You know what’s even better than bicycles? Getting together with the people who ride them to learn new skills, discover a new trail, and chat over coffee about routes, bike shops, new bike lane projects, and any/everything else about this bike-life.
I’m not gonna lie— it was a bummer that we had to cancel and postpone so many in-person events and classes this year. But even 2020 couldn’t stop the WABA joy machine!
This year brought Virtual Bike Anywhere Week Bingo; digital coffee hours; covid-adapted 50 States and Cider Rides; and —who could forget?!— DC Bike Ambassador Trey Robinson’s how-to-wheelie videos (here’s part 1 & part 2). Because even when it’s from a distance, WABA staff love bringing you and the whole WABA community together fun on one, two, or more wheels.
We don’t know what 2021 will look like yet. But one thing’s for sure: in addition to advocating for better infrastructure and policies to support your ride, WABA won’t stop bringing the fun, the silliness, and the delight that make bikes and the people who ride them spectacular.
I hope to see you in 2021 for some good ol’ bicycling delight. You can see what we have coming up at waba.org/fun— and click here to join Event Hub, our monthly guide to fun on and off your bike.
Have you ever wondered how to maintain your bike during the colder months? If so, join WABA and our friends at Jafe Cycling as we share cycling maintenance tips for colder months! Matt Onojafe with Jafe Cycling will discuss how often you need tune ups, how to clean your drive drain and when to replace your brake pads. As we transition into riding in colder weather, we want to share our knowledge and experience with you so you are prepared for your next ride.
Join us via Zoom, to learn more about bike maintenance and ask your biking questions.
Founded by Matt Onojafe during the 2020 pandemic, Jafe Cycling provides bicycle repairs, routine maintenance, 1 on 1 riding tutorials, is an authorized reseller of bike apparel, and big brand bicycles. Jafe Cycling has connected with many of the emerging bike clubs within the DC metropolitan area, hosting and facilitating large group rides. The goal is to bring awareness to human equality, pandemic relief, and community health & wellness.
We’ll be using Zoom/Rev which has auto-captioning with a minor delay and a text chat. Need accommodations, have questions about access, or have questions about the event? Send us an email at outreach@waba.org.
Please keep in mind if we do chat about bike advice that what works for you may not work for everyone, and unsolicited advice can feel unwelcoming and condescending. Please come in the spirit of solidarity and communal problem solving.
WABA’s network of volunteers, advocates, neighbors, friends, and family made bicycling better—and kept WABA strong and steady!— in 2020.
Now, as we brace ourselves for 2021, we know that community is more important than ever. We made progress over the past year, and we’re celebrating it. But there’s still work to dobuilding a region where you and your neighbors can safely explore, learn, and unlock the superpowers that come with riding a bike— and we’re counting on your support to do it.
Here’s what’s on the horizon for 2021 as WABA keeps working to make your ride— and our region— better:
More bike lanes. In 2020 we pushed harder than ever, and completely changed the game—setting the stage for even more progress in the coming year.
A connected multi-use trail network. More than 10 miles of trails are under construction right now, and with your support, we’ll reprioritize federal transportation funding from highway projects (that won’t even diminish traffic!) to trail projects.
Culture shift. Our work is at the intersection of so many critical issues: racial justice, climate crises, affordable housing, transportation equity, and more. In the coming year, WABA is committed to contextualizing our vision of a just and sustainable transportation system within work for a region that’s just and sustainable as a whole.
Power building. With training and support from WABA, community advocates like you will put more pressure on elected officials to transform streets at the block-by-block level.
More everyday WABA goodness. Online and on the ground — from fix-a-flat webinars to safe group events, 2021 will bring more classes, trainings, and rides to keep us together.
These are just a few of the ways WABA will empower people to ride bikes, build connections, and transform places in 2021.
Want to learn more about what your support made possible in 2020 and how we’re continuing to pivot for 2021? Join WABA for a digital town hall with WABA’s executive director and development director on December 3rd. Click here to register and get the Zoom link.
At the Bicyclists’ Choice Awards, we also recognize winners of the 2019 WABA Awards, honoring individuals whose dedicated work for better bicycling has made our community stronger, our streets safer, and brought us closer to our vision of a region where everyone can get where they’re going on a bike.
These awards are selected by WABA’s board and staff.
Winners of the 2019 WABA Awards:
2019 WABA Super Volunteer Award
Monica Morin, for her dedication to selling merchandise at WABA events, showing up to volunteer nights, making year-end phone calls, and overall being an incredible cheerleader for WABA everywhere she goes.
2019 WABA Public Leadership Award
Emily Dalphy, for her work as an innovative public servant who listens responsively to community needs, and going above and beyond in supporting communities who need safe streets now.
2019 Community Advocate Awards
Sean Neal, for his leadership organizing the site visit at South Capitol Street to demonstrate the need for safe crossing at Xenia Street— a much-needed safety improvement.
George Tobias, for his leadership encouraging elected officials to attend the Ward 8 Traffic Safety Meetings, where we organized around the need for safer routes to school, better sidewalks, and speed control in Ward 8 neighborhoods.
2019 Trail Champion Award
Ravi Ganvir, for his work moving countless trails, walking and biking projects around the District forward this past year, including the Arboretum Bridge and Trail.
2019 Heart and Soul Award
Christy Kwan and Faith Cole-Hall, for their leadership in establishing the DC chapter of Families for Safe Streets, giving our community a place to support one another, remember and grieve those lost to traffic violence, and organize for action.
2019 Vision Zero Award
Evan Glass, for his leadership on issues facing vulnerable road users across Montgomery County— including hosting a Vision Zero town hall and meaningfully engaging with Maryland State Highway and Montgomery County DOT.
2019 Youth Leadership Award
Amir Goodman, Oliver Krupa, and Siddharth Kravetz, for their courage in giving testimony at the DC Council Vision Zero hearing last October.
2019 Educator of the Year Award
Carol Ann Pisciotta, for her enthusiasm and leadership in making the youth bicycle education pilot at Excel Beyond the Bell at Oakview Elementary a reality.
2019 Biking for All Award
Fionnuala Quin for her leadership as a champion of bike and pedestrian education, including her work to implement traffic gardens at DC and Alexandria elementary schools.
Congratulations to all of these champions of safer streets— and thank you for all of your work in 2019.
Don’t forget to vote for your picks in the Bicyclists’ Choice Awards— and RSVP for the event to join in celebrating all we accomplished together in 2019.
This is a guest post from Megan Jones, co-founder of Hains Point 100 and a Women & Bicycles supporter!
Megan Jones (center, with megaphone) at Hains Point 100.
Hi. I’m Megan. And, in 2012 I started a thing. Something that I had no idea that would catch on like it did.
What if I rode a bunch of laps around Hains Point and asked people to join me? Well, that’s what became the Hains Point 100 which has now become the premier December outside bike event filled with fun (and absurdity) for everyone!
Come join us on December 22nd. We already have a huge line-up of supporters that have donated some amazing door prizes and more! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the updates of what we’ll have.
As always, this is not a formal event – we’re just getting together on a chilly Sunday to ride our bikes in a circle and have some fun! And we are raising awareness for WABA’s Women & Bicycles program. All levels of riders are welcome – we can’t wait to see you there!
Please let us know you’re coming by mushing on the big button below!
Hains Point 100 When: Sunday, December 22, 2019 Where: Hains Point, Washington DC
Permit me a moment for a quick flashback. I was sitting in an Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting in the county building letting my thoughts wander and heard a few people talking about how they rode around Hains Point continuously for 100 miles. “Are they serious?” thought I. “Who would do such a thing?” As my mind continued to wander, I thought about how I’d been putting a lot of miles on my bike that year and still wanted to do more. At that moment I thought, “Wait, I’m that bananas, why not!?!” Then my mouth said, “Hey, I’m going to ride 100 miles around Hains Point.” And, those people heard me and my idea so I couldn’t back out. That’s like, a rule.
November 2nd dawned cool and clear — a little chilly for standing around, but good temps for a bike ride! Almost 500 bicyclists gathered at Dance Place to check in, get their Cider Ride carabiner mugs, and fill their water bottles, before setting off on WABA’s last ride of 2019.
The cider was hot, the pies were enormous, and our ride marshals looked glamorous in brand-new (!) marshal vests.
Spiffy new marshal vests!
Bicyclists of all ages enjoyed donuts at Proteus Bikes and our new pit stop at Bladensburg Waterfront Park before continuing their ride, and riders on the 55-mile Honeycrisp route took a loop around the Patuxent Research Refuge before resting at the 30 mile mark at Buddy Attick Lake Park.
A rider and their 2019 Cider Ride mug at Buddy Attick Park.
Staff and volunteers were ready with pie as participants rolled into the post-ride celebration at Brookland’s Dew Drop Inn, where music, food, and drink kept the party going late into the afternoon.
So much pie. Which isn’t a terrible problem to have.
Thanks to everyone who came out for Cider Ride! I hope we’ll see you December 18th at our WABA Member Holiday Party at Franklin Hall. You can check out more photos from Cider Ride below— but first, thanks again to all our sponsors:
Gold Sponsor:
Bronze Sponsors:
Find a gallery of photos from Cider Ride 2019 below:
This family was all smiles for the Candy Apple route!
Pie & cider – really, is there a better combo?
Riders at Buddy Attick Park in Greenbelt, MD.
Greenbelt City Councilman Emmett V. Jordan paid us a visit at Buddy Attick!
Actually, donuts and cider may be the better combo.
Yup, donuts and cider for sure – look at those smiles!
Those two 70-degree days last week was all it took to get me fully in the mood for fall. And it’s not just me: all of a sudden pumpkin-spice everything is everywhere, and decorative gourds are popping up on every block.
But for WABA, the autumn equinox means one thing: Cider Ride!
Cider Ride, one WABA staff member remarked, is “everything good about fall in a bike ride.”
What does that mean?
It means apple pie and donuts. It means hot cider and heavier layers. And, most importantly, it means winding along gorgeous Prince George’s County trails transformed by autumn.
Seriously – it’s not an exaggeration. Look at these views:
Fall foliage at Lake Artemesia in Prince George’s County. You can’t beat it.
What makes Cider Ride even better is that it has something for everybody. Three routes (the 55-mile Honeycrisp, the 30-mile McIntosh, and the 10-mile Candy Apple route) means you can get out on your bike for a while whether you feel like riding for two hours or six.
We’ll have fall treats at the pit stops on every route — plus, hot cider (and a commemorative WABA Cider Ride mug to drink it from) to warm you up while you take a break. A leisurely ride through the woods or a fast-paced tour of the trails – the pace is up to you!
A canopy of autumn’s best colors – experience it on your bike!
So whether you’re itching to tackle the Honeycrisp route on your road bike, hoping to snap a perfect fall Instagram shot as you catch your breath on McIntosh, or planning to hitch a trailer with 3 kids on the back of your bike for the Candy Apple ride, we can’t wait to go on a bike ride with you.
Because really, that’s the best part about Cider Ride — spending a crisp fall morning outside with friends. I hope I see you there!
Hundreds of bicyclists came out on Saturday, September 7th for WABA’s annual 50 States Ride. We saw a burley-bound baby along for the Route 66 Ride, a couple tackling the 50 States in matching jerseys, and 13 Colonies riders rolling out together by the dozen from Walter Pierce Park. Whether this was your first 50 States Ride or your tenth: it was awesome to see you all bright and early to celebrate bicycling in D.C.
The day was clear and warm— a great day for a bike ride! Volunteer-made PBJs kept bellies full and pedals pumping at our Eastern Market pit stop, and the WABA Boutique at the Mellow Mushroom post-ride celebration had plenty of shirts, socks, and jerseys for sale so riders could show their WABA pride. Thanks to the sunshine, the roofdeck filled up quickly, and 18th Street felt even more festive than usual as rider after rider rolled up to the finish line looking for their hard-earned pizza and beer.
Thank you so much to all of you who came out for the ride. Like all of WABA’s signature events, the 50 States Ride is a fundraising event. Your registration fees fund WABA’s mission of making sure there are safe, accessible places to bicycle across the region. We’re grateful for your support, and I hope I’ll see you at our next signature event, Cider Ride, on November 2.
Check out the photos below for a glimpse of the 2019 50 States Ride —but first, one last thank you to the sponsors whose support made the 50 States Ride possible:
50 States check-in.
Conte’s Bike Shop provided bike tune-ups at check-in.
Thanks to our marshals on each 50 States route!
A 50 States family affair!
PB&Js were a hit for lunch.
Only a few miles left to go!
Thank you to our title sponsor, Signal Financial, for supporting this year’s 50 States Ride!
Pizza and beer at the afterparty at Mellow Mushroom
We’ve run four WABA in the Wild trips since we started to do the trip, back in 2016. Going into number five, we thought it may be a good time to reflect on what makes the trip awesome by talking to some of the people who would know best—the folks that were there!
After you do WABA in the Wild, you suddenly have 20 new bike friends that you spent an amazing weekend with! You can opt into an online group—WABA in the Wild Alumni—where you can keep in touch with them, plan rides or other get-togethers, and more. We asked this group: “Looking back at the experience of your trip, what were the best things about WABA in the Wild?”
Here’s what they said:
1. Getting to know the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath.
The C&O Canal is incredibly scenic.
“The C&O Canal is truly a marvel to ride along. There is so much natural beauty and fascinating engineering to take in every mile.”
WABA in the Wild is a three day, 184.5 mile ride from Cumberland to Georgetown on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath.
Construction of the C&O Canal began in 1828 and was completed in 1850 to transport coal from the Allegheny mountains to port cities. Now, as part of a National Historical Park, the towpath is an incredible chance to take in the transportation history of the early United States, with wildlife and greenery surrounding us on all sides.
2. Meals prepared campside by WABA staff and volunteers.
Can’t beat a good campfire meal!
“Food prepared by the staff—each meal was great. I especially enjoyed the veggie chili the first night…along with the spaghetti and meatballs! I never knew I could eat so much!”
We know that 184.5 miles calls for calories. So from breakfast when you wake up in camp, to pit stops stocked with lunch and snacks, to dinner cooked campside, WABA will make sure you’re fueled up and ready to go. Who knows—there might even be s’mores by the campfire.
3. All of it!
2018 WABA in the Wild riders and staff at mile zero in Georgetown.
“Looking back on the experience…it was all of it that was the best. The people I rode with, the adventure, the WABA staff…I look back on the experience and I think, I did that. And I was able to support the work that WABA does. It really doesn’t get much better than that.”
WABA in the Wild is a supported ride, which means staff and volunteers will be with you every step of the way. In the weeks leading up to the weekend, we’ll have a meeting and practice ride where you can get up to speed on details of the weekend and meet the other bicycling advocates who will be on WABA in the Wild. We’ll work with you to develop a fundraising plan and strategy so you can meet your $1000 fundraising goal. And we’ll transport you, your bike, and your gear to Cumberland, Maryland; set up pit stops as we pedal our way to Georgetown; and be available to cheer and support you all weekend. All you need to do is enjoy the ride.
I remember my first time riding my bike in the city. It was 2013, my first year in DC. I got off the Metro at McPherson Square Metro and rode north on 14th Street to Columbia Heights. It was a little scary, but I felt powerful and free, alert to my surroundings, present in my body…and completely hooked on bicycles! Since then, whether I’m exploring the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail with a friend, training for a race on Beach Drive, or just enjoying the sun on my morning commute, my bike has gotten me wherever I need to go.
My first experience with WABA was as a participant in the 2014 50 States Ride. Group rides are a great way to build community, explore the city, and grow your confidence on a bicycle, and I can’t wait to share the 50 States Rides and WABA’s other signature rides with you in my role as events coordinator. We’ll buckle our helmets, hop in the saddle, and celebrate the work that WABA’s advocates, members, and supporters are doing to make the DC area safe, fun, and accessible to bicyclists.
Want more details about one of WABA’s signature rides? Interested in volunteering to create an awesome experience for your friends and neighbors? Feeling unsure which of our rides is right for your level of bicycling? I’d love to talk about that and anything else related to WABA events. Drop me a line at anna.mccormally@waba.org. I can’t wait to go on a bike ride with you.
