World Car Free Day is September 22nd.
With the gung-hoe folks at Revolution Cycles pioneering bike sharing programs in DC and Northern Virginia, alternate commuter options are abound! Originally founded in DC, Revolution Cycles has brought cycling to a whole new level throughout Northern Virginia and Maryland! Revolution Cycles did a great thing by bringing biking advocate and event coordinator Angela Koch to their team. You’d never have guessed that this bike-riding powerhouse of a woman was a car-free mother of three! Their whole family is able to survive the hustle and bustle without a car. Impressed? You should be. A few days after I wrote this, Angela and her whole family went on a mattress buying spree- on their bikes. It was sort of a big deal- because of how awesome they are!
Angela and her hardworking team at Revolution Cycles is doing what their name implies, revolutionizing the way people think about riding bikes. It doesn’t have to be a “granola thing to do” 
people from all walks of life can join in on the cycling option for their health, and for the health of the planet. One of the main goals of Revolution Cycles is to “get more butts on bikes.” As funny as that may sound, they are doing it through events such as social night rides, ladies-who-cycle happy hours and even setting up the Department of State with a bike sharing program. Now are you impressed? Good.
Those who bike, know… living the Car Free diet, doesn’t mean that people are going to be wagging their finger at you when you have to use a car, it just means that you have made a commitment to your self and your community to lessen your impact on the environment. At the Trekk cycling convention two weeks ago, DC’s Revolution Cycles was presented with an advocacy award for being unlike any other bike retailer; they have created a bike sharing program that is completely non-profit. This flagship program is based out of their Crystal City shop and supplies willing, ready and able cycling enthusiasts with hybrid (street/mountain) bikes, helmets, chains and the encouragement to get their butt on a bike and hit the streets. Paired with this bike sharing program, Revolution Cycles is working on a number of bike friendly events ranging from organizing bike to work day or 
sweet social rides where you can see the DC monuments at night, a cocktail attire progressive dinner ride, and even a guided ride out to see at Nat’s game! This is just the top of the bat with these folks, too. They are creative, fun, and ready to” get butts on bikes”, as Angela lovingly says!
Would you usually drive or Metro to these sorts of events? Well, Revolution Cycles is aiming to prove that you can think outside the box when choosing your commuter options. You can ride your bike to a nice dinner on the District, or even 30 miles out side of town for a picnic. These programs are just the beginning, and we’ll be interested to see who else will become a part of the cycling community and make cycling a part of their commuter options here in Northern Virginia. If you are into cycling, but aren’t really one of the group rides, don’t forget about all of the extensive bike trails that weave in and out of Northern Virginia. I’m not the best cyclist in the world- meaning, I try to ride as much as I can and I don’t own an armoir of gortex or spandex… I just hop on my beach cruiser behind my husband on his awesome-schmancy racing bike, and try to keep up. Don’t forget about the WO&D Trail- which is just one of the many great cycling opportunities for one and all- you may even see me down there on my beach cruiser (man, I need an upgrade!)!
