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Community Bike Ride a Huge Success

 

The 2007 Arlington & Alexandria Community Bike Ride is June 3, 2007. Click here for more information and to register!

 

 

May 27, 2006; Arlington, VA - The second annual Arlington Community Bike Ride was a huge success with 725 individuals participating. The weather was perfect for biking on this day when friends and families gathered with their bikes and donned their helmets for the 17-mile County Tour or 9-mile Family Ride. The purpose of the event was to show Arlington residents and visitors the network of bicycle facilities in the County, build awareness of bicycle transportation options, and educate young cyclists on safe riding techniques. The interest was there as a record number of folks showed up for this year's event.

 

 

Tour Start

Start Area in Shirlington

 

The County Tour explored many of Arlington's trails, including the W&OD, Custis, Mt. Vernon, and Four Mile Run, as well as bike lanes through the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. The Family Ride took a different route and stayed almost exclusively on the W&OD Trail, for an entirely flat route on this former railroad right-of-way.

 

Start of Family Ride

Family Ride Getting Ready to Go

 

A diverse group of young and old and from various backgrounds showed up to ride.

 

Older Couple on Bikes

Couple Lining Up Before the Ride

 

Mother & Daughter

Mother and Daughter Ready to Ride

 

Rest stops were provided along the way to refuel the bicyclists on their joy ride.

 

Crystal City Rest Stop

County Tour Riders Enjoying the Crystal City Rest Stop

 

After the rides, the festivities continued on South 28th Street in Shirlington with bluegrass band Orange Line Special, a bicycle safety rodeo teaching children how to ride safely through a series of obstacle courses, and bike-on-bus demonstrations with an ART bus. The raffle and Wildest Wheels and Helmet Contest proved popular with three bikes and bike accessories as well as gift certificates awarded.

 

 

Pink Flamingo lady

Lady Pink Flamingo - Winner of Wildest Wheels Contest

 

Princess & Alligator

The Princess & Alligator - Winners of the Wildest Helmet Contest

 

The bluegrass band, Orange Line Special, played some jams when bikes, helmets, and other prizes weren't being given away.

 

Orange Line Special

Orange Line Special Jamming Away

 

There was also a "kinetic bike sculpture" created by artist Howard Connelly where the young, and not so young, enjoyed a functional sculpture which participants rode in circles around its base, as County Boardmember Jay Fisette demonstrated.

 

 

Fisette on Bike Sculpture

Boardmember Fisette and Friends Enjoying the Kinetic Bike Sculpture

 

The Bike Safety Rodeo was popular with children as they practiced their riding techniques with courses such as weaving and manuvering, riding in a circle and a straight line, mounting and dismounting, and stopping.

 

Girl Riding in Bike Rodeo

Child Riding in the Bike Safety Rodeo

 

"Promoting community health through biking and walking is one of my top priorities," said Fisette to the assembled riders. In an effort to improve bicycle facilities in Arlington, County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman spoke about a new project to connect the Four Mile Run and W&OD Trails under I-395 which will begin this summer and be completed early next year.

Everyone agreed the morning's event had been a great success and were looking forward to next year's event.