Josie Burke will be celebrating Independence Day on a new set of wheels this year. The longtime Bethesda resident couldn’t believe her ears when her name was called during the grand prize drawing at the downtown Bethesda Bike to Work Day pit stop event.
Burke is retired but still bikes often, as do her three adult children — and her husband, who has been biking to work at the World Wildlife Fund in D.C. via the Capital Crescent Trail for 24 years.
“He’s a pretty mad biker,” said Josie. “He’ll bike 60 to 70 miles on weekends, and is headed to Italy in August for a high-elevation cycling trip with friends.”
Josie views cycling as one of the ways to reduce traffic in the area, and was glad to see people come together in Bethesda for Bike to Work Day to support the cause.
She dutifully filled out the raffle entry slip when she arrived at the pit stop, never thinking she would actually win. She chatted with some of the exhibitors and then plopped into a chair to relax and take in the scene when she realized names were being called — and the last one sounded a lot like hers.
“I jumped up and went over and said, ‘Did I win a bike?!’” Sure enough, there was a staff member of Bethesda-based Griffin Cycle, smiling back at her as he stood with the shiny new Trek FX 1 his shop had donated as the grand prize.
There was just one problem: She had biked to the pit stop that morning and couldn’t very well ride both of them home. So, she arranged with Griffin Cycle to pick up the Trek later that day.
“We were happy to be a Bike to Work Day sponsor again this year, and always enjoy connecting with cyclists in Bethesda and beyond,” said Nick Griffin, owner of Griffin Cycle. “We wish Josie many miles of cycling happiness!”
Josie’s daughter will be visiting from Seattle for the July 4th holiday weekend and will ride her mom’s older set of wheels while Josie breaks in the new model on its inaugural ride. Josie, her husband and daughter plan to bike down the Capital Crescent Trail to the Mall to watch the fireworks.
“It will be deluxe having two bikes here during her visit,” said Josie. “She bikes a lot in Seattle, and we have always been a biking family.”
Josie’s younger son worked at a bike shop as a mechanic during his college years, and her eldest son worked at a bike shop in Bellingham, Washington, making YouTube videos about mountain biking in their communications department.
Oh, and her husband? He owns four bikes, different models each devoted to the different types of cycling adventures he’s prone to embark upon.
Josie often rides with organized groups from the Potomac Pedalers or the Wednesday Irregulars.
“Anytime you meet anybody on a bike you can be sure they’re going to be a nice person,” said Josie. “Whenever we come across someone who broke down, everyone’s always asking if they need help. It’s a good community.”
