Referral
Influence Pedalers at Work
Cyclists pedal their way to work in a recent year's Bike to Work Day.
(Courtesy Of The Washington Area Bicyclist Association)
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Sara Strope, 26, an account manager at Get Active, a District software company, shows up to work some days in casual wear -- T-shirt and shorts. That's how her co-workers know she's passed up her usual bus ride to work and, instead, cycled in from Adams Morgan.
"It's fast. It's cost-effective. And it's healthy," said Strope, who brings a change of clothes when she commutes by bike.
While Strope usually rides alone, last May she joined a swarm of some 4,000 other pedalers for the District's "Bike to Work Day." This year's event -- co-sponsored by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) and Commuter Connections, a regional network of transportation groups coordinated by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments -- will coincide with national "Bike to Work Day" on Friday, May 20. Participation in the event, now in its 28th year, is free; helmets are required, says WABA.
"This is our annual celebration of biking as a clean form of transportation," said WABA's executive director Eric Gilliland, who bikes to work nearly every day. "From a health standpoint, it's one of the greatest ways to combine commuting and exercise."
Starting as early as 6 a.m., WABA-trained volunteers called "commuter convoys" will lead bikers of all experience levels from nearly 20 starting points through streets and trails to the District; some of the furthest starting points include Springfield and Greenbelt.
Routes, including starting locations and pickup points, are available on WABA's Web site ( http:/
For novice riders, WABA sponsors "Confident City Cycling Class," which is free and open to the public. The next class: May 14, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Third District Police Station, 1620 V St. NW.
-- Samantha Sordyl
