TheWashCycle

Tour de Fat 2015 on Saturday

I'm a little behind on this, but in case you missed it, the Tour de Fat is on Saturday. This is the first Tour de Fat, which occurs in 10 cities, of the year.

Each stop kicks off with a costumed bicycle parade that winds through city streets, ending in a city park for a day of entertainment. That’s when eclectic acts take over: from musical performances to yo-yo entertainers, vaudeville acts to a1000 person Dance Contest to win a New Belgium Cruiser Bike. New features this year include a new Le Tigre Grande variety tent and Sputnik mobile stage. The day of carnival creativity concludes with a celebration of inspirational car-for-bike swappers; brave souls who hand over their car keys as a commitment to commute by bike for the next year.

“Our love for bikes runs deep at New Belgium, it’s how the company started. So every year we like to spread that love around the country by coming into towns from coast to coast and hosting the best way to spend a Saturday,” said Matt Kowal, Tour de Fat Impresario. “Each city has its own flair and uniqueness, which is what makes it all pretty awesome. And to be able to raise millions of dollars along the way, thanks to everyone who celebrates with us, it’s why we do this. We’re all anxious to get this party started once again!”

Last year's event raised more than $625,000 for local nonprofits, including WABA which raised $57,047 (up from $21,464 in 2013) from 7000 participants. Fort Collins raised more than $110,000 with 25,000 participants, so we can do better. 

In D.C., some of the eclectic entertainment includes Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds, Charles Bradley, yo-yo performers and vaudeville acts. Brewing education, a bicycle revival, rideable art bikes, a “Thousand Person Dance Contest” to win a New Belgium cruiser bike, and even a fashion show are in the mix. In addition, Tour de Fat’s Le Tigre Grande variety tent and Sputnik mobile stage up the ante, adding more entertainment options from past years.

Everyone 21 and older can sample new and classic favorites from New Belgium, including the brewery’s flagship brew, Fat Tire, New Belgium’s latest year-round offering, Slow Ride Session IPA, and selections from the acclaimed Lips of Faith series.

Car-for-Bike Swap
Every year, New Belgium gets one brave role model to step on stage to trade in his or her car keys for a bike, pledging to live car-free for one year. Each swapper is awarded a stipend to buy his or her own commuter bike. Car-for-Bike swappers are chosen after submitting an application describing why they are ready to give up their vehicle for the gift of two wheels. We’d love to hear from interested swappers. Apply at - NewBelgium.com/Events/Tour-de-Fat/CarTrader.

Tour de Trivia at Stoney’s on L (2101 L. St. NW, Washington, D.C.)
Every Wednesday in May
Swing by for Tour de Trivia, featuring weekly New Belgium prize packs for the winning teams! New Belgium beers will be sold in $4 pints and $14 pitchers. Prizes include bicycle 6-pack holders, VIP tickets and much more!

Tour de Fat Pre-Party at Churchkey (1337 14^th Street, NW, Washington, D.C.)
May 28, 2015 | 6 p.m.
Tradition will be kept alive with the annual pre-party at Churchkey, equipped with a raffle for a New Belgium Cruiser, VIP tickets and more! Between 6 and 9 p.m., six raffle tickets will be drawn and bike lock keys will be distributed to the winning tickets. At 9 p.m., all key holders will test their keys to see if it unlocks the Cruiser. All proceeds from raffle sales support Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA). The beer list features five unique cask beers in addition to 15 other New Belgium favorites and Lips of Faith rarities.

Date:                                       
Saturday, May 30

Location:                               
Yards Park

Main Stage:               
11:40 a.m. — Fashion! (Best Costumes of the Tour de Fat)
12:00 p.m. — Lips Lounge Tapping: La Folie, Oatmeal IPA, Cocoa Mole
12:10 p.m. — Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds
1:00 p.m. — Lips Lounge Tapping: Pear Ginger Beer
1:10 p.m. — The Slow Ride Races
2:00 p.m. — Lips Lounge Tapping: Carnie Whiskey Barrel Love 
2:10 p.m. — 1,000 Person Dance Contest – Winner receives a New Belgium Cruiser!
2:40 p.m. — Car for Bike Trade
3:00 p.m. — Lips Lounge Tapping: Transatlantique Kriek
4:00 p.m. — Charles Bradley
5:00 p.m. — Finale

Stage Stage:
12:20 p.m. and 3:10 p.m.
Superfriends Variety Hour: Death Defying Comedy, Chain Saws, and Bananas

Le Tigre Circus Tent:
11:15 a.m. - Marnie Sams Muffin Show (Kids Show)
11:50 a.m. - The Other One
12:20 p.m. - Fire Leopard 
1:10 p.m. - The Kroup
2:05 p.m. - Yo-Yo Time Machine
2:40 p.m. - Honeymoon Cabaret
3:30 p.m. - The Other One
4:20 p.m. - Etiquette School

Volunteers are needed. Volunteer with the Tour de Fatbicycle festival on Saturday, May 30th.

Not only will you have the most fun EVER while volunteering, but by volunteering at this event, you will help WABA raise tens of thousands of dollars to improve bicycling for everyone across the region.

Event: Building the Bike Culture You Want

Building the Bike Culture You Want

Saturday, May 16

Arlington's Central Library

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Vancouver bike culture is changing. Fast. And nowhere is that more evident than in the types of people you see riding bikes. The construction of six protected bike lanes over six years has led to a distinct rise in women, children, seniors, businesses, pets, and cargo on the bikeways, many of whom wouldn't identify themselves as "cyclists", nor would they have considered getting on a bike just six years ago. Modacity's Melissa and Chris Bruntlett will tell that inspiring story via words, images and films, including what it means for car-lite, multi-modal families such as their own. They will also share ideas and lessons Arlingtonians can take home, and help build a bike culture worth bragging to the world about.

 

The event is free, but RSVPs are requested: https://arlingtonbikeculture.eventbrite.com

New Belgium Brewing’s Clips Beer & Film Tour

New Belgium Brewing is taking its 2015 Clips Beer & Film Tour to twenty cities coast-to-coast. The beer-toting, film-traveling, nonprofit-benefitting show will run from May to October, during its sixth season. Clips is a free event, with all proceeds from beer sales going to local nonprofits. Since its inception in 2010, Clips Beer & Film Tour has raised more than $520,000 for nonprofits nationwide and brought more than 35,000 people out to their local parks for a fun and philanthropic night of movie watching and beer tasting.

Clips offers a venue where guests can try New Belgium’s more esoteric beer offerings, pairing them with inspiring short films created by New Belgium fans. Up to 16 beer varieties will be on tap, including some of the more hard-to-come-by beers from the Lips of Faith sereis, as well as brewery classics.

New Belgium beers will be available in 3-ounce samples, 12 ounce pours, or cans. Served up by local beneficiary volunteers, there's plenty of fun to be had once the sun sets and the films start rolling. Food from local vendors will also be available.

“We have another exciting season lined up with a couple new stops, new toys, new beers and new films,” said Christie Catania, Clips national special events manager. “We’re excited to tour around the country and work with amazing local groups doing great work in their communities. The funds raised will help each of them continue their mission long after the show wraps up.”

New Belgium also teams up with a local sustainability partner at each stop and has diverted at least 85 percent of event waste from landfills over the past five years.

The tour is not coming to DC, but is coming to the DC-area - depending on how loose your definition of "DC area" is.

Reston, VA                           September 10             Reston Town Center
Charlottesville, VA                 September 17             Washington Park: Lower Field

Bike to Work Day 2015

Bike to Work Day 2015––Join more than 14,000 area commuters for a celebration of bicycling as a fun, healthy, and environmentally-friendly way to get to work. A record-breaking number of cyclists are expected to participate again this year so register soon at www.biketoworkmetrodc.org

WHEN:

Friday, May 15, starting at various early-morning times depending on location.  

Locate specific start/end times for all pit stops at www.biketoworkmetrodc.org

WHERE:

Register for free and visit one of 79 regional pit stops throughout Washington, D.C., and surrounding counties in Maryland and Virginia; receive refreshments, and be entered in raffles for new bicycles. Cyclists must register for one pit stop but are welcome to visit any of the 79 pit stops along their way to work. Free event T-shirts will be available at pit stops for the first 14,000 registrants who attend.

Bicycle commuter convoys - led by experienced bicycle commuters - will travel throughout the region. All levels of cyclists are welcome to join the convoys.

WHY:

Bicycling to work is a healthy and cost-effective alternative to drive-alone commuting.  Join Commuter Connections and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association on Friday, May 15, for Bike to Work Day 2015. Ride with thousands of cyclists, new and experienced, and enjoy a healthy commute that helps improve traffic congestion and air quality in the metropolitan Washington region. There will be free T-shirts, food, beverages, and prizes for registrants who attend.

MORE INFORMATION:

For registration information and event details, visit www.biketoworkmetrodc.org

Washington, D.C. – Registration for the metropolitan Washington region’s Bike to Work Day 2015 has opened, and if this past year’s success is any indication of what is to come, participation in the annual event to be held Friday, May 15, 2015, is expected to increase once again. Co-organized by Commuter Connections and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA), the annual event draws residents from the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia in support of cycling as a healthy, green commuting option that reduces car emissions, and has a positive impact on the environment.

Registration for the 2015 event is free and easy to complete online atwww.biketoworkmetrodc.org. The first 14,000 registrants who attend an official pit stop will receive a free event t-shirt. All registrants will be entered into a raffle to win one of many donated bicycles. Bike to Work Day launched in the Washington area in 2001 with just a few hundred registrants and has grown every year since, to nearly 17,000.

“It’s exciting to see how Bike to Work Day has grown and been supported by the residents, businesses, and organizations in the region. We’re hopeful that the event will continue to grow in popularity and expose new riders to the benefits of cycling,” said Nicholas Ramfos, Director of Commuter Connections. “Ten percent of Bike to Work Day participants reported that they started cycling to work after participating in their first event, and more than 20 percent say cycling is now a regular part of their commutes.”

A total of 79 pit stops will be set up across the region to share support amongst event participants. Refreshments and giveaways will also be available at the pit stops while supplies last.  

Regional sponsors play an important role in supporting Bike to Work Day, and this year’s major sponsors include:  Marriott International, ICF International, BicycleSPACE, Bike Arlington, the City of Alexandria, The JBG Companies, KIND Healthy Snacks, Earth Justice, 495|95 Express Lanes, and REI.

Commuter Connections and WABA encourage both new and experienced bicyclists to prepare for the event by utilizing the resources found on the following websites:

• Learn more about bike commuting: For tips on bicycling to work, check out A Commuters Guide to Bicycling available through Commuter Connections atwww.commuterconnections.org/commuters/bicycling/

• Ride with others in a commuter convoy: Commuter convoys on Bike to Work Day will be led by experienced bicycle commuters, and many routes are available. Find a convoy near you at http://www.biketoworkmetrodc.org/first-time-rider-info/4606-2/ 
  

• Brush up on cycling skills: Participate in a City Cycling Class to learn how to safely share the road with cars, other bikes, and pedestrians:http://www.waba.org/adult-education/

Free registration for Bike to Work Day is available at www.biketoworkmetrodc.org or by calling 800-745-RIDE.

Fifth Annual Metropolitan Branch Trail 5K on May 2, 2015

More information here.

Save the date for Saturday, May 2, 2015, to join the 5th Annual Metropolitan Branch Trail 5K Walk/Run. Race time is 9:00 a.m. The race course will remain along the off-road trail between NoMa and Brookland; however, the location of the start/finish has moved to the trail entrance at the Rhode Island Avenue Shopping Center and the new pedestrian bridge at the Rhode Island Avenue Metro Station. Join your Northeast DC neighbors and Metro area runners for this annual tradition near historic communities and new urban amenities. We welcome the support of sponsor, NoMa BID. The race is powered by the DC Road Runners Club and organized by local volunteers. Free registration for runners under 18. Register now at www.gometbranch.com to run, volunteer, or sponsor the event. See you on the trail!

1st Anacostia River Festival to feature bike rides and a bike parade

The 11^th Street Bridge Park and the National Park Service are sponsoring the First Anacostia River Festival this April at the end of the Cherry Blossom Festival. Among many other free events, the festival will feature a bike parade run by ArtReach and Illumination coalition, a WABA led trail ride, and street activities like bike decoration and a tune-up tent. 

“The Anacostia is poised for a renaissance,” National Park Service Superintendent Gopaul Noojibail said. “The National Park Service is committed to helping people discover the beauty, fun and possibilities in Anacostia Park, and I hope that events like the River Festival inspire people – especially young people – to visit and get involved.” 

Held in Anacostia Park, one of America’s national parks, and steps away from the future 11^th Street Bridge Park, the event is free of charge and is a new premier offering that culminates the 2015 National Cherry Blossom Festival. 

I believe the CaBi single day record was set at last year's Cherry Blossom Festival, so a bike-oriented activity in another part of the city could make for another record-breaking day.

WABA's Future Trails Celebration This Saturday 11/15

Who doesn't like a party?

Where:  The grassy field at First & Pierce Street NE in NoMa, DC
When:  Saturday, November 15, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Cost: Free!!

Come for music and food, a bike repair clinic, carnival games, face painting and bike fun!  Explore a great trail in the making, and discover the community links in your backyard.  Have some fun with interactive activities and win great raffle prizes,including a free registration on REI’s C&O Canal Overnight Cycling Tour!  And stick around for the release of WABA’s concept plan for the Arlington Boulevard Trail, which outlines a vision for the next regional bike trail project in Northern Virginia.

Bike Hack Events

If you like bikes and technology, check out Bike Hack Night
(http://www.meetup.com/Transportation-Techies/events/200015252/)

November 6, 2014,

and CaBi Hack Night
(http://www.meetup.com/Transportation-Techies/events/200661602/)

December 4, 2014.

6th Annual Tweed Ride is November 2

From the promotional email

Dandies! Quaintrelles. After much deliberation, our adventures in tweed are set to continue! Last year's ride was one of our best. The bash that followed was our wildest! I'm arranging some of the elements that have made this thing sort of a legend. 2014 will be no different. Autumn leaves are already falling and it's time to get excited about another beautiful experience.

If you haven't been secretly planning your tweed ensemble in anticipation of this year's ride, there's plenty of time to hunt down the things you'll need.

1. Retro clothing. It's everywhere now because classic style is back!
2. Bike. Pretty much everyone in this city rides one. Right? We are everywhere.
3. Your dancing feet. Remember those?

Library of Congress Presents Special Display on History, Technology and Sociology of the Bicycle, Aug. 8

From a LOC press release

The Library of Congress on Aug. 8 will present a special display of materials from the Library’s collections on the history, technology and sociology of the bicycle.

"Pedaling Through History: A Look at Cycling Collections Across the Library of Congress" will be on view from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 8 in the Mumford Room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Memorial Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. The display is free and open to the public. Tickets are not needed.

The bicycle was a pivotal invention in the history of technology. According to the Library’s Science, Technology and Business Division, which is organizing the display, the bicycle—used for transportation and recreation—influenced fashion, feminism, the military and even the history of flight. The Wright brothers were bicycle builders and bicycle mechanics before they expanded into aviation.

The display will draw from collections throughout the Library. There will be photographs, magazines, newspapers, comic books, maps and atlases, film footage, catalogs, sheet music, advertising posters and more. These materials will highlight an array of topics, including general bicycle history, European bicycles, bicycle races (including races from the early 1900s), bicycles in the military, trick riding, safety films and fashion.

The following divisions of the Library are contributing to the display: Science, Technology and Business; Prints and Photographs; Geography and Map; Manuscript; Rare Books and Special Collections; Serials and Government Publications; Motion Picture, Broadcast and Recorded Sound; European; Music; and Humanities and Social Sciences.

The Library of Congress maintains one of the largest and most diverse collections of scientific and technical information in the world. The Science, Technology and Business Division provides reference and bibliographic services and develops the general collections of the Library in all areas of science, technology, business and economics, with the exception of clinical medicine and technical agriculture, which are the subject specialties of the National Library of Medicine and the National Agricultural Library. For more information, visit www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/.

The Library of Congress, the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and the largest library in the world, holds more than 158 million items in various languages, disciplines and formats. The Library serves the U.S. Congress and the nation both on-site in its reading rooms on Capitol Hill and through its award-winning website at www.loc.gov.