Bike To Work Day Thank Yous

Bike To Work Day 2008 was wet and given that fact it still was a success in my view. The downpour of rain during the earliest morning hours made me wonder if anyone would ride on Friday morning. At 5:30 on my way to the store and then to Whole Foods I noted the drizzle. But those determined cyclists started arriving at the Vienna Pit Stop a bit after 6:00 AM. During the next two and one half hours the stream of riders was steady and the water tailed off.

It was a good morning. Upbeat people riding bikes are inspiring. There were lots of volunteers helping with the distribution of t-shirts, the new Fairfax County bike maps, and W&OD water bottles. My thanks to Jeff, Larry, Jo, Marty, Anne, Tim, and Jeff.

Keren and the Whole Foods group kept the snacks, juice, water, and good strong coffee coming. Thank you so much Keren et al!

Keith Oberg was there from Bike For The World. We had a VDOT representative, a Tour de Cure representative, Barbara from PPTC, and Hunter from Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling. Once again Fairfax County Supervisor Linda Smyth joined us and listened to cyclist talk about what they believe needs to be done to improve cycling conditions in the county. Thank you to all of those people for joining in.

Fox 5 News chose the Vienna Pit Stop for their news coverage of Bike To Work Day. It added excitement to the morning as they did interviews and on the spot reports. A thank you to Fox 5 for giving the event coverage.

Over 6,000 riders registered for Bike To Work Day. Their motivation to ride is varied, but I always marvel at the emphasis that gets placed on the Bike To Work Day t-shirt. Thursday evening as I printed out the list of those registered for the Vienna Pit Stop I received a call at the store. It was a cyclist who wanted to know if he could get his t-shirt even though he would not be in town for the event. He was calling from Venezuela! He'd been there for business and his flight back to Washington had been cancelled so he would not get back in time for Bike To Work Day. A regular bike commuter, he had a collection of BTWD t-shirts and he did not want to break the string. I like it.

What ever the reason........$3.96 a gallon fuel, endorphins, or a Bike To Work t-shirt; I hope you can find a way to ride your bike to work, to school, to the store, or around the block because it is good for you.