20 Yrs Away from Cycling – Need Recommendations on Bike Shops, Necessary Equip, etc.

Have you started off by getting a Capital Bikeshare membership?

+1 on Capital Bikeshare. There is a bike station about 2 blocks from the Foggy Bottom Metro. There are plans to add another bike station right by the Metro entrance too.

There is a bike station at Nationals Park as well as 2 more near the Navy Yard Metro. But be aware that those stations usually fill up quickly before games. Always check the website or use the Spotcycle mobile app to check how many bikes/empty docks there are at your home station and the destination, as well as nearby stations.

Capital Bikeshare, or CaBi, is useful for errands and short leisure trips. If you want to ride more than 30 minutes at a time, dock at a station and check out the bike again to restart the 30-min. limit. Many people also use the bikes for commuting to work or school, but popular stations downtown can fill up in the morning rush hour. And empty out in the evening rush hour. The system is great but there are some issues with “dockblocking” (empty or full stations).

I’d recommend a pair of cycling gloves, open-finger during the summer months. It helps with your grip on the handlebars. Accidents are pretty rare on CaBi (because the bikes are relatively heavy and slow), but if you happen to tip over on a personal bike, the gloves can help prevent scrapes on your palms.

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association has cycling classes for beginners (confident city cycling). That’s a good place to start. You can do some window shopping at various bike shops, just to get a feel for what’s available. Different brands fit differently. One size in Brand A might not suit you as the same size in Brand B. Same thing with saddles. The only way to determine whether a saddle works for you is to try it out for a while.

If you buy a bike, I’d recommend signing up for a basic bike maintenance class. Most bike shops offer them, often for free. They cover routine issues like tire inflation, tire replacement, chain maintenance and simple fit issues. Bike size and fit are important, especially if you plan to do a lot of riding. If you’re only riding 20 min. at a time, a few times a month, you won’t need to be too precise about the fit, but it will still help with comfort. If you do a lot of riding, bike size and fit becomes more crucial for comfort and preventing overuse injuries.

For a personal bike, you should pick up some maintenance items (not a complete list, just items I can remember right now):

frame pump, patch kit, spare tube, chain repair tool, spare chain link, bike multitool, tire boot (smaller than a credit card), front and rear lights, bottle cages (if you do longer rides), underseat bag to hold most of these items, a velcro bento box (for gels, carb chews, Kleenex, etc.), floor pump for home use

For short trips (10-20 min.), you don’t really need to wear bike shorts, especially on CaBi. If you ride more, you should get some quality bike or triathlon shorts. I prefer tri shorts because bike shorts are so heavily padded that they feel like diapers. But this is a matter of personal preference.

You don’t really need a bike jersey if you’re just running errands or doing short recreational rides. I usually wear a tech running shirt when I ride. Jerseys are nice for races and long rides when you want to minimize wind resistance. Otherwise, a comfortable polyester/bamboo fiber running shirt will work just fine.

Sunglasses are useful too, to block out the sun and the wind. If you pick up some speed on a bike, you’re going to get bugs flying into your face, and eyes. The wind can irritate your eyes at faster speeds.

A Halo headband (worn under your helmet) can help to keep sweat out of your eyes on hot Washington summer days. It doesn’t keep all the sweat out, but it helps a lot.

BicycleSpace on 7th Street (near the convention center) specializes in the urban, commuter, and recreational biker (as opposed to more roadie oriented shops). They also offer “nice and easy” group rides on Saturdays 10:00-11:30 to show you how to bike in DC traffic and also offer the chance to try one of their bikes out for the entire group ride which is a big bonus since most shops freak out if you disappear for more than 15 minutes on a test ride.

Bike and Roll (various locations in the area) offers a wide arrange of bikes to try as well. Trying different styles out (roadie, hybrid, mountain bike, etc) will help you narrow down your preferences (each style has its pros and cons). For city travel and errands, you will surely want a rack of some sort on the back to carry stuff as well as a good U-lock.

I do recommend Capital Bikeshare for where you live. It is great having one’s own bike but I find the CaBi membership does come in handy at times for very short trips. I still wear a helmet and gloves while riding them.

Buy from a proper bikeshop (or outdoor shop like REI, HTO) and not from a mass distributor like Target, Walmart or Sports Authority. The latter bikes are of poor quality, usually only come in one size, and don’t offer the adjustment, tune-up, and repair services of a local bike shop (LBS). Also, all the LBS shops in the area offer 6-12 months of free adjustment (and most repairs) with the purchase of a bike.

I’ve heard good things about Proteus in College Park when it comes to fitting but have never personally been there.

@marinastrez 21166 wrote:

I have not been on a bike in something like 20 years. I need advice on where to start over. Obviously, I need a bike – but what kind? I plan to use the bike for errands, biking to work meetings, and biking to Nationals Park for games. I may take some longer rides, too. I am 5’10” and could lose a few pounds. I like in DC, right across the street from the back of the GWU Hospital.

Besides the bike, I know I need a helmet — but what else? Are saddles designed for women worth it?

If you can refer me to a website or a book that answers these questions, that would be great.
!

First off, congrats for making the decision to get back on the bike!

Second – everyone has already provided some great advice which goes to show that this forum is a great resource. But for some more personal and detailed information I would highly recommend our (BikeArlington) Two Wheel Tuesdays get togethers that we hold in Arlington. I know you live in DC, but this month the sessions are taking place in Courthouse which isn’t too far from Foggy Bottom.

Our TWT sessions cover 3 main topics – all of which you have asked about. The main topic is riding in traffic safely and confidently. We discuss lane and intersection positioning, avoiding crashes, and the rules of the road to name a few. Our second topic is Equipment, Clothing & Gear where we feature a local bike shop representative to answer all of your questions about bike selection, bike fit, equipment and tools for your bike, maintenance, as well as a fix a flat tutorial. The last topic is called Routes and Directions where we bring in a local and experienced rider to help you map out your trips by bike.

Our Two Wheel Safety tips session is tonight – check our website for our full schedule and locations. We will continue the classes into the fall, but they will all be in Arlington. I hope you can make it to one of these – sounds like they will answer all of your questions and get you back on two wheels!

Best of luck to you!
Zanna

You’ve gotten some great advice so far, I just wanted to add that I find a great investment, even though I commute on my own bike. Sometimes, it’s nice to be able to take CaBi one-way (like when meeting friends) and have the freedom to Metro or cab or whatever in the other direction. Sometimes, it’s nice not to have to worry about adequately locking up your own bike. I’ve found the CaBi annual membership to be a great investment.

There are tons of CaBi stations around Foggy Bottom. If I were you, I’d buy a helmet, gloves and the CaBi membership, and go from there.

My wife and I just also got back into cycling after a 20 years absence. I commute to work (40 minutes there, 55 back). One the weekends, we explore DC on 5-10 mile trips.

What bike to get: we got mountain bikes as I hope to do some trails even though I have yet to do so. I would highly recommend hybrids or comfort bikes as they are designed to do what you describe. I see no reason to get a road bike unless you plan on frequent 2+ hour rides or really want to go fast (I accept the flames for that). It seems like you just want to ride. I got both of ours on Craigslist; I am fairly sure they weren’t stolen.

As a newbie here, I hate to contradict the senior member above, but I feel a long list of requirements may discourage you and others. Don’t worry about gloves, clip pedals, clipless pedals, or bike shorts. If you will ride in traffic, I would recommend lights, reflectors and a hi viz top. For a hi viz top, I use an orange reflective safety vest so I did not have buy many new clothes. I use the same vest everyday and it works in all weather. As for shorts, I wear the same kind I would work out in—synthetic fabric that will dry quickly and wick away moisture. I have not had a need for any padding although I have bought non-cotton athletic underwear for my commute and long trips.

As far as tools and such, I did invest in them but have yet to need to use any of them. I could probably get by with not having them.

Get the basics, a bike, helmet and lock, and just start ridding. You can figure out the rest as you go.

@DismalScientist 21841 wrote:

A similar fundamental tradeoff involves tire width, with wider tires being more comfortable, perhaps more flat resistant, but harder to push.

More fundamental than the width is the design. A smoother tire will have less rolling resistance, and less traction off-road. A two inch deep-tread MTB tire is going to be more work to pedal at a given speed on pavement than a two inch invert-tread with a smooth contact patch intended for on-road use. (You’ll also have a nifty buzzing coming from one tire at speed and not the other.) There is a good correlation between width and tread design, but you’re not locked into an off-road tire if you want something wider.

@matinicus 30299 wrote:

I was googling biking DC and noticed that the waba.org is the victim of a google hack. I do Internet security for a living and would volunteer to to fix this; it’s a common attack and very insidious. Does anyone know whom to contact at waba?

You can contact Greg Billing: greg@waba.org. I’ll pass along this posting as well too.