Gears clicked and cameras snapped away as hundreds of enthusiastic cyclists converged on downtown Bethesda May 17 for Bike to Work Day. Riders and guests enjoyed free refreshments, an entertaining DJ, speeches from dignitaries, and of course a commemorative orange 2024 Bike to Work Day t-shirt.

See photos from the Bethesda Bike to Work Day 2024 pit stop here.

County Support: Officials from Montgomery County presented Bethesda Urban Partnership with a proclamation from County Executive Marc Elrich. There were 426 registrants in downtown Bethesda, with a combined total of over 1,000 registered participants at MCDOT's 8 pit stop locations.

Generous Bike Donors: Griffin Cycle donated a bike that was raffled off at the Bethesda event. Watch for a highlight of that bike raffle in our July newsletter. Terrapin Bicycles also donated a bike for the regional bike raffle, selected from all Bike to Work Day registrants throughout the DMV.

Tasty Refreshments: Bethesda Bagels donated bagels, The Red Bandana Bakery provided pastries, Eat The Change gave out Just Ice Tea, and Silver supplied parfaits and coffee.

Golden Pedal Award: Alex Duarte received the Bethesda Bicycle Commuter Spirit “Golden Pedal” Award. Read more about Alex below.

Didn’t Get Your Shirt? If you registered for Bike to Work Day but did not receive a t-shirt at the event, please feel free to stop by our Bethesda Urban Partnership office to pick one up. We also have some bike-related giveaway items for you. The best days to come by are Wednesdays through Fridays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. We’re located at 7700 Old Georgetown Road, Lobby Level.

Thank You, Sponsors! We had 22 sponsors, who donated great prizes, food and beverages, or had a table at the downtown Bethesda pit stop. They included (listed alphabetically):

Each issue of our newsletter for the next few months will highlight various Bike to Work Day pit stop table sponsors who were at the event. This month, we feature BellRinger, Chevy Chase Lake, and Pedego Bethesda.

BellRinger

Bethesda Training Ride: Join us Saturday, June 29 at 8 a.m. for our 18.2-mile Bethesda Training Ride! We’ll meet at Pedego Electric Bikes Bethesda (4926 Hampden Ln.). You don't have to be a registered rider to come and join us, so we encourage anyone who is interested to come out for the fun. See details about other summer BellRinger training rides here. Please note: for riders under 14 years of age, contact ride@bellringer.org for more information.

About Us: BellRinger is Georgetown University's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center's year-round movement to end cancer in our community. BellRinger unites a community dedicated to ending cancer. We had a great time meeting Bike to Work Day riders at the downtown Bethesda pit stop event again this year.

BellRinger Weekend: BellRinger Weekend 2024 is October 25–26! With three routes of 25, 50, and 100-miles, we will start at Georgetown University and ride up into scenic Maryland. Please join us as we gear up to end cancer.

— Kate Colgan, Director of Rider Recruitment, BellRinger

Chevy Chase Lake | The Barrett | The Claude

Discover Chevy Chase Lake, where our luxury apartment community offers convenient access to nature and trails, perfect for biking enthusiasts. Future residents may embrace the opportunity to bike to work daily, whether commuting to downtown Bethesda or to nearby Walter Reed/NIH. Chevy Chase Lake is proud to support Bike to Work Day 2024 as it not only promotes a healthier lifestyle, but it also helps reduce our environmental footprint. So, grab your helmet and join us as we pedal towards a greener, healthier future!

– Phillip De Lira, Multi-Site Leasing Manager, Chevy Chase Lake

Pedego Bethesda

We are happy to participate as a sponsor in Bike to Work Day and have the ability to chat with bike commuters on the benefits of commuting by e-bike. One benefit is not having the need to change clothes and or shower once at their destination. Faster speed of travel enables slightly less commute time and can increase safety by allowing one to maintain higher speeds when navigating through traffic or crossing intersections. It’s safer to travel at the same or close to the speed of traffic.

For 2024, Pedego has introduced three new models: a Cargo, Moto style, and Fat Tire Trike. The new Pedego Cargo e-bike is a sport utility e-bike that redefines versatility on two wheels. The Pedego Moto is the ultimate dual sport e-bike, built for two and ready for adventure. The Fat Tire Trike is Pedego’s cutting-edge solution for dependable and effortless transportation, carefully crafted for optimal stability and created to effortlessly handle your cargo.

— David Bondareff, Owner, Pedego Bethesda

Alex Duarte and Del. Marc Korman

In recognition of his commitment to bike commuting in downtown Bethesda, the 2024 Bethesda Bicycle Commuter Spirit “Golden Pedal” Award was presented to Alex Duarte during the Bike to Work Day pit stop event on May 17. Alex works for the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) in Bethesda.

Alex was nominated by Maria Cho at ASHP. ASHP is the largest association of pharmacy professionals in the United States, representing 60,000 pharmacists, student pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.

In nominating Alex, Ms. Cho described him as a recent — but very consistent — convert to bicycle commuting. “He seems to really enjoy it, and it has led to increased productivity in the mornings,” she noted. “He also has been encouraging others to try it as an alternative to driving!”

For his part, Alex said that ASHP makes bike commuting easy by providing showers in the building and secure bike parking in the garage. ASHP also reimburses employees for the Capital Bikeshare annual membership.

When asked if he has any tips or lessons learned to share, Alex said: “Although it may seem and feel difficult to bike to work, consistency is key and will make a significant difference in your biking experience.”

“When I first started biking it would take me about 25 minutes to get to work,” he added, “but now it only takes me about 20 minutes. My endurance has also improved, as I am able to fully bike uphill without having to get off and push the bike.”

Alex’s final words of advice: “There are many different bike trails or bike paths to choose from. I ride on Capital Crescent Trail, a very scenic view but also encouraging as there are others on the trail running, walking, or biking as well. There are different ways to make your bike ride enjoyable. You just need to try and find them!”