Btwd 2023

[lordofthemark]

BTWD is this Friday the 19th. There will be pitstops around the region, sign up here https://www.biketoworkmetrodc.org/

Current plan is I will Emcee at Market Square in Old Town Alexandria. BPAC will be present there and at Del Ray and Carlyle. Our other friends will be found around the region.

There will also be an event at the soon to be defunct New District Brewing in the afternoon. I hope many of the folks from here will be there.

[jrenaut]

Today is 9 years since Boat to Work Day. That was fun.

[mstone]

@jrenaut 225829 wrote:

Today is 9 years since Boat to Work Day. That was fun.

I disagree. After about 15 miles I was like “seriously?” At least I had front panniers to act as breakwaters.

Also, I object to it being 9 years.

[jrenaut]

That year, I rode out from DC to the pitstop by the Intersection of Doom before coming back in to “my” pitstop at Freedom Plaza, where they were handing out t-shirts from inside a Circulator bus to keep things dry-ish.

I also object to the relentless passage of time, someone should do something about that

[Sunyata]

That was my very first b(oat)ike to work day in the DC area! Wow. Time really does move quickly these days.

Looking forward to my first Bike to Work Day at my new job. Hitting up the “unofficial” Falls Church stop at 6:30, then heading to the Rosslyn and Georgetown stops.

[Serdar]

@Sunyata 225839 wrote:

That was my very first b(oat)ike to work day in the DC area! Wow. Time really does move quickly these days.

Looking forward to my first Bike to Work Day at my new job. Hitting up the “unofficial” Falls Church stop at 6:30, then heading to the Rosslyn and Georgetown stops.

Congratulations on your new job!

[lordofthemark]

@jrenaut 225838 wrote:

That year, I rode out from DC to the pitstop by the Intersection of Doom before coming back in to “my” pitstop at Freedom Plaza, where they were handing out t-shirts from inside a Circulator bus to keep things dry-ish.

I also object to the relentless passage of time, someone should do something about that

I was fortunate to have done 2013 BTWD, so I had some idea what it was supposed to be like. In 2014 I was the only person to arrive at the Capital Riverfront Pitstop IIRC, and the folks handing out tshirts were huddled under the little walkway near the skating rink.

Tomorrow will be the first time (other than when BTWD was cancelled in 2020?) that since 2012 that I will not be at the Capital Riverfront pitstop.

[huberww]

Note on your green BTWD 2023 T-shirt: I was unable to get the XL I had requested so I took a 2XL that was offered. The kind staffer distributing them mentioned that the shirts were running small this year. I just ran mine through the wash and it shrank dramatically, so much that it won’t fit me (whereas an XL has always fit in the past — granted I’ve put on a few extra # over the winter months). So you might wash yours in cold water and/or avoid the dryer.

[Steve O]

What color was that t-shirt back in 2008? you ask
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr1BZ7OM6Qi/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsG2xohRbVg/

[Judd]

@huberww 225849 wrote:

Note on your green BTWD 2023 T-shirt: I was unable to get the XL I had requested so I took a 2XL that was offered. The kind staffer distributing them mentioned that the shirts were running small this year. I just ran mine through the wash and it shrank dramatically, so much that it won’t fit me (whereas an XL has always fit in the past — granted I’ve put on a few extra # over the winter months). So you might wash yours in cold water and/or avoid the dryer.

Looks like they went with a new shirt vendor this year based on the individually wrapped shirts. There was a shirt-tastrophe last year. The shirts didn’t arrive until 2 days before and there was a mad rush to get them sorted for distribution and pretty much every pit stop got shorted on shirts.

[lordofthemark]

@Judd 225852 wrote:

Looks like they went with a new shirt vendor this year based on the individually wrapped shirts. There was a shirt-tastrophe last year. The shirts didn’t arrive until 2 days before and there was a mad rush to get them sorted for distribution and pretty much every pit stop got shorted on shirts.

This not the place for a discussion of single use plastics, is it

Despite some trepidation, BTWD went well for me this year. I got to emcee at Market Square, the first time I have been an emcee for anything, I believe. (Thanks to the BPAC volunteers at Market Square and also at Carlyle and Del Ray). Got to chat with a lot of people. Never spent so much time at ONE pit stop before.

And I still got to catch up with “the crowd” at New District for the Henry Dunbar retirement party, including some people I hadn’t seen in some time.

[Henry]

Feel free to drop any comments about BTWD here, including the single plastic wraps on the shirts. Last year’s cluster (shorting the entire order) was replaced with a new cluster (small sizing, shrinking shirts, wasteful plastic) and we will share with the overlords at MWCOG.

And the 2014 Boat to Work was indeed fun times, when I found myself in thigh-deep water under the West Glebe Bridge on FMR Trail. Was in the pre-dawn darkness with fogged-up glasses and couldn’t make out that the smooth gray surface in front of me was not concrete but dirty water being held back by the retaining wall.

Henry

[Judd]

@Henry 225858 wrote:

Feel free to drop any comments about BTWD here, including the single plastic wraps on the shirts. Last year’s cluster (shorting the entire order) was replaced with a new cluster (small sizing, shrinking shirts, wasteful plastic) and we will share with the overlords at MWCOG.

And the 2014 Boat to Work was indeed fun times, when I found myself in thigh-deep water under the West Glebe Bridge on FMR Trail. Was in the pre-dawn darkness with fogged-up glasses and couldn’t make out that the smooth gray surface in front of me was not concrete but dirty water being held back by the retaining wall.

Henry

Please share that the Rosslyn Pit Stop had the greatest coordinator of all time.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[jrenaut]

Rather than listing the pit stops in order, I would have featured the big ones (Rosslyn, Franklin Sq, etc). And I would have put in big letters that Freedom Plaza isn’t the big stop any more. Had a chat with a cyclist in the PA Ave cycletrack who had been looking for it and was confused. Luckily I passed another stop and one of the volunteers there sent me to the right place, just in time to hear DDOT Dir Lott pretend he knows what a bike is

[arlcxrider]

I stopped by the Ballston location. No complaints, and the perfect location for me. Well organized and lots of friendly volunteers.

I like the t-shirt. As for “running small,” out of the bag the size “small” hangs on me like a circus tent. I usually wear small “race fit” jerseys. I haven’t put it through the wash yet.

Having dealt with team kit and sizing, it can be a huge PITA due to inconsistent sizing across vendors.

[Author]

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