FABB Blog

 

National Bike Challenge results

The National Bike Challenge ended on August 31. FABB had a small team of seven riders, five of whom participated during the entire period. According to the final rankings, FABB was 179th nationally for the entire Challenge period, out of 2,695 teams. As a team we logged 11,157 miles, most of which were for local trips as opposed to recreational rides. The top three riders were Ken Schantz (3,319 miles), me (2,748 miles), and Hunter McCleary (2,443 miles). See how other local teams ranked at Bike SW DC.

Most of Ken's miles were on his commute to work. In the morning he rides from his home in the Hybla Valley area off Route 1 to the Huntington Metro station. He gets there early and can take his bike on the train to his job in suburban Maryland. He often rides home after work.

Hunter's commute is from Vienna to Bethesda and he usually rides both ways. The trip is about 16 miles and takes about the same time as taking Metro. He rides the W&OD Trail to Falls Church. From there he takes West St to the bike lanes on Williamsburg Blvd to Glebe Rd, working his way through neighborhood streets to the Cabin John Chain Bridge. Once in DC he takes the Capital Crescent Trail all the way to Bethesda.

My trips this summer were mostly to meetings related to the county bike plan. There were 8 area meetings, 2 countywide community meetings, 5 focus group meetings, bicycle advisory committee meetings, and others. I also traveled to events where FABB had a table, FABB monthly meetings, meetings of the Tysons Bike Group, Partnership for a Healthier Fairfax meetings, WABA board meetings, not to mention the trips to the local Y. It was a busy summer and I rarely drove my car. My wife and I usually log many more miles on our bikes than our cars.

I usually don't count miles but it was fun and interesting to track the miles I rode this summer. It's really not that important how many miles we ride as long as we ride. Short trips to the store or work count as much or more than a long recreational ride; there are more of them and they are an example to others that it is possible to take most of our local trips by bike.

Labels: national bike challenge

posted by Bruce Wright at 7:42 PM permalink