City to Host 'Bike to Work Day' Pitstop With Prizes, Refreshments

This Friday, thousands of D.C./Virginia/Maryland residents will participate in the 13th annual Bike to Work Day - and the City of Fairfax is gearing up to host a fun-filled local pitstop in honor of the event.

The pitstop is just one of a whopping 72 pitstops throughout the D.C. Metro area where riders can expect to be wooed and celebrated, as organizers and sponsors encourage area commuters to consider biking as a "viable form of transportation" to be used more often.

In Fairfax City, the Fairfax Mason to Metro Bicycle Task Group is sponsoring a stop at Main Street Marketplace, near Main Street Bagel.

T-shirts, and raffle prizes from local businesses like Twins Ace Hardware and Elevation Burger will be provided, and the first 20 riders to check in will receive a free water bottle from Tapit.

Coffee and bagels will be provided by the local Starbucks and Main Street Bagel, and Hudson Trail Outfitters will also have a mechanic on site to offer quick tune-ups and coupons for future maintenance at their shop.

The pitstop will be open throughout the morning commute,  from 6 to 9 a.m.

The City said a special thank-you to Kimco Realty for donating the use of a portion of their parking lot for the pitstop event.

Kelly O'Brien with the City of Fairfax said, as of last week, 35 riders had pre-registered for the ride and pitstop event, and more sign-ups are coming in every day.

Bike to Work Day started in 2000 through a partnership between the Transportation Planning Board's Commuter Connections program and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, or WABA.

Since its first year, Bike to Work Day has grown steadily, from just five pit stops and a few hundred participants to 72 pit stops and an anticipated 14,000 participants this year.

For less experienced riders who might be nervous traveling on busy roads during commute hours, WABA will be on hand Friday morning organizing "commuter convoys," led by experienced bicyclists along designated routes and between residential areas and major employment centers. The convoys will aim to help first-time or infrequent cyclists feel more comfortable commuting to work by bike.

For more information about D.C. Metro Area  bike programs and Bike to Work Day 2013, visit www.biketoworkmetrodc.com and www.WABA.org.

For more information on how to register for Fairfax City's pitstop, and where to find it, see the PDF flier available for download in the photos section of this article.

TELL US - What do you think of the idea of biking to work? Is it something you might consider more often? Will you be riding this Friday? Tell us in the comments below.

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