#30DaysofBiking: Day 14 & 15

I was so tired after work on Saturday that I couldn't muster the energy for a blog post about my ride. I got off work a little early, and had planned on riding to the Titanic Memorial to catch the last bit of the 100 year commemoration ceremony. Instead, I got a phone call from a friend with a minor emergency and ended up riding to see him instead. It turned out to be nothing, and I was in the Columbia Heights area so I stopped to check out a few places I haven't been to in awhile. (Wonderland Ballroom & Meridian Pint)

I didn't miss much.

Miles: 3

Yesterday was the Charity Bike Wash. I rode Betty out to the shop and got ready for 4 hours of filthy bike washing. It was a success. Folks started rolling in around 12:30 and we had a steady stream of bikes all the way to the end. We didn't even get a break. But it was a lot of fun, and we raised over $200 for the Unity Tour so that's awesome. That's about 20 bikes that we scrubbed. Next time, I will get more volunteers and bring along some music. Thank you to everyone that stopped by, and a big thank you to The Daily Rider for hosting us, and Finish Line for donating all of our bike scrubbing needs.

Our first customer:





Yikes.






Mir, hard at work.





Here I am (the back of me, anyway) working on a Raleigh. I have no idea why I have so many rags in my pockets.







People lining up:



(photos stolen from various sources)


Afterwards, we treated ourselves to a celebratory dinner at the Queen Vic, which is just down the street.

I found this:



And loved it. And drank a few more :-)

Then it was time to turn towards home.

Miles: 6ish. My iPhone died on the way home, so I'm not sure...
Yorkshire puddings consumed: 1
Number of times I had to shower to get all the bike grime off: 2

Bike Wash this weekend! Photo contest!

I hope you guys are ready for the Big Bike Wash this Sunday! I am super excited because it looks like its going to be a lot of fun. For those that might not know about it:

Bring your bikes to The Daily Rider (1108 H St NE) this Sunday from Noon until 4pm for a thorough scrubbing. $10 per bike will get you a wash & lube (including chain). The money is to support The Police Unity Tour, which myself & my friend Mir, are riding in May. The Police Unity Tour raises money for the Law Enforcement Memorial Fund. We will be riding from Richmond, VA to Washington, DC from May 10th-May 12th.

Finish Line Products (they make all sorts of bike maintenance goodies) is helping to sponsor the Bike Wash. And that means...prizes!

First up is this nifty Bike Bucket:




Tweet or email me a photo of your "filthy" bike by 11:59pm (EST) Saturday. Include the hashtag #bikefilthy. The person with the "filthiest" bike will win this bucket! (please keep photos safe for work).

We've got some other stuff too, but I haven't figured out a good contest for it yet.

Anyway, you will definitely want to be at this event! What if you don't have a bike to wash, or you want a wash but don't have the cash? You can always volunteer to help us wash them! Shoot me an email if you want to help out!

Note: it will be a lot easier if you bring your bikes directly to the rear of the shop, rather than through the front door. There is alley access off of 11th St. We will have banners and signs up, so don't worry.

Also, we will be having a #BikeDC happy hour (yes I know there's no happy hours on Sundays. We do our own thing) after the wash. It will most likely be at Lil Miss Whiskey's since its right next door. So make sure you stick around for that!