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Downtown Bethesda Bike to Work Day 2022

Bike to Work Day 2022 a Huge Success

 
Warm sunshine bathed Bike to Work Day participants on Friday, May 20, beckoning hundreds of cyclists out to the Bethesda pit stop event at Woodmont and Bethesda Avenues.

Great Turnout: With over 440 registrants, the Bethesda pit stop attracted about a quarter of the 1,600+ people who registered to participate in Bike to Work Day around Montgomery County.
 
Great Speakers: BTS extends a sincere “Thank you!” to all our 2022 speakers, sponsors and volunteers, particularly Maryland Delegate Ariana Kelly who emceed the event, and Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot, Maryland Delegate Marc Korman, and Montgomery County Councilmember Andrew Friedson, who all helped rev up the crowd.

Great Sponsors: Our event featured 11 table partners, plus seven additional sponsors who donated food, beverages and prizes. Sponsors included: Griffin Cycle, Terrapin Bicycles, Pedego Electric Bikes, Silver, Chaia Tacos, Bibibop, Bethesda Bagels, Drink More Water, The Red Bandana Bakery, The Barrett of Chevy Chase Lake, Coalition for Capital Crescent Trail, Washington Commanders Football Team, MDOT Op Lanes, Potomac Pedalers, WABA, Bethesda Green, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, Downtown Bethesda Marriott Hotel, Mon Ami Gabi, and Commuter Connections.

Great Photos: Check out these candid views of all the fun!
Great Video: Watch this lively recap of the event!

Claim Your T-Shirt: If you were unable to attend the event, simply stop by the Bethesda Urban Partnership office at 7700 Old Georgetown Road Bethesda, MD 20814 (Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.) to see if we have any extra shirts available. You can also pick up some of the cycling swag given away at the event.

Bike to Work Day Bike Raffle Winner
Bike Raffle Winner Harvey Ellis

Two Bike Raffles, Two Lucky Winners


This year’s Bike to Work Day pit stop in Bethesda included two bicycle raffles, one held right after our guest speakers and another held later in the event.
Raffle #1: Harvey Ellis won a bike from Griffin Cycle. Mr. Ellis resides in Bethesda and has attended Bike to Work Day for many years. He loves biking to work, as well as recreational cycling on his days off.

Raffle #2: Mel Chin won a bike from Terrapin Bicycles, works in downtown Bethesda and has participated in numerous Bike to Work Day events over the years.

Congratulations to both winners!

Pedego Electric Bikes Collage
Pedego Bethesda Owner David & Wife Brenda, Pedego Bethesda Shop, Owner's Father Erwin
Sponsor Spotlight: Pedego Bethesda
If Pedego Bethesda owner David Bondareff had to choose one word that captures the theme of his life, his career, and the e-bikes he sells, it might be: “rechargeable.”
David grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, but moved to the Northeast many years ago, where he held leadership positions with a large restaurant franchise. The restaurant industry did not fare well during the pandemic, and David suddenly found himself jobless. The time seemed right to move closer to family, so David and his wife, Brenda, relocated to Maryland.

E-Curious
All the while, his father, Erwin, had spent 56 years as a practicing pediatrician in Alexandria, finally retiring at the age of 89. Long a cyclist, Erwin was intrigued by the electric bikes at Pedego Alexandria. His curiosity one day steered him in for a test ride.
After four laps around the block, Erwin became a convert and bought an e-bike on the spot. (The shop owner recognized Erwin’s name and realized this was the doc who, decades earlier, had been his daughter’s physician.)
Coincidentally, one of David’s childhood friends also bought an e-bike that same week. Seeing both his father and his old friend e-cruising around their community inspired David to do some research.

Family Affair
“I saw how much joy my dad got while riding, and how the e-bike helped him go up hills,” recalls David. “So I bought one for myself. And then I reached out to Pedego and said I’d like to open a store in Bethesda.”

That was in October 2020. David opened the Bethesda store in April 2021.
Pedego Bethesda is a family business. Brenda works in the store full time. “She’s the boss,” says David.
Erwin — who turned 92 this past March and still enjoys riding his Pedego Boomerang — is the official “director of fun,” inspiring customers of all ages to experience two-wheeled bliss on any of the shop’s many Pedego electric bicycles.

Abundant Choices
The store offers a wide variety of models to buy or rent, including cruisers, low-steps, city bikes, adventure bikes, and specialty bikes. (Deferred-interest financing is available.)
David also runs electric-bike tours. His “Pink Pedals Tour” around the Tidal Basin in D.C. is a fun way to see the cherry blossoms during the spring. And he leads excursions around the National Mall and monuments from March to November. He’s cooking up more tours, and creates customized private jaunts on request for groups of three to 10 riders.

What to Expect
No special license is needed to operate an e-bike.

E-bikes are water resistant but not waterproof. They’ll tolerate a little rain, but David recommends taking cover in a downpour, because the electrical components are not watertight.
For experienced cyclists, an e-bike makes you feel bionic. The electric motor provides assistance if the rider chooses to use it. For novice cyclists, David says the e-bike can be even easier to ride than a traditional bike.
“You can just twist the throttle to get your momentum going instead of having to pedal,” he explains. “It levels the playing field for couples if one is an avid cyclist and the other is more of a casual rider,” says David.

Plug into Pedego
Pedego Bethesda is open seven days a week, with extended hours Thursdays through Saturdays in season. Contact the Bondareffs via phone (240-800-3154) or email (info@pedegobethesda.com). Or stop by the shop at 4926 Hampden Lane in Bethesda.

Weed Warriors

Help make the trails and sidewalks weed free! Details about cleaning up trails and parks can be found here and downtown Bethesda Weed Warriors sign up is here.

Community Meetings Announced as Purple Line Work Continues
Review Purple Line meeting details here.

BRT: County Seeks Feedback on MD 355 Bus Rapid Transit
Details are here.

Free E-Scooter Training
Flyer with information is here.
www.bethesdatransit.org |  (301) 656-0868
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