WABA Quick Release

Posts Tagged ‘rides’

Author’s note: to fully enjoy this entry please pour yourself a nice cold cup of tap water. 

At first glance, WABA’s Down the Tubes Ride, a combination of biking and our sewer system, might have seemed like a bizarre April Fools joke in the making. And well, we only have one thing to say to the suspicious observers out there; you missed out! For the 50 WABA members and staff who participated, it was a fun ride, and a fun way to discover what lies beneath our city streets.

We owe the day’s successes to the warm spring weather, and DC Water. As part of their effort to raise awareness on the city’s water enhancements, DC Water opened up their doors, provided bike racks and snacks, and showed off their facilities. Thank you DC Water!

We stopped at four sites along the way, beginning with The Fort Reno Water tower, the highest point inWashington. We learned about the sources of our water, and the power of gravity in the system. Then we took advantage of our own gravity and meandered through NW DC, along McMillan reservoir to The Bryant St. Pump Station.

After a presentation on the how water is pumped to service areas within the District, we explored the cavernous pumping room and set off to our next destination. The trip down to the O St. Pump Station was especially pleasant along the Met Branch Trail and in the new new bike lanes in SouthEast DC.

The first stage of storm and waste water treatment occurs at The O St. Pump Station.The highlight of the day for many was seeing this process  first-hand. There’s no need to go into graphic details here, but we certainly encourage you to check it out yourself!

We ended the day at Poplar point, a small brick gazebo-like structure on the East side of the Anacostia River. Once water is treated at O St. it’s  pumped below the river to Poplar Point and on to Blue Plains, the biggest advanced water treatment facility in North America. At Poplar Point we learned about the Clean Rivers Project the city’s commitment to address combined sewage overflow (CSOs).

Thanks again to DC Water for making the day possible, and to our ride marshals for volunteering their time. Logistically, the tour was a breeze on our bikes, and we’re looking forward to creating more rides of this sort.

To explore more, we encourage you to visit our photo slideshow,  DC Water’s website, and check out local blogger Ghosts Of DC for more rare discoveries of our city and our water infrastructure.

This year’s 50 States  & 13 Colonies Ride was a resounding success for WABA and for those who biked more than 64-miles up and down and up some more, across The District’s expansive asphalt terrain. To those who’ve never participated in the event, this ride may sound downright masochistic, and okay maybe there’s some truth in that, but the pleasure is well worth the pain. Riders  discovered never-before-seen pockets of the city, formed lasting bonds along the way and earned the right to say, “I biked the 50 States!”

We couldn’t have asked for a more pleasant, rain-free September day.  500 participants gathered at Kalorama Park to collect their cue sheets and bike maps, and enjoy fresh produce by Giant Food while lining up in the start area. Before the ride set off, WABA staff  relayed some basic safety tips and gave fair warning of the route’s inherent difficulties. We advised riders, “It’s not a question of whether or not you will get lost, it’s a question of when you will get lost.”

Fortunately, when folks missed the “unmarked alley on 15th St SE” or rode past Texas Ave. SE, they weren’t lost for long. And that’s due in large part to our ride support; the veteran 50 States Rider corps who have joined us for the past 8 years, and the dedicated ride marshals, stationary marshals and volunteers, who led the packs and swept the route. Some participants like to think of 50 States as a day to get out and explore the city on their own while relying on paper and intuition, however the general experience is one of teamwork and encouragement. We overheard one woman say, “for being an unsupported ride, I’ve never felt so supported on a ride!” And for that we owe a big thanks to the camaraderie of our 50 States rider community and our hard-working volunteers!

We also owe this year’s success to our rest stop support. Thankfully, our staff was able to quickly zip across the city to follow the ride and set up rest stops with  Zip Car’s gracious contribution of two fully-loaded SUVs. Normally WABA staff stick to two wheels but we had no choice, we had to be car-nivores for the day. These SUVs were necessary in keeping our riders hydrated and energized because they carried 500 gallons of water donated by Drink More Water and 500 energy snacks donated by the The Nation’s Triathlon.

Riders weren’t the only participants taken care of along the route, so were the bicycles. Mechanics from Takoma Park’s The Green Commuter assisted riders at the start area, DC’s BicycleSPACE provided  bicycle maintenance at the Anacostia rest stop,  The Bike House, a volunteer-run Bike Co-op taught riders how to do basic repairs during lunch, and The American University Cycling Team spent their afternoon wrenching at mile 59 on AU’s campus.

Thanks for your time, energy and help, guys!

51st State After Party Sponsored by New Belgium Brewing

Lastly, we are most appreciative of the contributions from the latest and greatest, bike-centric brewers in town, The New Belgium Brewery, who sponsored the 51st State After Party. This year’s ride would not have been complete without a couple frosted Fat Tire Ales, T-shirts and bike goodies to commemorate the day!  We are proud supporters of their work as a triple bottom line, employee-owned company and their passion for supporting the national bike movement and we are honored to work with them. And of course that couldn’t have happened without our friends at The Grill From Ipanema who hosted our after party and provided delicious food, a patio perfect for cheering on the returning riders, bike parking and half of their dining area space for hundreds of sweaty lycrites!

We hope you enjoyed yourselves, and as always, we appreciate any feedback to improve this event for years to come. Please email nelle@waba.org with comments.

Don’t let the government shutdown ruin your weekend! Shutdown or no shutdown you can still celebrate the last weekend of the National Cherry Blossom Festival on bike. The American Diabetes Association Cherry Blossom Family Bike Rally and Ride is a fun and FREE event featuring a kids bike rodeo, kids learn2 ride area, balloons, a signed family ride, live entertainment and more!

Date: Sunday, April 10, 2011

Time: 11:00AM – 3:00PM

Location: Yard’s Park, 10 Water Street SE, Washington, DC 20003, (Yard’s Park is a new location, if your GPS has trouble locating “Yard’s Park” please use the address: 4th St SE and Tingey St SE, Washington D.C.)

Admission: FREE!

Volunteer: Want to help put kids on bikes at our rodeo course? Email henry@waba.org

Group shot with Abe

Over 60 people braved the February winds this weekend to celebrate Lincoln’s birthday with us. Everyone was in good spirits as the group made a tour of Lincoln-inspired DC landmarks. Our meeting point, the Lincoln Memorial, was abuzz with activity early on a Saturday morning, and a large group of cyclists made for a perfect photo opportunity for one group of excited foreign tourists. The group headed into Northwest to visit the recently-opened-to-the-public Lincoln’s Cottage at Soldier Home, where he drafted the Emancipation Proclamation. The ride then continued into Northeast (and over several thigh-burning hills) to visit Fort Lincoln, a site once used during the Civil War to defend the nation’s capital. The last pit stop at Lincoln Park (see group photo to the right) turned into a longer wait than some had anticipated due to one cyclist’s flat tire, but if one flat is the biggest issue on an urban group ride like this, let’s call it a success!

Overall, we received a positive sentiment from the people who saw the ride go by: “Are you doing a bike marathon?” “It’s too early to be out on your bikes!” “Bike on!” Many in the group also commented on how they visited parts of the District that they had never before been on by bike, and hopefully many will go back by bike.

Thanks to the Fort Lincoln New Town Corporation for their support of our cycling efforts, as well as to the marshals who volunteered their time to make sure everyone got back to the White House safely. Look for future rides like this from us, and let us know if you have any suggestions.

Together with over 500 of our members and friends, WABA hosted the annual 50 States & 13 Colonies Ride on Saturday, September 25. With beautiful sunshine and warm temperatures to start the day off, a record-breaking 512 cyclists took to DC’s 50 state avenues and spent the day crisscrossing the District through all eight Wards.

The 50 States ride is uniquely DC and offers riders the chance to see parts of the city they’ve never experienced on bike before. From Alabama Ave. to Wyoming Ave., this ride has it all! The Grill from Ipanema served as this year’s post-ride happy hour where riders could swap stories of their ride and commiserate over the hills they’d conquered that day. Some comments we happened to overhear included ‘I had no idea DC had so many hills!’, ‘What were these guys thinking?’. It has also been nice to hear from folks who have participated in the ride year after year and are still experiencing new things along the route. With 50 streets to hit and 212 cues to follow, there is definitely a feeling of accomplishment upon finishing!

This ride would not have been possible without the generous support of this year’s sponsors including REI College Park, Giant Foods, Big Chair Coffee, BicycleSPACE, Revolution Cycles, City Bikes, the American University Cycling Team, Drink More Water, and the Grill from Ipanema. And also a big THANK YOU to all of the volunteers who helped WABA out at the registration area and rest stops along the way!

Thanks to everyone who came out and participated in the ride. It’s great to see so many people out in DC biking and enjoying the tour. We enjoyed putting the ride on and look forward to doing it all again next year!

Thursday night, September 23,  the full harvest moon shined its beautiful light across DC’s night skies.  To celebrate the full moon and the cooler fall temperatures WABA organized the Moonlight Ride at the newly opened Yards Park along the Anacostia River. With generous support from the Capitol Riverfront BID and Forest City, WABA built upon the momentum from our 2009 ride to make this year’s event bigger and better.

“But why limit the fun to just a bike ride?” we thought. So a few WABA staff and members started the evening off by watching the Washington Nationals defeat the Houston Astros at Nationals Park before joining the fun a few blocks away at Yards Park (4th and M St SE).  Smokin’ Somethin’ BBQ was on-site to provide delicious sandwiches and side dishes to riders, while Capital Bikeshare and Capitol Hill Bikes were also on hand to meet and greet with our riders. WABA, with the assistance of Capitol Hill Bikes, ensured that every rider was well-lit and visible before heading off by providing the option to purchase Knog light sets along with ride registration.

Two hundred cyclists congregated at Yards Park to take part in the ride, heading west along P St. to Water Street SW before crossing the Case Bridge to Hains Point and Ohio Drive. The moon’s reflection on the Potomac River was a gorgeous sight as riders rode along Ohio Drive towards the stunningly lit Lincoln Memorial. After stopping at the Lincoln Memorial to cheer and howl at the moon, riders headed back east along the National Mall and back to the Yards Park.

The Moonlight Ride has quickly become a WABA-members favorite offering a nice change of pace to enjoy the full moon instead of typical rides starting in the early morning. WABA would like to thank the Capitol Riverfront BID and Forest City Washington for sponsoring this year’s ride and, of course thanks to everyone who came out to join us!