Cycling Advocates to Make Pit Stop Along 500-Mile Ride at Proteus

Hundreds of cyclists are expected to convene for the National Bike Summit on Capitol Hill Tuesday to lobby Congress to fund bike safety initiatives.

But first, some attendees, including a few national superstars in the sport of cycling, will make a pit stop in a 500-mile journey, right at College Park’s own .

Six-time cyclocross world champion Tim Johnson is leading a group of 20 cyclists from Boston to D.C. in the Ride on Washington, to raise awareness about bike safety initiatives and to raise money for the Bikes Belong Foundation. The group hopes to pick up riders along the route over five days.

When they arrive at Proteus at 1 p.m. Tuesday, shop owner Jill DiMauro will have food and beverages ready.

“I thought it was kind of cool,” she said about the opportunity to host the cycling layover.

The ride is timed to end in D.C. on the first day of the Summit, an event organized by the League of American Bicyclists to support funding programs for bike-friendly initiatives.

To DiMauro, the event is about more than advocating to national policy makers, but also about being seen in the community.

“The culture of the area changes as people in cars begin to see us,” she said.

Every person who sees a fellow community member on a bike is a potential new cyclist, a potential new bike commuter, she said.

“Maybe the mass has to precede the infrastructure,” DiMauro added.

The festivities at kick off at noon with a hot meal and drinks and “bike stuff” giveaways. She encourages College Park community members to join in on the last leg of the ride from Proteus to D.C.—a 15-mile stretch.

Organizers hope the last leg will be a “giant bike parade where anyone can join.” Riders will go past several Capital Bikeshare Stations, and what they call two of the District’s most innovative bicycle facilities—the 15th Street Bikeway and Pennsylvania Avenue.

This Patch editor will be joining the ride to learn more about the goals and initiatives, and the local people who are involved. Follow CollegePrkPatch on Twitter for updates throughout the afternoon.

Disclosure: Proteus Bicycles loaned the non-cyclist editor a bike to ride along and observe the Ride on Washington.