Pictures from Bike to Work Day 2015

[PotomacCyclist]

I don’t know if this qualifies as cool, but it surely qualifies as surreal, bizarre and maybe hilarious, depending on your sense of humor.

I saw that there was an afternoon/evening pit stop at Columbia Heights. I didn’t feel like riding any more miles after riding to three pit stops in the morning (plus the vaporware phantom pit stop at the Columbia Island Marina), so I took Metro up there. I sort of feel guilty about it, but not really. I was also carrying a heavy bag, which would have been cumbersome on a CaBi bike.

The pit stop was located in the civic plaza a block to the north of the Metro station, across the street from the DC USA shopping center. They were holding a raffle drawing. Only those who had registered for that pit stop were eligible. I don’t know if we were allowed to register for a morning and an evening pit stop. Even if we could, I didn’t register, so I wasn’t up for any prizes. There was a Capital Bikeshare table. I picked up a couple coupon codes for free 24-hr memberships, which I can give away to others. I saw a bike maintenance area and the T-shirt table.

Since I wasn’t eligible for any of the prizes, I figured there wasn’t much more to do there. I was also done with biking for the day, so I headed back to the Metro station. I lingered around on the corner, waiting for the light. I was tired, so I didn’t want to walk quickly. Then I saw this:

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Uh… what?

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[PotomacCyclist]

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The giant inflated chicken person wobbled over to the plaza and past the bike pit stop. Each person that saw the chicken was stunned. It’s not the first thing you expect to see while walking down the street.

[video=vimeo;127990028]https://vimeo.com/127990028[/video]

And that was it for the evening pit stop.

[DismalScientist]

This is why I don’t wear Lycra.:rolleyes:

[AFHokie]

@PotomacCyclist 116099 wrote:

The giant inflated chicken person wobbled over to the plaza and past the bike pit stop. Each person that saw the chicken was stunned. It’s not the first thing you expect to see while walking down the street.

I guess that answers the question as to why the chicken crossed the road

[PotomacCyclist]

@AFHokie 116101 wrote:

I guess that answers the question as to why the chicken crossed the road

To go to Bike to Work Day (although he didn’t have a bike).

[cvcalhoun]

@PotomacCyclist 116098 wrote:

They were holding a raffle drawing. Only those who had registered for that pit stop were eligible.

That’s odd. I was able to enter the raffle, even though I wasn’t registered there (and told them so). In fact, they gave me one ticket, but if I didn’t win the first raffle, that ticket stayed in the drawing for the second raffle, etc. The only limitation was that you actually had to be there to win. So every raffle, they ended up calling out one name after another of people who had already left, until they finally got to someone who was still there.

[PotomacCyclist]

I spoke with the people at the CaBi table. Maybe they didn’t know the rules. I should have checked at the main table. They had already started the prize drawings by the time I got there, so maybe it would have been too late for me anyway.

[bobco85]

I just finished my video of my ride for Bike to Work Day. I went to the Shirlington, Penrose Square, and Ballston pit stops. I must say, the weather this year was a lot nicer than last year’s “Boat” to Work Day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Kf3qumSyFs

I’m already looking forward to next year’s BTWD

[GB]

Picture for bike boulevard – mother daughter tandum ride. This must be the least likely ride. (well I guess it’s not 6 fish on a tandum with a side car, but you know what I mean). Gotta love that marketing.

[KLizotte]

Two observations from the chicken pics:

1) No one seems to even notice the chicken?!!!!!

2) How in the world does it stay inflated? So that the person inside can breathe, air must be going in and out so how the heck….

[dkel]

@KLizotte 116522 wrote:

How in the world does it stay inflated?

Bean burritos.

[mstone]

@KLizotte 116522 wrote:

1) No one seems to even notice the chicken?!!!!!

I think you need to go back and forth between the two pictures in front of the t-mobile store. It’s actually kinda funny.

[dasgeh]

@GB 116507 wrote:

Picture for bike boulevard – mother daughter tandum ride. This must be the least likely ride. (well I guess it’s not 6 fish on a tandum with a side car, but you know what I mean). Gotta love that marketing.

But this is a huge win, because it’s who we want to design for. If we design for lycra clad men on road bikes, moms and daughters might not be able to use it. design for moms and daughters on tandems and everyone can use it.

Now if they would remember who they design for and put in a light at 9th and Glebe…

[bobco85]

@GB 116507 wrote:

Picture for bike boulevard – mother daughter tandum ride. This must be the least likely ride. (well I guess it’s not 6 fish on a tandum with a side car, but you know what I mean). Gotta love that marketing.

It wasn’t until I took the picture that I really noticed the cyclists in the image. It definitely appeals to a wider audience (even with the not-so-nice crossing at 9th/Glebe as dasgeh pointed out).

[PotomacCyclist]

@KLizotte 116522 wrote:

Two observations from the chicken pics:

1) No one seems to even notice the chicken?!!!!!

2) How in the world does it stay inflated? So that the person inside can breathe, air must be going in and out so how the heck….

Magic.

Actually, I hadn’t thought of that. That is a good question. You can tell from the video that the person has difficulty moving in the suit. Maybe there’s a small separate opening at the top for breathing.

I didn’t notice it at the time, but from the photos, you see the person doing some funny karate chop motion in the suit.

When I was walking past, I heard one woman casually say to her friend, “There’s a chicken crossing the road.” Some people noticed, but others were disinterested. Maybe they’ve seen the chicken before. The woman standing next to the chicken seemed to be a monitor, to make sure the chicken didn’t get stuck or fall over. She was wearing a T-shirt for the chicken restaurant next to the T-Mobile store. So it’s possible that the chicken makes an appearance at many special events. Only the local residents would be familiar with it.

I think if I hadn’t posted photos and just mentioned here that I saw a giant chicken walking past the Bike to Work Day pit stop, some might wonder if I had been taking some illicit substances…. Well, even though I did get the photos and video, I wonder if there was something in the air.

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