2024 Bike to the BBQ Battle- Ride Guide
Ride Start:
Saturday, June 22, 2024
Franklin Park
(Arrive between 9:30am and 10:00am)
Gear up and pedal your way to the ultimate summer celebration! Join forces with Streets Calling Bike Club, DC Bike Ride, and WABA for a joyful journey (roughly 10 miles) through the heart of the city, culminating in a mouthwatering extravaganza at the 32nd annual Giant BBQ Battle on Pennsylvania Avenue. Work up your appetite and get ready to savor the flavor and soak in the sounds at this epic food and music festival.
This ride is a fundraiser. Registration fees support WABA’s Bike Camp program that provides free bike training to young students. Thank you.
Quick Links
Pit-stop — Ride Finish- BBQ Festival
What to Bring — Food and Drinks —Bathrooms— FAQ
Ride Route
This roughly 10 mile group ride, led by the Streets Calling Bike Club and DC Bike Ride, is the perfect way to enjoy a Saturday morning. Experience the beauty of the District, make new friends, and arrive at the BBQ festival ready to feast and have fun.
Route Map:
The ride route is available on RideWithGPS:
Ride with GPS
To get free RideWithGPS turn-by-turn navigation on your smartphone, you will need to do a few things, all pretty easy:
- Sign up for a free RideWithGPS account.
- Join the WABA RideWithGPS club by clicking here while logged into your account on your web browser.
- Install the mobile app on your phone and log in.
- On the web browser, go to the ride route. Then click “send to phone.”
- Open the app on your phone, find the route, and click “Navigate.”
Venue/ Getting There
The ride route starts at Franklin Park:
1332 I Street NW, Washington DC 20005. map
The venue is conveniently located downtown and accessible by bicycle.
It is also accessible by Metro at the McPherson Square Metro stop on the orange line, Metro Center on the red line, or Mt Vernon Square on the green line. Keep in mind that Metro opens at 7am on Saturdays.
If you plan to drive, there is street parking nearby. You should be able to park fairly close, and can plan to ride your bike a short distance to the venue. Consider doing some advance scouting or planning.
Ride Start
Arrive at Franklin Park between 9:30am and 10:00am to check-in for a ride start soon after 10:00am.
Participants who paid the registration fee to participate in the event will be asked to check-in with WABA staff and volunteers who will be on hand. Once you do so, you will be given your ticket to access the festival as well as a ticket to collect a special swag bag upon entry at the WABA/ DC Bike Ride tent located within the festival.
All ride participants will be able to collect a t-shirt on a first come, first served basis. Riders are encouraged to wear the t-shirts to arrive at the festival with a unified look!
There is a public restroom on site at the park.
You will be greeted by ride leaders from Streets Calling Bike Club and DC Bike Ride who will share ride and safety instructions before everyone departs together.
The group ride will proceed at a moderate pace as one large group and will aim to stay largely together, as guided by the ride leaders. Everyone should do their best to stay together so that the group can proceed through intersections as safely as possible.
Please know that streets are not closed for this ride and you will ride on streets with motor vehicle traffic. Everyone should stay on the appropriate side of the street or within one lane and generally obey traffic rules except occasionally in the case of intersections which may be temporarily “corked” by ride leaders and ride marshals who will help guide participants along the course.
Participants are expected to:
- Carry a charged cell phone and call 911 in case of an emergency.
- Have an emergency-contact who is not a ride participant “on call” during the ride.
Pit-stop
There will be a planned pit-stop halfway along the route at Walter Pierce Park in Adams Morgan.
The pit-stop will feature snacks and refreshments (including pre-packaged snacks, lemonade, and water). And, WABA staff and volunteers on hand will have basic first aid and bike repair kits.
There will not be an available restroom in the park.
All participants will arrive together roughly around 11am.
Once there has been enough time to take a break, the ride leaders will encourage participants to head out the east end of the park toward Calvert Street where the ride will commence again.
Ride Finish- BBQ Festival
The ride will finish around noon on site of the BBQ Festival near the US Capitol Building and National Mall. Specifically, the ride will wrap up on 3rd Street NW just south of Madison Drive SW at the free Bike Valet station provided by Bike Valet DMV.
Make a Bike Valet Reservation
To speed up the process at the Bike Valet station, participants are asked to make a reservation in advance. All that is needed to do is visit https://bvdmv.link/GBBQday1 to create an account then reserve a space. This will get you priority service both when you check in and check out.
Those who complete the reservation process in advance will be asked to identify themselves by lining up at a sign designated for people with reservations. All others will be asked to wait separately.
**Special Prize- Of those who reserve a bike valet space in advance of the ride, one winner will be selected to receive (2) free passes to DC Bike Ride.
Enter the Festival
Once you have parked your bike you can proceed to the entrance gate located just north at the intersection of 3rd Street NW and Madison Drive where you will need to provide your entrance ticket. Continue straight then take a left on Pennsylvania Avenue. You will then find the WABA/ DC Bike Ride tent on your right.
At the WABA/ DC Bike Ride tent redeem your swag bag ticket to be given a bag with special giveaways.
Thereafter, you will be free to enjoy everything at the festival.
Festival Attractions
To see a festival map and a list of vendors, click on the link below.
For even more interactive information, you can choose to download the event app.
There will be plenty of food samples to collect from Giant Food vendors, especially in Zone 1 near 7th Street on Pennsylvania Avenue. And, there will be restaurants on hand where you can purchase food in Restaurant Row in Zone 5 near the WABA tent.
Check out the schedule of events to see entertainment options that will take place throughout the day.
We hope you explore the entire festival space with other ride participants and have a great time seeing everything on display!
What to Bring
- Bike
- Helmet (Required by our insurance. You can’t ride without one.)
- Wallet (you may want to purchase food or other items at the festival)
- SmartTrip card (in case you depart from the ride, or choose to get home from the festival by Metro)
- Weather appropriate clothing
- Water bottle (you can fill it at the pit-stop halfway through the ride if you need to)
- Saddle bag (to carry spare tube, tire levers, and pump or patch kit)
- Spare tube (especially if you have a non-standard rim size!)
- Charged cell phone and charger
- Sunglasses and sunscreen
- Additional snacks
- An adventurous spirit!
Food and Drinks
Drinks
There will be water jugs and lemonade at the pit-stop halfway through the ride.
Upon checking in at the WABA/ DC Bike Ride tent at the festival you will be given a free Just Ice Tea drink.
Snacks
A variety of single-serving and pre-packaged snacks will be served at the pit-stop.
At the festival, there will be many free samples to try and food to purchase from food trucks.
Bathrooms
There will be a restroom at the ride start at Franklin Park. At the festival, there will be portable toilets.
FAQ
Questions about who, what, where, when, and why!
What is this event?
WABA has partnered with the Giant BBQ Battle, DC Bike Ride, and Streets Calling Bike Club to offer a fun ride experience on the way to the BBQ festival. The Bike to the BBQ Battle ride will raise funds for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA)’s Bike Camp program which offers free bike training to young students during the summer.
Where does this event take place?
This event starts at Franklin Park- 1332 I Street NW (map)
The ride route will have participants travel through streets in DC on the way to a pit-stop at Walter Pierce Park in Adams Morgan and ultimately to the BBQ Battle located near the US Capitol Building and the National Mall.
How should I get there? Is there parking?
Franklin Park is conveniently located downtown and accessible by bicycle.
It is also accessible by Metro at the McPherson Square Metro stop on the orange line, Metro Center on the red line, or Mt Vernon Square on the green line. Keep in mind that Metro opens at 7am on Saturdays.
If you plan to drive, there is street parking nearby. You should be able to park fairly close, and can plan to ride your bike a short distance to the venue. Consider doing some advance scouting or planning.
When is this event?
The Bike to the BBQ Battle will take place on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
What time does this event start?
Participants are asked to gather at the ride start between 9:30am and 10:00am to check-in. The ride will begin soon thereafter.
Are the roads closed for this ride? Are there cars?
Roads are NOT closed for this ride. This means:
- The route is NOT closed to motor vehicle traffic.
- Participants will share the road with cars
Is this ride supported?
Streets are not closed for this ride. You will ride on streets with motor vehicle traffic.
Ride leaders will guide the group together along the way and look after participants.
WABA staff will have basic first aid materials at the pit-stop. Staff will make these materials available to participants in case of minor injury. In case of an emergency, WABA staff or volunteers will call 911.
Participants are expected to:
- Carry a charged cell phone and call 911 in case of an emergency.
- Have an emergency-contact who is not a ride participant “on call” during the ride.
Is the route marked with signs or arrows?
No. The route is unmarked.
Ride leaders will be guiding the group on the route.
Participants can also navigate using free turn-by-turn navigation on their smartphone using the Ride with GPS app.
Will there be Ride Marshals?
Yes. Ride Marshals are volunteers who are there to help participants navigate and offer encouragement and support.
Where can I find information about the route?
The ride route is available here.
Do I have to follow traffic laws?
Yes. WABA asks and expects all participants to generally ride lawfully and with respect for other road users. However, ride leaders and marshals may temporarily “cork” intersections to try to get the group through as quickly and safely as possible.
Do I have to wear a helmet?
Yes. WABA’s insurance requires that everyone riding a bicycle on a WABA ride wears a helmet while riding.
Click this link for a resource on how to properly fit your helmet.
Can I ride my e-bike?
WABA welcomes e-bikes on our ride. We ask that you have a fully charged battery the day of the event.
Will food and drink be provided?
There will be a selection of drinks and snacks provided at the pit-stop.
At the BBQ festival, you will be able to collect a free Just Ice Tea at the WABA/ DC Bike Ride tent. Throughout the rest of the festival, there will be many free samples of food items available as well as a restaurant section where you can purchase food.
I have a question that you haven’t answered here.
We are happy to help! Email your question to us at events@waba.org.
Special thanks to our partners who have helped make this event possible:
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