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Rob Bills (front) and others pedal to Dahlgren along U.S. 301 as part of Bike to Work Day. A King George sheriff's escort kept the cyclists safe, but riders said bike lanes would make cycling a more viable commuting option.
Cyclists trek along State Route 3 on the way to the Naval Support Facility at Dahlgren. Yesterday was the first time base workers participated in Bike to Work Day.
Richard Sisson of Tappahannock gets ready for the nearly 30-mile ride from Stafford to Dahlgren. |
Instead of donning suits at 6 a.m. yesterday morning, eight area men decided they'd commute to work in colorful spandex.
Juston Manville of Fredericksburg organized a bike-to-work day for employees from the Naval Support Facility at Dahlgren.
Their nearly 30-mile ride took place on Bike to Work Day, part of National Bike Month.
Manville, who recently moved to the area from Connecticut, said he wanted to raise awareness for biking to work as an alternative to driving.
He also wanted to raise awareness for what he considers a lack of cyclist-friendly roadways in the area.
"It's really not that viable to commute into work [by bike]," Manville said. "The roads are terrible. You'd be taking your life into your hands."
Manville said making more bike-friendly roadways would be easy.
"If they just widen the shoulders, it would be a totally doable commute," he said.
Similar rides were scheduled around the Washington metropolitan area yesterday.
According to the Web site for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, the organization expected thousands to turn out for the nontraditional commute.
Manville's group started at the Wal-Mart near Ferry Farm in Stafford County and rode through King George County to get to the base.
A sheriff's escort from Stafford accompanied the men to King George; Manville said a sheriff's escort in King George even stopped traffic for the group to ride safely.
"If we didn't have the police departments, we wouldn't be able to do this," he said.
Manville said the cyclists made the trip in 90 minutes.
Brian Medved of Fredericksburg said he's biked that distance before, but not to Dahlgren. He woke up at 4:30 a.m. to make the trip; he usually car pools or takes his own car.
"I do have clothes at work," he said. "I dropped them off yesterday."
Medved said the trip is a good recreational ride--he tries to bike for fun two days a week.
His trek was to raise awareness of road conditions, save some money and do something different.
"When I get to work I have to sit down anyway."
Manville said the group was able to beat the rain and, as a perk, rode past automobiles at a security checkpoint at Dahlgren instead of waiting in a long line of traffic.
He hopes to have similar events in the future, perhaps starting closer to the base to encourage more workers to bike rather drive--an obvious money-saver with soaring gas prices.
Corey Byers: 540/735-1976
