for riders with a wide range of skill sets, from beginners to the more experienced. They also set up online discussion groups to answer any questions people may have. As I stated previously, Bike to Work Day provides more than just fun. It provides valuable information and resources to people to help them ride safely in the city year-round.
[Click on the photos to view the full-size versions]
The DC Bike Blogger 