Commute Tips and Tricks
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Flow Like Water
The fleeting pink and white blossoms cover the city. Sun shines and spring breezes blow. Families and field trips congregate on our sidewalks. And hey, how about those tour buses! Yes, it’s cherry blossompalooza in Washington, D.C. In previous years I dreaded this scenario. But thanks to my regular midday runs that have exposed me to this… Continue reading
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Anticipation: a Bike Commuter’s Friend
Do you ever have commutes where you feel like you are in the middle of an urban obstacle course? Dodge this! Veer around that! Watch out for the crazy driver! No one is following the rules! As I rode through the post-work milieu today, a particularly gorgeous early summer day in the city, I realized… Continue reading
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Bike Parking in the City: Issues and Etiquette
Bike parking in the city can be a tricky business. Many parts of the city (at least the ones I visit in the District) do not have enough racks to accommodate all the bikes of those who want to park in the area. Bikes get crowded onto racks or, if those are not available, we… Continue reading
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Velo Orange Mixte Commutes & the Search for the Ideal Bags
Lately I’ve been on a mission to ride all of my bikes more often. This is partially due to needing to clean the Surly LHT as well as change out a tube, but also because if I’m going to own multiple bikes I feel should make the effort to ride them all. The past… Continue reading
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What’s Your Advice on City Cycling?
With the influx of riders taking to the streets this spring (oh how I’ve dreamed of using the word influx in a post), I thought I’d feature the advice BikeDC peeps have shared about cycling in the city. The BikeDC Speaks interview series featured eight D.C.-area cyclists– six women and two men– and their perspectives… Continue reading
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How to Make the City a Better Place for Cyclists
As I wrote last week, I’m bringing back the BikeDC Speaks series to highlight some of the questions and issues it raised. This time, I’m also asking you to share your ideas and suggestions. Last week’s post asked about the best advice anyone ever gave you about cycling. This week’s question is: What could the… Continue reading
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What’s the Best Advice Anyone Gave You about Cycling?
Back in the fall, I put together a series that explored D.C.-area cyclists’ views and experiences about riding in the city. #BikeDC Speaks featured 8 local cyclists– six women and two men. Some contributors began commuting regularly within the last year or two while others have commuted for several years. Thanks again to all the people… Continue reading
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The Politics of Bike Parking at Work
I recently began a new job, and my lovely setup of parking my bike in my office is no more. I now work in a cube and have no space to park a bike. I could use my Tikit or Dahon folder, but I have not put the time in to make either of them… Continue reading
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Commute Trade-Offs: Safety
Seldom does a commute not involve some kind of trade-off. Bike commuters are often dealing with compromises, and my sense of safety is often one of those. Take yesterday, for example. I had to run an errand out in Bethesda. The first half of it had to be via car (Booooo. That’s a compromise already!).… Continue reading
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Get On the Sidewalk!
Most days, riding my bike is one of the most pleasurable activities of my day. Fresh air, exercise, breeze on my face, and pride in my mode of transport abound. Every once in a while, though, something happens to disrupt these moments of reverie. Like yesterday, for example, when I was riding to dinner with… Continue reading
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Bike Commute Guide: The Essentials
Today I’m talking commute basics, as somebody recently asked me what to keep in mind when making the transition to bike commuting. It took me back to when I dusted off my old Ross mountain bike and said to myself, “Metro no more. I’m going to make this bike commute thing happen.” Happily, it wasn’t a tough transition to… Continue reading
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Bicycles are Not Cars: Girl on a Bike on #BikeDC Speaks
We’re back for the final installment of the #BikeDC Speaks series. If you ride in the D.C. area and do any blog reading or tweeting, you have probably heard of Girl on a Bike, aka Kate. A regular commuter and excellent blogger, Kate regularly participates in a lot of local #BikeDC events. I’m thrilled that… Continue reading
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Using Shared Infrastructure Sharingly: Chris on #BikeDC Speaks
After several weeks of #BikeDC Speaks posts from the women of the #BikeDC community, we are back this week with a guy’s point of view on riding in the D.C. area. Chris is another familiar face from #FridayCoffeeClub and, if you ride along MacArthur Avenue, you may spot him there as well. During his years of commuting… Continue reading
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Getting Better All the Time: Leslie T. on #BikeDC Speaks
Leslie T., superhero transportation cyclist, and I go way back to the days I first began riding with the D.C. Randonneurs. If there is a way to get there by bike, Leslie will figure out it. When work requires her to travel, she takes a bike along. Vacation? It usually involves a bike. Getting around… Continue reading
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Making Yourself Part of the City: Laura M. on #BikeDC Speaks
Time for another edition of #BikeDC Speaks. This week’s post is brought to us by D.C. bike commuter and transportation cyclist Laura M., also known as @grafxnerd on the Twitterverse. Twitter and the magical #BikeDC hashtag is how I first “met” her! Laura has a keen eye for detail which is not only apparent in… Continue reading
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Freedom!: Ultrarunnergirl on #BikeDC Speaks
Kirstin, aka Ultrarunnergirl, is one of the many great people I’ve met through #FridayCoffeeClub (which you should think about attending, if you do not already). As her blog suggests, Kirstin is an ultrarunner as well as a cyclist, and is one of few people I know who also run commutes when she’s not out bike… Continue reading
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Don’t Overthink It: #BikeDC Speaks to Joan O.
Now that the big vacation has ended, #BikeDC Speaks has returned to the front page! This week features a guest post from Joan O., a transportation and recreational cyclist who calls Arlington, Virginia, home. I’ve gotten to know Joan from seeing her out and about on some of the same roads I regularly travel. She’s… Continue reading
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#BikeDC Speaks to Lisa S.: Growing Up as a Cyclist
What better way to send us into the 4th of July holiday than with another edition of BikeDC Speaks? This week features Lisa S., who I know through randonneuring and Friday Coffee Club, our weekly bike commuter gathering at Swings. Lisa also writes an engaging blog, Rambling Rider, about her rides as well as the… Continue reading
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It’s Life Changing: Marc M. on #BikeDC Speaks
This week I’m launching a series of guest posts called “BikeDC Speaks.” And I don’t mean “Passing on your left.” We’re going beyond that. This series explores local cyclists’ thoughts and views about their bicycling experiences in the D.C. area. My first post features Marc M., a fellow Tweep and FridayCoffeeClub regular. Thanks so much,… Continue reading
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The Evolution of a Transportation and Recreational Cyclist
Today as I rode home listening to my chain plead loudly for me to lube it, I thought back to my return to cycling as an adult. I had used my bike some for transportation in college, but after graduating and moving to Des Moines, Iowa, I essentially stopped cycling and drove most places even… Continue reading
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Urban Commuting: the Invisible Cyclist
Today I decided to take a post-work commute home through the White House Plaza across 17th Street and over to Georgetown. Those of you familiar with this area know that, for drivers traveling east-bound, Pennsylvania Avenue T’s into 17th and the White House Plaza. The only traffic crossing drivers’ paths at 17th and Pennsylvania is… Continue reading
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Space Issues and Ugly Ducklings
Growing up, I lived in a small town of about 500 people. Our back yard abutted an expansive cornfield. Neighbors lived across the street and behind their yard stood another cornfield. Streets were tranquil and what little traffic there was plodded along. Stoplights? None. My sisters and I could ride our bikes from one end… Continue reading
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Utilitaire Curiosities: How We Light Up the Night
In order to officially complete the Utilitaire 12, at least two rides must be completed in the dark and thus, require lights. What do people use to ride in the dark? Some people, not part of this challenge, use nothing. Boo. Bike ninjas are all over. At least, I think they are. I have a… Continue reading
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Utilitaire Curiosities: How We Carry What We Do
Boop bee doop. Reading through the utilitaire posts and tweets got me thinking about the various “bike and haul” setups people have chosen, and also prompted me to analyze my own. I have two primary systems and bikes I use for hauling stuff around. For riding in the city, I generally use one of two… Continue reading
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Capital Bikeshare Checklist
If you haven’t figured it out by now, I am a big fan of Capital Bikeshare. It’s a great way to travel around town. Bike riding outdoors in the city on a bike you don’t have to clean or maintain. I love it! In their January newsletter, Capital Bikeshare featured a “Winter Ride Checklist.” The checklist… Continue reading
Chasing MailBoxes 