Author: Megan Van de Mark

Why Should You Register for Bike to Work Day?

| Megan Van de Mark
Every Wednesday leading up to Bike to Work Day, we’ll post here about ways you can get ready for the region’s biggest annual celebration of bike commuting. Register for Bike to Work Day now!
Perhaps you ride you bike every day, rain, shine, or snowstorm. Maybe you are getting back on a bike for the first time since elementary school. Or maybe you ride occasionally, when the spirit or weather moves you. As a frequent, infrequent, or new rider, you may be asking yourself, “Why is it important to register for Bike to Work Day?” Here are five great reasons why you should. 1. It’s important to be counted Bike to Work Day is our once-a-year opportunity to be counted. At no other point during the year are we able to better count, and therefore account for, the number of folks using a bike for transportation. This one day each year provides us with a number that we use throughout the rest of the year to indicate the level of ridership in the region. It matters not whether you ride daily, occasionally, or are just getting started. You bike and that counts. So be counted and register! 2. It’s our opportunity to show growth in ridership Once counted, we are able to use participation numbers to show growth in overall ridership. Since 2001, there has been a steady, documented growth in Bike To Work Day participation that corresponds with an overall growth in regional ridership. The greater the growth demonstrated, the greater our ability to advocate for better bicycling and bicycling infrastructure in the region. There is strength in numbers. More riders means a larger, more visible constituency. But you need to register to show this growth. 3. You can connect with, and become part of, a community of riders Biking can be more fun with good company! Whether you invite a colleague, neighbor, friend, or family member to sign up and ride along with you, join an existing convoy, decide to lead your own convoy, friend a ride buddy, or chat up a fellow cyclist at your pit stop, Bike to Work Day is a great opportunity to meet and connect with other riders. Or to mentor someone to try bike commuting (or just biking) for the first time! Register to join the community of riders! While you’re at it, challenge others to register with you and get out on the road together. 4. Free stuff Who doesn’t love free stuff? One of the perks of Bike to Work Day, in addition to free coffee and bagels awaiting you along your morning commuter, is the free t-shirts and raffle prizes. However, T-shirts are only available to the folks who register (and the first 12,000 registrants at that). So register now! Registering also gets you entered to win a variety of raffle prizes, including a bike! 5. It’s fun Really! It’s a regional bike commuting party. Bike to Work Day is one of the only times that you can commune with your fellow riders, in one spot, for free, while getting served free snacks, breakfast, coffee, and swag. It’s the one day a year we collectively celebrate biking for transportation. Who doesn’t want to attend that party? Register to join in the fun! To optimize your fun, stop by your neighborhood stop, then hit up pit stops along on your commute, enjoying music and snacks along the way.
Next Wednesday, we’ll tell be back with a profile of a Bike to Work Day pit stop. Sign up for Bike to Work Day now!

WABA Members Get 20% Off Studio Theatre’s 2013 Productions

| Megan Van de Mark
Starting Mon., March 10th, WABA members get a 20 percent discount on single tickets to Studio Theatre’s 2013 season productions, including:
  • The Motherf***er With The Hat (now through March 24)
  • 4000 Miles (March 20 to April 28)
  • The Real Thing (May 22 to June 30)
  • Baby Universe (June 26 to July 21)

We’re particularly excited to offer this benefit for the upcoming production of 4000 Miles, a play with a long-distance cyclist as one of its two central characters. After cycling 4,000 miles across the country, 21-year-old Leo arrives unannounced at the Greenwich Village apartment of his octogenarian Jewish leftist grandmother. As an overnight couch-surf turns into an extended stay, 4000 Miles unearths a surprising commonality between the two generations.

4000 Miles

Theater plus biking? How awesome is that? But wait, there’s more! WABA and Studio Theatre are working together to ensure there is a place to park your bike when you roll up. Studio already offers indoor bike parking for its staff, but is working with WABA to get permanent racks installed outside for theatergoers. WABA will also be providing supplemental, temporary bike parking for the entire run of 4000 Miles. Studio’s commitment to making 4000 Miles a bike-friendly experience is helped by the cyclists on staff. Its artistic director, David Muse, is an avid competitive cyclist. And marketing manager Scott Sanger has ridden his bike for the past 15 years as a member of Team Food & Friends, which rides to support those fighting AIDS.

Here are some important things to know about Studio’s discount for WABA members:

This discount is not valid for Saturday evening performances, in combination with any other discount offers, or on previous orders. Discounted tickets are subject to availability. There is no limit on the number of discounted tickets that can be ordered. To receive the discount, email membership@waba.org for the promotional code. The code can be used to order tickets online through Studio Theatre’s website or when calling or visiting its box office. WABA members may also present their membership card at the box office to receive the discount. Photo courtesy of Studio Theatre

Welcome to Our Newest Business Members!

| Megan Van de Mark
business-membership-logoIn January, WABA launched our business membership program. Today, we are excited to introduce our newest business members, three companies dedicated to promoting bicycling, each in their own way.
WABA Climate Ride jersey

Custom-made by Primal Wear

Alta Planning + Design is a planning consultancy firm headquartered in Portland, Ore. It specializes in sustainable transportation and recreation planning and design, with a strong bike and pedestrian focus. Alta has had a hand in creating many of the bicycle-friendly communities, trails, and green spaces enjoyed throughout the U.S. Alta Bicycle Share, which is behind Capital Bikeshare and many other urban bikesharing systems, is a subsidiary of Alta Planning + Design. Filter Coffeehouse is a D.C. coffee shop with locations in Dupont and Foggy Bottom. In 2010, Filter’s owner, Rasheed, had two custom bike racks (in the shape of a hot cup of coffee and a French press) installed outside his Dupont coffeehouse, ensuring his customers would have a dedicated place to park their bikes. An active cyclist himself, Rasheed can often be found at the head of the pack on WABA rides. Primal Wear is a cycling apparel company based in Denver, Colorado. It designs and manufactures high quality cycling jerseys, T-shirts, outwear, and accessories, including the awesome limited edition jerseys custom-made for our 2012 Climate Riders. Committed to helping the cycling community grow through advocacy and education, Primal Wear supports fellow bike advocacy organizations in addition to charity rides and youth education programs. A big welcome and thanks to our newest business members! Read up about our other business members here and here. If you’re interested in becoming a business member, learn more about the program here.            

WABA Members Get to Work It Out

| Megan Van de Mark
“Membership with Benefits” is a blog series in which we highlight a different WABA member benefit each month. Last month we featured Tranquil Space and Flow Yoga, two Washington-area yoga studios. This month we’re featuring Results Gym, Embody Pure Fitness, and the YMCA.

With the start of a new year, many of us make fitness-related resolutions. Whether we hope to lose weight, eat better, or simply feel better in our bodies, the beginning of the year is a great time to start a new fitness routine. However, the chillier temperatures can sometimes dissuade us from wanting to hop on our bikes to achieve those goals. Luckily for members, some of WABA’s discount partners offer indoor exercise opportunities.

Fitness

As a WABA member, you receive discounts at Results Gym, Embody Pure Fitness, and the YMCA.
  • Results Gym offers discounted enrollment at its Capitol Hill and downtown locations. It provides personal training, nutrition services, rock climbing, hydroworx training pool, cardio theater, a variety of classes (yoga, cycling, abs, karate, dance, etc.), massage, squash and basketball courts, and more.
  • Embody Pure Fitness, located in Adams Morgan, offers a 15 percent discount on any personal trainer package. It specializes in boot camp workouts, kettlebells, TRX, nutrition, and rehabilitation services.
  • YMCA of Metropolitan Washington, at its D.C., Maryland, and Virginia locations, offers reduced enrollment and 10% off monthly dues. It offers aquatics, youth and adults sports, fitness, yoga, dance, childcare, and more. This discount does not apply at the new 14th & W NW location in D.C.
Spend more time improving your health, but save money while doing so. Now that’s a member benefit!

We’ve Got New Business Members!

| Megan Van de Mark
business-membership-logoRecently, we introduced the businesses that helped WABA launch our Business Membership program. Today, we welcome our newest business members! Here’s a little bit about what they have to offer and what they do to encourage cycling. Capitol Hill Bikes is a full-service, women-owned bike shop in Capitol Hill. Since 2000, it has been working to provide a warm, welcoming environment for cyclists of all ages and skill levels to shop, learn, and experience the joy of cycling. Committed to educating cyclists, Capitol Hill Bikes offers fix-a-flat classes on the first and third Saturday of the month. Qualia Coffee is a D.C. coffee shop and home of Fresh Off the Roast, a small-batch coffee roasting company. Qualia is bike-friendly: In 2011, it worked with WABA and DDOT to get bike racks installed out front of its Georgia Avenue location, ensuring that bicycle parking was available for their customers. Qualia also provided the initial home and incubation space for The Bike House, a community-based bike cooperative. The Strong Law Firm is a Falls Church-based law firm that specializes in mortgage, traffic, personal injury, and bankruptcy clients. It is dedicated to defending the rights of all road users, including bike riders and pedestrians who are often given the short end of the legal stick. A big welcome and thanks to our newest business members! If you’re interested in becoming a business member, learn more about the program here.

We’ve Got Business Members. Get to Know Them!

| Megan Van de Mark
business-membership-logoLast week we announced WABA’s new Business Membership program, and mentioned the first five businesses to get involved. Today, let us give you a more in-depth look at what the businesses that have joined up with us have to offer. VeloCity Bicycle Cooperative is a non-profit, volunteer-run, do-it-yourself bicycle workshop in Alexandria. It offers trainings, rides, and events to empower and educate area bicyclists through building, maintaining, and embracing the fun of riding a bike. VeloCity actively sought us out for a business membership and quickly became our first member. Bike and Roll is a bike rental, repair, and touring company with locations in D.C. and Alexandria. It provides hourly and full-day bike rentals, guided bike tours, and bicycle repair and maintenance. A long time supporter of WABA, Bike and Roll has frequently donated its bikes for use at WABA events and classes. Ecoprint is an environmentally responsible printing company in Silver Spring that uses a 100 percent carbon-neutral printing processes—Ecoprint was “eco” before it was cool. The company has printed WABA’s newsletter and direct mailings for many years and has helped us raise awareness of bicycling issues in an environmentally friendly manner. KGP Design Studios, LLC is a design firm providing architecture, urban design, and transit planning services. It has been a leader in the livable cities movement, designing premier bicycle facilities including the Union Station Bicycle Transit Center (which is operated by Bike and Roll). The Motley Fool is a multimedia financial-services company that provides financial solutions for all kinds of investors. Committed to cultivating bicycling as a viable transportation option for its staff, The Motley Fool brought in WABA for an employee-based bike commuter seminar in 2011. A big welcome and thanks to our business members for making our business membership program successful! If you’re interested in becoming a business member, learn more about the program here.    

Flow Into a Tranquil Space as a WABA Member

| Megan Van de Mark
“Membership with Benefits” is a blog series in which we highlight a different WABA member benefit each month. Last month we featured Lunar Massage, a D.C.-based massage studio. This month we’re featuring Tranquil Space and Flow Yoga, two Washington-area yoga studios.yogaclass
After the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, are you feeling stressed? Did you resolve to be healthier in 2013? Have the marginally chillier temperatures left you craving an indoor exercise outlet? Time on the yoga mat is a great way to reduce stress, get healthy, and move your body. And a WABA membership can help you stretch out at a discount! As a WABA member, you receive discounts on classes at two area yoga studios. Flow Yoga, on P Street NW near Whole Foods, offers 15 percent off all yoga classes in their eco-friendly studio. Tranquil Space, with locations in D.C. and Arlington, offers 15 percent off one-, six-, and ten-class yoga passes. Spend more time improving your downward-facing dog, but don’t spend a lot of money to do so. Let us help you get back in the flow of things and find your tranquil space.

Announcing WABA’s Business Membership Program

| Megan Van de Mark
business-membership-logo Dense, accessible neighborhoods are becoming more and more popular, and the Washington area is no exception: The region is growing rapidly. More people need more ways to get around, and bicycling is a safe, convenient, and affordable way to do so. And more people also need more amenities and services. For 40 years, WABA has worked to make the D.C. area better for bicycling through education, advocacy, outreach, and organized events. As we move forward in 2013, we will continue our advocacy campaigns, but we need to expand our reach. In order to build a truly walkable, bikeable region, we need the support of the community at large. One way to engender that kind of support is by connecting with area businesses through our Business Membership program, which we’re launching in earnest this year. We’re really excited by the prospect of working with businesses who recognize the value of biking and want to encourage it among their staff and customers. As a WABA business member, a business gets better access to and involvement in a community that actively seeks better opportunities for cycling. Bike-friendly businesses can show their dedication to cycling, and businesses interested in becoming more bike-friendly can rapidly boost their efforts. And the support goes both ways: Bike-friendly businesses attract employees and customers that are interested in working for and supporting the cause, and employees and customers are healthier and happier to be in an environment that supports their transit mode of choice. We want to extend a huge welcome—and thanks—to the five businesses who have already joined up with us for the Business Membership program’s launch: VeloCity Bicycle Cooperative (our founding member!), Ecoprint, KGP Design Studio, LLC,  The Motley Fool, and Bike and Roll. Expect to hear more about these businesses on our blog, Twitter, and Facebook. If you know of a business interested in membership or want to learn more about the program, check out our business membership page or contact our Membership Coordinator, Megan Van de Mark, at membership@waba.org or by phone at (202) 518-0524 x203. If you already think this is the coolest thing ever, join as a business member today!  

De-Stress Your Way Through the Holidays With WABA Discount Partner Lunar Massage

| Megan Van de Mark
“Membership with Benefits” is a blog series in which we highlight a different WABA member benefit each month. Last month we featured Czech Active Tours, a U.S.-European bike touring company. This month we’re featuring Lunar Massage, a D.C.-based massage studio.
Between the holiday shopping, the holiday parties, the holiday food, and the family holiday gatherings, are you mildly stressed out? Are your shoulders and neck feeling the resulting strain—or are you simply in need of a brief reprieve from the hubbub? We think so! Luckily, we have an appropriately relieving solution: a massage with WABA discount partner Lunar Massage!

Lunar Massage offers free membership to all WABA members (an initial $40 savings). And membership means awesome, discounted massages at Lunar’s three cozy D.C. locations! WABA members get lower prices on each massage, 20 percent off all massages in your birthday month, special members-only discount days, and a $10 referral credit for new local clients. Whether you need some pain relief after a long, hard winter ride or crave straight-up stress reduction, Lunar Massage‘s membership is a great way to survive the holiday season. If it is a friend or coworker who is in need, give them the gift of massage: WABA members get 10 percent off all gift cards and gift certificate purchases. Now that’s a member benefit!

Tour the European Countryside By Bike With WABA-Discount Partner, Czech Active Tours

| Megan Van de Mark
“Membership with Benefits” is a blog series in which we highlight a different WABA member benefit each month. Last month we featured Bike Escapades, a US bike touring company. This month we’re traveling to Europe by bike, featuring Czech Active Tours, a US-European bike touring company.
What could be better than touring the European countryside by bike? Touring the European countryside by bike while someone else handles the logistics! Czech Active Tours, a small bike touring company, provides fully supported bike trips throughout central Europe. Your lodging, breakfasts and dinners, a tour guide, and luggage transport are all taken care of, allowing you to focus on the sites rather than on the planning. Visit an olive oil mill in Spain. Walk the streets of Seville. Enjoy a boat tour of Budapest. Meander through Austrian vineyards. Tour Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance cathedrals, churches, monasteries, and castles in the Czech Republic.  Czech Active Tours makes this all possible. And by bike! Join Czech Active Tours on any of their bike tours and save $100 as a WABA member. For every member that takes advantage of the discount, they will donate an additional $50 to WABA. For the month of November only, Czech Active Tours is also offering a special discount to WABA members. For groups of four or more, they will offer an additional $50 off per person and $50 off bike rentals. Now THAT’S a member benefit!