Bike Touring: Washington D.C.’s Bikeshare

Recently Mike and I spent a beautiful fall weekend in Washington D.C., a city that I had long since checked off my bucket list having had multiple visits in my youth.  I figured I had “been there, done that”.  But time has a way of erasing details and age has a way finding new interests.  Our visit was mostly serendipitous – Mike had a business meeting on the Monday after the weekend.

After walking around the Mall on Saturday morning, we realized the vastness of the territory we wanted to cover to see the monuments, and also that the metro system did not go to Georgetown where we planned to visit our godson.   As we took a break for lunch, I started reading about the City’s Bikeshare program, run by Capital Bikeshare.  The Bikeshare provides members – including a $7 24 hour membership option – with the ability to take a bike from a station and drop it off at any number of other stations throughout the city and its surrounding towns.  The option is best used for quick jaunts – less than 30 minutes is free – as anything over 90 minutes quickly adds up.  But, there is nothing stopping you from docking your bike within the 30 minute window and checking it out again for another 30 minutes.

We decided to try the Bikeshare rather than taking a taxi to Georgetown.  We made our way over the nearest Bikeshare station near Union Station where there was fortunately also a regular bike rental outlet that kindly rented me a helmet for $5 for 2 days.  It was very easy to use the kiosk and pay for our 24 hour membership.  Feeling the effects of the morning’s walk on my knee, the bike gave me new mobility as we rode past the Capitol and into the Mall.

Having only made it to the Washington Monument in the morning, we now had increased velocity and peddled alongside the reflection pond to pay a visit to Abraham Lincoln.  Four score and 7 minutes into our travels, we were following the bike path along the Potomac to Georgetown.  I will say that “bike paths” in D.C. aren’t always what I’ve come to know bike paths to be elsewhere – in D.C. they are often wide, bumpy sidewalks or, as we came upon the Canal Towpath, a small dirt path along the Canal’s borders. 

Finally, 2 hours and 5 miles later, we arrived at the gates of Georgetown University where, conveniently, there was a Bikeshare station for our final drop off.  Aside from the break to visit with Lincoln and the bike paths that were more like cow paths, we were a little surprised at our much slower than average pace but of course they are heavy duty touring bikes with 3 speeds – not our typical 20 speed carbon fiber road bike!

On Sunday, we awoke to a sunny, blue sky day and couldn’t wait to get back on the bikes.  It also happened to be the Army 10 mile run so the runners’ energy was contagious as we made our way back down to the Potomac.  Our first visit was with Franklin D. Roosevelt, who wisely advises us, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself” – great advice for all triathletes!  Rounding the Tidal Basin, we then made our way to visit Thomas Jefferson -- you could practically hear him saying, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness… “  While we should have learned our lesson about our pace, we made it back to our hotel and had just 5 minutes to shower before our brunch date was picking us up.

Bikeshares are a great example how to modify human behavior in favor of healthier and more environmentally friendly alternatives.  Had it not been for the Bikeshare, we would have taken a taxi to Georgetown and likely some of the monuments.   I will say that D.C. needs to add more bike lanes on its roads.  On one hand they don’t want you riding on the sidewalks in the downtown area but there very few bike lanes and most people therefore just took to the sidewalks.

After our D.C. experience, I’ve been researching Bikeshares, and I’m excited to see they will be coming to NYC and Chicago next Spring.  These initiatives typically require private – public partnerships to be successful.  They usually cannot be successful on bike rental revenue along and so advertising and sponsorship with the private sector are key.  In addition, bike stations need to be plentiful on public property and planned in accordance with the City’s overall bicycle transportation plans.  In the spirit of FDR, it requires a “New Deal”.

I now have added trying Bikeshares out in various cities to my Bucket List so, like D.C., I can see old favorites in a whole new light.