Bike DC 2009

Saturday, October 17, 2009 - On a morning when bicycle advocacy overruled common sense, hundreds of cyclists braved 40 degree and rainy weather to participate in Bike DC 2009. The annual community bike ride offers a unique opportunity to ride on car-free streets in DC and northern Virginia. The WABA event has been around for several years and similar events are held in Portland and Chicago.

Bike DC 2009 offered two routes, a 25-mile ride starting at 8AM and a 12-mile ride starting at 9AM.  From the starting line at 9th and Constitution NW, riders headed toward the US Capitol to warm up, then turned around to come back west, eventually passing Embassy Row and the National Cathedral, then taking the Whitehurst Freeway to the Key Bridge and into Virginia.  From there they went north for a few miles on the GW Parkway, then south again to the Jefferson Davis Highway, with stops at the Marine Corps and Air Force Memorials. Volunteers waited throughout the course to give directions and even had stations for snack and bathroom breaks. The 12 mile ride skipped the sections on Massachusetts Avenue and the GW Parkway. Both routes ended at 20th street in Crystal City.

Bike DC is a rain or shine event. The complete lack of shine limited Team NORSA participation to Steven S only. Due to viral-like symptoms suffered earlier in the week, Steven opted for the 12-mile route. With wind pants, a hooded shell, gore-tex gloves, and various fleece articles, the weather was not as big an obstacle as in previous  NORSA bike n' brews.  Steven also made a riding partner by starting at the same time as Annie W, a local teacher training for a trip on the C&O Canal.  A relatively new cyclist, Annie nevertheless showed potential for all-weather elite status.  The two completed the loop by taking the Mount Vernon Trail from Crystal City to the 14th Street Bridge and finishing back at the National Mall.  The Solar Decathlon was in full swing despite the irony of the slogan "powered by the sun."

In all, hundreds, if not the thousands predicted, showed up for the ride. Even in bad weather, riding on traffic-free roads brings a certain serenity that only comes once a year.