VeloCity Bike Coop Heads to Del Ray

VeloCity Bicycle Cooperative is moving from Alexandria’s Old Town neighborhood to Del Ray.

The nonprofit, which educates community members about bike maintenance, safety and other issues, recently was displaced from its Old Town location on S. Union St. when the building was sold.

“I’m really happy because we would have been forced into D.C. but we really wanted to stay local,” VeloCity Co-founder and Warwick Village resident Christian Myers told Patch.

Myers said the Del Ray Business Association notified him that space at 2111 Mt. Vernon Ave. would be vacant this year and “we jumped at the chance.” His firm offers free pedicab service during Del Ray’s First Thursday events so he’s had a strong relationship with the neighborhood, he said.

Myers added that he’s pleased with the new location, which formerly housed holistic therapy firm , because “Del Ray is more of a neighborhood than where we are now, and there are so many kids.”

The holistic health business has merged with and is now located at 309 S. Washington St. in Old Town.

Velocity plans to be up and running in the new space on Feb. 1 as it is on Jan. 27. The new space is smaller so plans for a big sale at the end of January are in the works.

Volunteers at VeloCity also work with the City of Alexandria to provide community service hours for Alexandria youth and summer employment through the TeensWork program. Recently, VeloCity won an award from the Alexandria Court Services Unit for its work with juveniles on probation.

“They do community service with me,” Myers explained.