AAA Mid-Atlantic adds bicycle service to membership

Long known as the premier and trusted provider of roadside assistance for stranded motorists, AAA Mid-Atlantic is launching bicycle roadside assistance as part of its legendary service. Members do not need to do anything - the bicycle coverage is now automatically embedded into each current level of membership.

The new bicycle service covers the almost 140,000 AAA members in Delaware and a total of almost 4 million AAA members throughout the Mid-Atlantic region who carry Basic, Plus or Premier AAA memberships.

The Mid-Atlantic region includes Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia and parts of Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. AAA is a federation of motor clubs, and each motor club may offer different services to members. For specifics on the Mid-Atlantic coverage area, see AAA.com/Bicycle.

“Extending our legendary roadside service to bicycles is a natural extension of who we are as AAA: a roadside assistance provider that helps get people moving again,” says Berni Koch, CEO of AAA Mid-Atlantic. “Our service gives bicyclists peace of mind when they travel and someone to call if they break down. We want all those who share the roads to be safe and mobile.”

The Bicycle Service was structured with input from members of the Delaware Bicycle Council and White Clay Bicycle Club.

“We know that by adding bicycle service, we’re adding value to the AAA membership,” adds Rick Rugel, vice president  of membership for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “Given the popularity of bicycling, which has jumped in recent years, we hope we can attract some new members as well.”

If a member breaks down, AAA Mid-Atlantic will send a service vehicle to transport the member and their bicycle to a safe location, which may be a bicycle shop, home or elsewhere.

“Delaware is known as one of the nation’s most bike-friendly states, but it takes a team effort to earn that reputation,” says Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, who is an avid recreational cyclist. “As a business, AAA plays an important role - by providing roadside assistance for cyclists, they’re responding to the community and to the needs of its members, while helping to make Delaware a better place to ride.”

As part of this announcement, AAA Mid-Atlantic calls attention to the need for common courtesy and respect on the road and shares its support for an educational campaign led by the Delaware Bicycle Council, White Clay Bicycle Club, and Xtreme Graphics on Delaware’s 3-foot passing law.

“Delaware’s 3-foot safe passing law requires that drivers provide adequate space before attempting to pass a bicyclist, or wait until there is enough room to safely pass,” says Amy Wilburn, chair of the Delaware Bicycle Council. “Drivers and cyclists can share the road safely, if both look out for another.”

Member roadside assistance calls can be used for bicycles or automobiles. Members receive four service calls per year, per person with their membership (five for Premier level). A bicycle call will count as one of those service calls.

Bicycle roadside assistance service is included in all levels of AAA Mid-Atlantic membership at no extra cost. Roadside assistance does not include repair.

AAA will transport a bicyclist, bicycle and any accompanying minors due to bicycle disablement (transportation not included for rider fatigue or physical inability to continue riding) and transport the cyclist to a safe location or home. Cyclists must remain with their bicycles. If AAA cannot accommodate all passengers, it will assist members in obtaining alternate transportation at their own expense.

Bicycle towing mileage mirrors vehicle towing mileage:

3 miles for Basic AAA membership

100 miles for Plus AAA membership*

200 miles for Premier AAA membership

*Motorcycle coverage is provided with the AAA Plus/RV Rider Membership.

Service will be provided if cyclists can safely move their bicycle to a normally traveled road. Nonmotorized bicycles are covered. Excluded are bicycle taxis or bicycles used for commercial transportation.

Just like with vehicle roadside assistance, cyclists should show a valid AAA membership card, either hard copy or on the AAA mobile app or Passbook app, as long as the cyclist has another form of identification.

Because the ownership of the bicycle cannot be verified, AAA Mid-Atlantic will not service bicycles secured with a lock for which the member has no key or combination.

AAA Mid-Atlantic serves members in Delaware, Maryland and Washington, D.C., and parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Virginia. To see the full list of counties covered go to AAA Mid-Atlantic territories.

The phone number to call for help is 1-800-AAA-HELP.

Members and nonmembers can visit AAA.com/bicycle to learn more about the new service feature.

AAA has a long history of bicycle safety and will continue to seek ways to improve the dialogue and attitudes necessary to share roads safely. To further these goals, AAA has created AAA.com/Bicycle with bicycle safety and maintenance information. The site also offers quick refreshers on how motorists can help keep all roadway users safe.