2018 DC Bike Ride

[christob]

Passing along the website for this springtime "no cars" (roadways closed to traffic for the event) all-ages 20-mile recreational ride around parts of DC and (briefly) into Arlington, VA. It is a benefit for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (with which I have no affiliation at present.)

After writing them (regarding a no-ebikes entry in their FAQ), it turns out pedal-assist ebikes are allowed. Riders must maintain at least 6mph, and cannot exceed 18mph during the course.

2018 DC Bike Ride Webpage

 

[Dewey]

Washington Area Bicyclist Association (with which I have no affiliation at present.)

After writing them (regarding a no-ebikes entry in their FAQ), it turns out pedal-assist ebikes are allowed.

I joined WABA a couple of years ago and have found the leadership and admin staff to be supportive of pedelecs/Class 1 ebikes. Greg Billing spoke in support of ebikes during a Kojo Nnamdi show last year after a nasty Washington Post article from a long-time opponent of ebikes on the Capital Crescent Trail, later that year Greg was at the JUMP ebikeshare launch to show his support. I took a WABA city cycling class in 2016 and after I asked if it was OK to ride my ebike I was politely advised by the instructor to turn off my motor during the parking lot drills but that I could turn it back on during the urban riding section. The WABA forum has a long running ebike thread to which I encourage you to contribute, for the most part the pedal cyclists maintain a wary scepticism but are receptive to reasoned argument. I feel it's important for us to affiliate with the local cycling community, listen to their concerns, and share our knowledge about ebikes and our riding experiences. We're equally vulnerable to traffic but there are several ebike specific issues with the law in DC, VA, and MD, and the only way to effect change is to build bridges and gain supporters in the cycling community. To that end I applaud JUMP and LimeBike for introducing ebikeshare to DC, it's a great opportunity for getting pedal cyclists onto an ebike, although I suggest you advise people to try a JUMP pedelec as the Lime-E is not designed for climbing hills.