It’s time to dust off your helmets and pump up your tires: Bike to Work Day is here again. Tomorrow thousands of Washingtonians will pedal to the office as part of an effort to promote bicycle awareness and encourage others to opt for two wheels instead of four.
The Washington Area Bicyclist Association is hoping for more than 10,000 riders on Friday. With the help of other groups, they’re setting up 49 pit stops throughout the region, which will include food, water, prizes, and other swag for anyone on two wheels. At Freedom Plaza in downtown DC, expect to see a roster of guest speakers, too: US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, DC police chief Cathy Lanier, and DC Council chairman Kwame Brown, among others. Don’t own a bike? No problem. Bike and Roll is offering free rentals for the day, or you can sign up for a one-day Capital Bikeshare membership for $5.
First-time bicycle commuters who are nervous about taking to the streets alone might want to join a commuter convoy and ride to work with other cyclists. The convoys start at points throughout the area—including Vienna and Poolesville—but they all end at Freedom Plaza. Riders can join up with and leave the convoys at any point in the trip.
If riding on car-free streets is more your bag, join Sunday’s Bike DC ride, when 20 miles of DC and Virginia streets will be closed to cars. The ride begins on the Mall near the National Gallery of Art at 7:30 and includes mileage on the George Washington Memorial Parkway and Jefferson Davis Highway in Virginia. Riders must be done by noon; the route ends at Walt Whitman Park at 20th and E streets, Northwest. You must register online—$20 to $35, depending on age—in advance to participate. Enter the discount code BIKE2WORK to save $5.
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