Bike to Work Day registration is open

[7rider]

Hey all in the DC-Metro area....
Bike to Work day is May 18, 2007!
"Join thousands of area commuters for a celebration of bicycling as a clean, fun and healthy way to get to work! Meet up with your neighbors at one of 24 pit stops all over the region, ride into the city with experienced commuter convoys and meet your colleagues at Freedom Plaza. Washington Area Bicyclist Association and Commuter Connections invite you to try bicycling to work as an alternative to solo driving. Help the Washington region become a better place to ride. Bike to Work Day is a FREE event and open to all area commuters!" - www.waba.org

Register at: http://www.waba.org/events/btwd/index.php

[divingbiker]

Hey all in the DC-Metro area....
Bike to Work day is May 18, 2007!
"Join thousands of area commuters for a celebration of bicycling as a clean, fun and healthy way to get to work! Meet up with your neighbors at one of 24 pit stops all over the region, ride into the city with experienced commuter convoys and meet your colleagues at Freedom Plaza. Washington Area Bicyclist Association and Commuter Connections invite you to try bicycling to work as an alternative to solo driving. Help the Washington region become a better place to ride. Bike to Work Day is a FREE event and open to all area commuters!" - www.waba.org

Register at: http://www.waba.org/events/btwd/index.php

I registered yesterday, after I got the e-mail from WABA. This year I'm just going to do my normal commute on my own, but end up at Freedom Plaza rather than at my office. For the past two years the caravan from Takoma Park has been rather large (well, one of the years it was rainy so it wasn't THAT large), and I think a herd mentality takes over. People ride two or three abreast and really tick off the drivers, and I don't think that the cause of bike commuters is helped by taking over the roads so completely. But it's fun to see so many people on bikes down at Freedom Plaza, and I definitely don't want to miss it. Plus you get free stuff.

[HillSlugger]

I thought the idea of Bike to Work Day was to *bike to work*. Since I don't work anywhere near Freedom Plaza, how does this work? I'm just not getting it.

Sometimes I think that bike commuting would suck the joy out of biking. Still, I wish I could figure out a safe route that would allow me the opportunity every now and then. I used to bike from Somerville, MA to Harvard Med School in Boston, but I was younger and didn't think about the dangers so much.

[Velobambina]

I'm with HillSlug. I work in Tysons Corner and there is absolutely no safe way I can bike in, unless I ride the W&OD to Vienna and catch the bus the rest of the way. The office I'm assigned to is moving to the Dulles area in the summer, making the situation worse all around. I could bike out the W&OD to Herndon, but how to get safely from the trail to my building is the million dollar question. I'm hoping to eventually find an assignment in a location where I can commute by bike (there's one I might apply to but it would mean 6 weeks of travel abroad every year--did that during my younger days, but not sure if I want to subject myself to it now.)

[7rider]

You don't HAVE to go to Freedom Plaza. There are many "rest stops" during the morning at various locations. I registered for the one at the Discovery Building in Silver Spring (hopefully, I won't pitch myself over the handlebars in front of everyone, like I did last year! ). I never go anywhere near Freedom Plaza on BtWD. I have a neighbor who bikes to Arlington, VA. He drives partway in - parks at his synagogue, I think - and rides the CC trail. Multi-modal commute!!

p.s. Oops - I see Janice beat me to it. Yeah, they have entertainment, bike-on-bus demos, food, schwag, etc. at Silver Spring...a smaller crowd than FP, but a crowd nonetheless.

[divingbiker]

I thought the idea of Bike to Work Day was to *bike to work*. Since I don't work anywhere near Freedom Plaza, how does this work? I'm just not getting it.

Sometimes I think that bike commuting would suck the joy out of biking. Still, I wish I could figure out a safe route that would allow me the opportunity every now and then. I used to bike from Somerville, MA to Harvard Med School in Boston, but I was younger and didn't think about the dangers so much.

They've got "pit stops" all around the area. Those of us who work in DC go to Freedom Plaza, where they have a rally, speakers, food, drinks, free t-shirts and waterbottles, etc. I assume they do something similar, although probably on a less-grand scale since they're smaller, at the other pit stops. The pit stops are at these locations:

Washington DC

* Freedom Plaza

Maryland

* Bethesda
* National Institutes of Health
* Bowie Town Center
* Bowie Old Town
* College Park
* Hyattsville
* Frederick
* North Bethesda
* Rockville-Rockville Town Center
* Rockville-Falls Grove Transportation Center
* Silver Spring
* Waldorf

Virginia

* Alexandria
* Arlington
* Dulles-AOL Campus (AOL employees only)
* Fairfax Corner
* Fairfax University Mall
* Leesburg
* Reston
* Springfield
* Sterling
* Tysons Corner
* Vienna

As far as bike commuting sucking the joy out of biking, it's just the opposite for me. I absolutely LOVE my bike commute. The 7 mile ride home makes me leave work behind. I'm riding on city streets, but for the most part they aren't terribly busy, and the busy one is a designated bike route even though it's narrow and doesn't have a bike lane. If I had to ride on four-lane roads with cars whizzing by at 40 or 50 mph, I wouldn't even think about bike commuting.

[7rider]

As far as bike commuting sucking the joy out of biking, it's just the opposite for me. I absolutely LOVE my bike commute. The 7 mile ride home makes me leave work behind. I'm riding on city streets, but for the most part they aren't terribly busy, and the busy one is a designated bike route even though it's narrow and doesn't have a bike lane. If I had to ride on four-lane roads with cars whizzing by at 40 or 50 mph, I wouldn't even think about bike commuting.

I agree. The only time I arrive at work with a smile on my face is when I rode my bike to get there. Obviously, I haven't been doing much smiling at work. Dang! I gotta get back out there.

[HillSlugger]

If I had to ride on four-lane roads with cars whizzing by at 40 or 50 mph, I wouldn't even think about bike commuting.

I can't figure out how to commute to work without doing several of these.

[Kalidurga]

I've semi-seriously considered driving to the C&O and then braving 2 or so miles of traffic from the terminus in Georgetown into downtown, but I usually end up so gritty from C&O rides that I don't really think it's a practical idea.

I envy Janice and Regina, though, that they're able to commute on a regular basis. Where is Freedom Plaza, anyway?

[F8th637]

I live in the Tysons Corner area about 2 miles from the 7-mile marker on the W&OD. My office (especially on Fridays, these days) is in Herndon and isn't too far from the W&OD. I definitely want to try the route before National Bike to Work Day but was wondering if anyone is heading in that direction versus IN to DC. I'd love a partner if possible. Lucky for me, my husband works in the same office as me so he can have all my stuff waiting for me when I get there. Thanks!

[HillSlugger]

In fact, there are two, in the bathroom on the lower level.

Today I had a chance encounter in the elevator with a woman who was carrying clothes and had wet hair. Since it looked like she had just showered I asked her if there are showers in the building. As it turns out she hadn't used them but pointed me in the right direction. They are a little bit nasty: they have many dead flies on the floor, apparently from lack of use. A quick spray down before use should take care of that! Now, I just need to figure out how to deal with my left turn issue and figure out where to lockup the bike.

[HillSlugger]

I have been given an OK to bring my bike up into the office (yeah!) So, here's a logistics question:

My office is on the 6th floor, the showers are on the lower level. So, when I arrive in the morning should I first head upstairs with my bike and my lycra-clad self, drop my stuff off, and head down to the showers, OR, should I head straight to the shower and bring the bike with me?

[divingbiker]

I have been given an OK to bring my bike up into the office (yeah!) So, here's a logistics question:

My office is on the 6th floor, the showers are on the lower level. So, when I arrive in the morning should I first head upstairs with my bike and my lycra-clad self, drop my stuff off, and head down to the showers, OR, should I head straight to the shower and bring the bike with me?

Well, I guess I would probably get the bike squared away upstairs and then go to the shower area, unless there's somewhere secure and out of the way to leave the bike down by the showers.