Commute & Transpo
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Remembering the Titanic, 114 Years Ago
Yesterday I returned from a weekday run and came upon a group holding a wreath-laying ceremony in remembrance of those who died in the Titanic disaster in the early hours of April 15, 1912. At 11:40 p.m. on April 14 the great ship hit an iceberg and at 2:20 a.m. April 15, 1912, the vessel… Continue reading
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N-1 Right Sizing Resulting from N+1
Years ago, I wrote about n+1, the silly philosophy that people should perpetually aspire for their bike stables to have one more bike. I called the piece The Truth and Nonsense of the N+1 Principle and shared my own n+1 journey, which ultimately resulted in a collection of 10 bicycles just for me scattered throughout my… Continue reading
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Review: Po Campo Bergen Pannier
Ever since my ride to work went from 2.5 miles to 7.5 miles one-way, I have been in pursuit of the ideal bike commute setup. After a few months, I settled on using a Carradice Camper for the to and fro, and that worked well, as long as I did not need to ride anywhere… Continue reading
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Bike In Bloom Destiny
One lesson I keep relearning is that you can’t work too hard to make things happen. You can put your shoulder into something only so much. After that, other factors must play a role. Nowhere in my life is this more true than with Capital Bikeshare‘s elusive Bike In Bloom. In concert with the annual… Continue reading
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Peaceful Everyday Actions
You may not have noticed, but the time I’ve spent in this space has reduced over the last year. Several factors contributed to this, but the most dominant was the belief that my energy needed to be spent understanding the state of current affairs in the U.S. For much of 2017, I took a deep… Continue reading
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Landscape Adjustments on Ohio Drive
Over the years that I’ve lived in the District, Ohio Drive has become one of my favorite city streets, especially around this time of year – the non-tourist season. Compared to many other routes, the car traffic is relatively light. The road follows the bends of the Potomac, offering up rare views of open space… Continue reading
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Winter Commute Days
While winter is not my most preferred cycling season, it does have its perks. Fewer people are out, making the city a more contemplative place, and non-cycling friends and colleagues regularly give me props for riding in less-than-inviting pedaling conditions. (“You’re so tough, MG.” Ha ha ha ha, we know the truth.) In exchange, I… Continue reading
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Top of the Town
I’ve been meaning to write you about my new daily escape through the city – from the lowest part of D.C. to the top of the town. It’s a 7.5-mile contraflow endeavor that takes me out of the heart of the city to a residential tentacle. Since beginning this commute, I’ve felt a novel joy… Continue reading
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Opting
The last couple of days, my Instagram feed has filled with the #optoutside hashtag, as Insta connections spend the day in nature and the outdoors instead of dedicating time in retail spaces or in front of their computer. Part of me is glad for that, although I suspect that most of the people I know would choose… Continue reading
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Heavy Hearts and Bicycle Breezes
Heavy hearts are the worst. A heavy heart burrows into your stomach and crowds other organs, causing discomfort. A heavy heart – being so burdened – needs extra oxygen to function, which can leave a person deflated and lethargic. It takes a lot of energy to endure a heavy heart. While it seems counterintuitive, a bicycle breeze may help temporarily lighten… Continue reading
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Ride Your Bikes, People
I’m fond of my active commute routine. My regular commute to work is predictable, pleasant. Over the years I’ve devised a sweet route that minimizes high-volume car traffic, and I store a nice selection of seasonal work clothes in my office. This week I’ve been thrust outside of my routine, which is pretty much a… Continue reading
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Bicycle Estrangement
I kicked off 2016 with cycling and running foremost in my mind. I participated in the area’s Freezing Saddles challenge – to ride as many days as possible from January through March – and signed on to ride the best flèche ever with our friend Jerry. From the beginning of the year through April, I enthusiastically pursued daily riding… Continue reading
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Do You Believe in Unicorns? #BikeInBloom
In 2014, Capital Bikeshare welcomed a solitary pink bicycle into its fleet, the BikeInBloom. This bicycle, the only one of its kind, is released into the wild for just shy of a month each year, as part of the city’s cherry blossom festivities. In the three years the BikeInBloom has flitted in and out of… Continue reading
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On Beer Can Koozie Ear Warmers and Other Freezing Saddles Secrets: Winter Cycling with Kate
It is our secret that riding is so much more fun, and probably faster and less stressful than the alternatives! And that doesn’t even account for all the great winter days, when the sun is shining on the sparkly snow, or there is a fabulous sunset over the river, or a big moon rises as… Continue reading
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Ride Like Your Life Depends On It: Liz and Exu
One of the most referenced posts on this blog is about naming one’s bike. I never thought much of calling my bike by anything but the name the maker gave it. Then I received this beautiful post from BikeDC’s own Liz MacGregor. In her writing, Liz shows how a bicycle can be an intimate companion that also… Continue reading
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Will Ride (or Run) for Kudos. Joining Strava
The virtual world of Strava always struck me as a dangerous place. A place where people competed for the fastest times on arbitrary segments of road, sometimes at their own peril– or worse, by risking the safety of others. Strava was a world for spirited, competitive roadies. Transportation and touring cyclists like me need not join. That suited me… Continue reading
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The Right Tool for the Job: Bike Friday Tikit Commutes
Over our many years together, the relationship between my Bike Friday Tikit and me has been nothing if not tumultuous. Continue reading
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12 Months By the Potomac River
Ever since I moved near the D.C. waterfront, the Potomac River has silently shaped my movement. I sidle along it to leave the city and head into Maryland. I must cross it by way of one of two or three bridges to reach Virginia. Continue reading
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The Versatility of the Bike Helmet
Whenever conversations about bike helmets begin, controversy is seldom far behind. Today I’d like to take an opportunity to redirect the conventional helmet discussion and instead explore its versatility. Continue reading
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From the Page to In-Person: Pondero Rivendell C&O Meetup
Pondero, a writer, rider, and Rivendell owner out of Texas, was in town this week for a combined family visit and a C&O Canal trip. Continue reading
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Running In a Dress: Nuu-Muu Review
Over the last year, one piece of workout gear has firmly inserted itself into my closet– the Nuu-Muu exercise dress. I use them for commuting, running, and even ran a marathon in one earlier this spring. Continue reading
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BikeDC Homebody
Over the last month, I spent many days traveling outside of D.C.– away from Felkerino, the office, and the daily bike commute. I suppose a change of scenery is a good thing. It’s always interesting to have a brief window into life outside the city. Continue reading
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Final Week of 30 Days of Biking (and Poetry) in Washington, D.C.
Over the past month, I engaged in a personal challenge to ride my bike each day, take at least one picture during my ride, and find a poem that somehow encapsulated the day. Poetry has always held a special place for me, but over the years our relationship became distant. I saw it as extra, even… Continue reading
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Week Three of 30 Days of Biking (and Poetry) in Washington, D.C.
Bicycling is one of the best ways to fully immerse yourself in a city. As riders, we easily exchange hellos with others on our route. We feel the bumps of the road, see flowers bloom and fall, and watch the waves of people (and buses, did I mention buses?) come and go through the District. Thanks to… Continue reading
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Week Two of 30 Days of Biking (and Poetry) in Washington, D.C.
Day 8 How it is fickle, leaving one alone to wander the halls of the skull with the fluorescents softly flickering. It rests on the head like a bird nest, woven of twigs and tinsel and awkward as soon as one stops to look. That pile of fallen leaves drifting from the brain to the… Continue reading
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Peak Blossom Days in Washington, D.C.
This weekend the cherry blossoms reached peak bloom in Washington, D.C. Knowing their fragile nature, people flooded the city to see them– cameras, cars, and all. Continue reading
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April is for 30 Days of Biking. And Poetry
“How many miles to the sun?” He smiled In answer to my “Where are you going?” Lilacs were caught in his handle bars, His pedals were mud, his eyes were stars, His hair was blowing. —Marion Strobel, “Man and Bike” Today kicks off 30 Days of Biking, where people far and wide commit to getting… Continue reading
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Stillness in the Ruckus of Washington, D.C.
Buses align Ohio Drive, one after the other, and block my once-daily view of the Potomac. Large chatty groups of tourists swarm the National Mall, oblivious to the bike commuters that weave around them. They start the day early, and I fail to wake up any earlier to avoid their field trips. The sudden influx is an annual… Continue reading
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Birthday Week Bike Rides in BikeDC
Dear Washington, D.C., my current city of residence, I discovered a better way to maneuver around you after too many years as a subterranean Metro passenger. Continue reading
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Figuring Out How to Speak Bike
Recently Elly Blue put a question out to the Twitterverse, asking people about the things they found difficult when first taking up cycling. Her question took me back to 2003 or so when I began cycling around Washington, D.C., for transportation and fitness. Continue reading
Chasing MailBoxes 