bicycling

Bicycle Derby to Take Over Crystal City Parking Garage

By Katie Pyzyk

Expect to see a lot more bicycles in Crystal City this weekend. Saturday is the inaugural Crystal City Diamond Derby.

Unlike most other bike races, this one takes place indoors at the parking garage at 1850 Crystal Drive. Both amateur and competitive cyclists will take part in events and attempt to win awards and prize money.

Spectators can enjoy a free party throughout the day at the lounge, which includes a large screen to watch the action, live music and a cash bar. An outdoor midway will be set up with vendors, food and a bicyclist sprint lane.

Activities start at 2:00 p.m., but the major competitions take place from 4:30-9:30 p.m. They’re immediately followed by an awards ceremony, then the Diamond Derby Ball which runs from 10:30 p.m. to midnight.

Although the event is free and open to the public, registration and fees are required for competitors.

Disclosure: Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser

Coupon in Mail for Free Bike Helmet, CaBi Membership

By Katie Pyzyk

(Updated at 2:10 p.m.) If the lack of owning a helmet has been holding you back from riding a bike, you’re about to lose an excuse. An offer for a free helmet is in your mail.

Check your pile of mail for last week’s edition of The Citizen, which contained a BikeArlington pamphlet. It offers a plethora of information, including a large map highlighting local biking routes, tips for safe cycling and information about Capital Bikeshare.

Attached to the front is a coupon for a free helmet and reflective clip-on light.  There’s also a coupon for one free 24-hour membership to Capital Bikeshare. The Bikeshare membership can be redeemed online using the individual code on each coupon. The bike helmet coupon can be redeemed at any Commuter Store around Arlington, while supplies last.

Right now, there are 550 helmets and 1,100 lights available. If there is a high demand, the county says it plans to purchase additional helmets.

BREAKING NEWS — Metrobus Hits Cyclist on Glebe Road

By ARLnow.com

A bicyclist was struck by a Metrobus at the intersection of S. Glebe Road and Lang Street this morning.

The bus was traveling eastbound around 9:15 a.m. when it apparently struck the cyclist in or near the intersection. The cyclist suffered a head injury but was conscious when he was loaded into an ambulance and brought to the hospital.

Impact damage was visible on the Metrobus’ windshield.

Arlington County police and Metro personnel were taking photos and measurements of the scene following the accident. Traffic on S. Glebe Road was snarled as police blocked blocked one and periodically both lanes during the investigation.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Happy Valentine’s Day — Be sure to check out this article from last week for a list of last-minute Valentine’s Day date ideas.

Big Win for Washington-Lee Gymnastics — The Washington-Lee High School girls’ gymnastics team has captured the Northern Region gymnastics title for the first time in school history. The team is now a contender for the state title at a competition on Friday. [Sun Gazette]

Bicycle Ridership High for January — Thanks in part, perhaps, to the mild weather, Arlington County counted 140,252 bicycle trips along local trails during the month of January. The count is high by seasonal standards. [CommuterPage Blog]

Parking Spots in Shirlington — How many off-street parking spots are there around Shirlington Village? There are 2,446 such spots, according to a handy map of Shirlington garages. [Shirlington Village Blog Spot]

Flickr pool photo by Chris Rief

VDOT Study Examining the Widening of I-66, Route 50

By ARLnow.com

Widening I-66 and Route 50 inside the Beltway are among the options for relieving congestion on the I-66 corridor currently being studied by the Virginia Department of Transportation.

The “I-66 Multimodal Study,” as its called, began in July 2011. Study organizers held public meetings in December 2011, are scheduled to hold additional public meetings in April, and are expected to wrap up in May with a final report.

“This study will identify a range of multimodal and corridor management solutions (operational, transit, bike, pedestrian, and highway) that can be implemented to reduce highway and transit congestion and improve overall mobility within the I-66 corridor, between I-495 and the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge,” VDOT says on its web site.

Currently, I-66 is HOV 2+ in the peak direction during peak hours, with no other restrictions on the reverse peak direction or during off-peak hours. With the exception of the recently “spot improvements,” I-66 consists of two travel lanes in each direction.

Among the theoretical options the study is considering for I-66, as outlined at a recent public meeting:

  • A. No new I-66 lanes. Peak direction to be bus/HOV 3+ only during peak hours. Reverse peak direction to be bus/HOV 2+ only during peak hours. No off-peak restrictions.
  • B. Convert I-66 into an electronically tolled bus/HOV/high occupancy toll (HOT) highway. Single occupancy vehicles and HOV-2 vehicles would be tolled in both directions, 24/7. Buses and HOV 3+ vehicles would not be tolled. Optionally, a third travel lane may be added to I-66 in each direction.
  • C1. Lane added in each direction on I-66. Peak direction to be bus/HOV 3+ only during peak hours. One reverse peak lane to be bus/HOV 2+ only during peak hours. No off-peak restrictions.
  • C2. Lane added in each direction on I-66. Peak direction to be bus/HOV 3+ only during peak hours. All reverse peak lanes to be bus/HOV 2+ only during peak hours. No off-peak restrictions.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Ovechkin Buys New House — Capitals star Alex Ovechkin may be ditching his $1.6 million home in Arlington’s Waycroft-Woodlawn neighborhood for some tonier digs. Ovechkin recently bought a $4.2 million, 11,000 square foot house in Fairfax County. He’ll have some extra time to get settled — the Capitals captain just decided to skip the NHL All-Star game after being suspended for three games. [ProHockeyTalk]

Grocery Store Bike Parking Guide — Need to do some grocery shopping, but worried about where to park your bike while you’re in the store? If so, the BikeArlington web site has just the resource for you: a complete guide to bike parking at 16 Arlington grocery stories. [BikeArlington]

Live Music Comes to Melody Tavern — Live music has come to Melody Tavern (3650 S. Glebe Road), a recently-opened music-themed restaurant/lounge near Potomac Yard in south Arlington. Live jazz and blues performances will start at Melody Tavern tonight, and will continue on nearly every night except Mondays through the end of February. The restaurant will also be holding a grand opening event from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m on Feb. 3. Arlington County granted Melody Tavern a live entertainment permit over the weekend. [Facebook]

Homeless Count Underway — An effort to provide a count of the number of homeless individuals living in Arlington County started at 4:00 this morning and will continue through midnight. The annual volunteer effort is being organized by the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network. “This local count is part of a nation-wide count that occurs during the last ten days in January in order to collect accurate data, understand trends, justify requests for federal funding, and measure community progress towards preventing and ending homelessness,” A-SPAN said.

Flickr pool photo by Alex

Study Reveals Habits, Motivations of Local Bicyclists

By ARLnow.com

The typical bicyclist in Arlington is a wealthy Caucasian male who uses his bike for exercise, recreation and commuting, according to the findings of a recently-released survey.

The survey — conducted by a Richmond-based research firm under contract from Arlington County Commuter Services — probed the demographics, motivations and habits of local bicyclists using a combination of online surveys and in-person surveys conducted on Arlington bike trails.

Among the study’s findings:

  • Mean age of respondents is 43
  • Median income is $108,000
  • 80% are Caucasian
  • 64% are male
  • 88% are employed full-time
  • 35% work in Arlington
  • 50% live seven or more miles from work
  • 83% bike to work at least a couple of times per week
  • 63% commute to work exclusively via bicycle
  • 74% have employers that offer assistance, information or facilities that encourage biking to work
  • 45% use a bike as their primary mode of transportation
  • 89% say exercise and recreation is among the reasons why they choose to bike
  • 81% are “satisfied” with local multi-use trails
  • 47% of those who started using the county’s BikeArlington services now bicycle more frequently

For more information, see a summary of the findings or a complete presentation of survey results.

Disclosure: Arlington County Commuter Services placed ads for the online survey on ARLnow.com over the summer.

Crystal City to Host Winter Cycling ‘Derby’

By ARLnow.com

Crystal City is planning to transform an underground parking garage into a “distinctive cycling obstacle course” in March for the inaugural “Crystal City Diamond Derby.”

The derby will allow “competitive, casual and chic cyclists” alike to ride around an obstacle course in a massive parking garage under the Bureau of National Affairs building (1801 S. Bell Street) in Crystal City. The event will have an “edgy, glitzy” diamond theme, and participants will be encouraged to wear denim, rhinestones and derby caps.

To help organize the event, the Crystal City Business Improvement District is partnering with Dandies & Quaintrelles, the group that organizes the Tweed Ride and Seersucker Social, two annual vintage-inspired cycling events in D.C.

The derby — which is scheduled for Saturday, March 10 — will be open to both riders and spectators. For those not riding, there will be lounges and spectator viewing areas featuring music, food and drinks. There will also be diamond-themed art on display.

Registration is expected to open in early 2012.

Disclosure: Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Circuit Court Judge to Retire — Arlington Circuit Court Judge Joanne F. Alper, the first woman appointed to the Arlington Circuit Court, has announced her retirement. Alper plans to retire on May 31, 2012, after serving on the circuit court since 1998. “Judge Alper developed a reputation as a tough, fair, hard-working Trial Judge,” the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office said in a press release. “She enjoys complex litigation, challenging legal issues, and is known as a champion for Victim’s Rights.”

Adios, Artisphere Salsa Tuesdays? — Tonight may mark the end of Salsa Tuesdays at Artisphere, one of the few regularly-scheduled features of the financially-challenged arts facility in Rosslyn. Artisphere’s new business plan calls for the facility to be closed to the public on Tuesdays. Salsa dancing at Artisphere may return, however, on different days. [Washington City Paper]

BikeArlington Distributes 1,000+ Lights — The county’s BikeArlington initiative has distributed more than 1,000 sets of free bike lights over the course of three giveaway events. The giveaways were held on trails in Rosslyn, on Columbia Pike, and at the intersection of the W&OD and Custis trails. [CommuterPage Blog]

Yorktown Grad Wins Writing Contest — Bryce Wilson Stuckie, a member of Yorktown High School’s Class of 2004 and a recent Virginia Tech grad, has been named one of the two winners of The Nation’s sixth annual Student Writing Contest. Stuckie wrote a heart-wrenching and thought-provoking 800-word essay about the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting massacre.

Indoor Cycling Studio Coming to Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

Stand-alone indoor cycling studios are becoming trendy across the country, and soon Arlington will have one such facility to call its own.

Revolve, which describes itself as a “high-end specialized indoor cycling studio,” is hoping to open at 1025 N. Fillmore Street in Clarendon by the end of the month. The studio, which is currently under construction in the ground floor of the Zoso Flats building, will eventually feature 40 Schwinn exercise bikes in a room surrounded by nearly a dozen speakers — to help pump in music to keep participants energized.

Revolve will offer three different types of classes classes, which will last 45 to 60 minutes and cost $17 to $20 per session. From a press release:

Revolve’s Fitness Consultant, Christianne Phillips, has designed three revolutionary classes to be featured exclusively at Revolve: Real Ride, Complete Body Ride and Barre Ride. A more traditional cycle class focusing on endurance, the Real Ride class will provide participants with an indoor journey that feels like an outdoor ride. Complete Body Ride is a full-body workout that incorporates cardio, strength and flexibility, and keeps participants moving while engaging in upper body weight training. Barre Ride is a revolutionary hybrid workout that combines cardio with toning barre-based exercises. In a Barre Ride class, participants will burn calories while sculpting muscles, using the bikes’ handlebars as a ballet-style bar.

Sylvan Garfunkel, who left the “rat race” of his job as a corporate attorney in New York City to run the studio as a co-owner, says what will set Revolve apart from the “big box gyms” is more personal service and an emphasis on camaraderie among the cyclists.

“Group fitness enthusiasts, especially indoor cyclists, feel a special kinship with their fellow participants,” Garfunkel said. “We want our studio to offer a community-like atmosphere, where bonds with instructors and fellow riders grow beyond the cycle room.”

In addition to regularly-scheduled classes, Revolve will offer special events like charity rides, private corporate and group rides and a monthly event featuring a live DJ. The business, which counts two college-aged brothers among its other co-owners, is hoping to do a “soft opening” by the end of this month, with a full opening expected by mid-December.

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