Lacy (winner, Most Affectionate)
@ Dupont Circle
Q:If your dog was a celebrity, who would it be?
A:"Charlize Theron. She's glamorous."
D.C.'S BECOME MORE than the nation's capital. It's a bike capital, too. And area hotels are helping your out-of-town guests saddle up to see the city. The Park Hyatt Washington (24th and M streets NW; 202-789-1234; Parkwashington.hyatt.com) began offering complimentary wheels to guests a couple months ago. Just sign up a week in advance and a hybrid cycle is yours to use for four hours. Helmets, a lock, water and a map of area cycling trails are also provided for free.
Across the Potomac in Old Town Alexandria, the Hotel Monaco (480 King St.; 703-549-6080; Monaco-alexandria.com) and the Lorien Hotel and Spa (1600 King St.; 703-894-3434; Lorienhotelandspa.com) also offer bikes for guests. The Monaco's 15 rides are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Lorien's cruisers come as part of an all-inclusive package available through Aug. 31. A $199 room rate includes a bike map, gourmet picnic lunch, tickets to Mount Vernon and a Potomac River cruise. The only requirement: Make reservations 24 hours in advance.
And if you're headed out of town and looking for wheels wherever you roam, don't forget about the new site Rentabikenow.com. Enter your destination's ZIP code and it'll help you reserve your choice of bike from a nearby shop. The service, unfortunately, isn't so hot for D.C. — there's just one option within city limits.
Photo courtesy Park Hyatt
PEOPLE PEEKING INSIDE Rockville's Transform Fitness (6001 Montrose Road; 240-383-8402; Transformfit.net) often aren't sure what to make of the studio. "Are you open? You don't have any machines," they keep telling owner Anne Johns, who explains to them that her arsenal of functional fitness tools — including tubing, balls, sandbags and kettlebells — is all anyone really needs.
Well, that and a room that's empty except for a couple chairs.
They're not props for balance exercises or triceps dips. The seats are simply for sitting and talking, which Johns hopes to make as integral a part of her clients' experience at Transform as sweating.
"As a trainer, I found the biggest hang-up wasn't knowing you need to exercise or how to eat well. It's how to get around the mental barriers," Johns says. "Coaching is the missing link in making these lifelong changes."
The idea is to pair workouts with check-in discussions, either for individuals or groups with similar struggles. Think new parents, chronic pain sufferers — or people looking to lose significant amounts of weight, such as Mannie Pallia, 40, and Geneva Hoey, 54.
JAMES RICE IS EASY TO SPOT as he maneuvers his bike along the National Mall. It's not his oversize aviator sunglasses, navy mesh Adidas shorts, mismatched green and blue socks, or even the pale yellow "Air Force Dad" T-shirt that does it, though. It's the two-seater cart the 26-year-old is tugging along behind him.
"It's a lot like fishing," he explains over his shoulder to the two passengers he's pedaling in his Capitol Pedicab along Seventh Street. "You want to go where the most fish are."
On this sunny Tuesday afternoon, that's easily the National Museum of Natural History. As Rice cruises by a dozen tour buses crammed along the Constitution Avenue curb, he passes three pedicab peers who smile and wave. A look at the varying logos on the drivers' carts — Capitol Pedicabs, D.C. Pedicab and National Pedicabs — prove there are like-minded entrepreneurs at work here.
The District is in the midst of a rickshaw renaissance. The last two years have seen a steady rise in those willing to ferry folks around on the oversize two-seater carts.
"There's more of a market for it now," explains Steven Balinsky, a 23-year-old co-owner of Capitol Pedicabs (Capitolpedicabs.com).
Continue Reading "Peddling Pedals for Profit: Despite the Recession, Pedicab Companies Thrive" »
D.C. MIGHT JUST HAVE TO change its name to the District of Cycles. In honor of National Bike Month, we asked readers to send in photos of their beloved rides, and we were inundated with submissions. (Don't worry — we were wearing helmets.) Here's a collection of our favorite snapshots with some background info on their spokespeople.
RED-HOT RIDE
When D.C.'s Guillermo Gonzalez first saw a model of this Trek carbon race bike in a shop window, he drooled. Years later, he bought a heavily used version — it had survived several Ironman competitions — and slowly but steadily brought it back to life. "I give myself 25 cents per mile ridden to my bicycle rebuild fund," he says. Clearly, this beaut, nicknamed Enzo, has seen a lot of mileage.
PINK STREAK
There are plenty of reasons Capitol Hill's Randall Kling loves his Tour Easy recumbent: It's easy on his back, it reaches 54 mph, and its eye-catching spandex enclosure keeps him warm in the winter and cool in the summer. But what makes his wheels truly tops is they saved his life. After noticing a tightness in his chest while riding hard, he went to see his doc. It turns out he needed (and underwent) triple bypass surgery.
BEAT THE DRUM
Who needs a car to lug around a gigantic drum? Certainly not April Thompson, who's managed to live 36 years without ever owning a motor vehicle. It does help to have two baskets on her Trek hybrid, though. She can tie down her instrument to make the commute from Takoma Park to Dupont Circle. Oh, but you still want to know why she has it, right? Thompson plays in an all-female Brazilian percussion group, Batala.
Continue Reading "Wheels Gone Wild: Express Bike Contest Winners" »
SOME PEOPLE HAVE CHILDREN. Some have pets. And then some have bikes. So in honor of National Bike Month, we want to see the equivalent of your baby pictures: photos of your sweet, tricked-out ride.
Whether you saddle up on a trike, recumbent, tandem, unicycle or traditional two-wheeler — with some unconventional touches worth touting — we know the riders of this town are off the chain.
Come on, those yellow-jacket colored tires (that just happen to match your Fuji Roubaix's frame) deserve more of an audience than whoever happens to be sauntering by on the sidewalk. Perhaps your Trek's wheels are packed to the rims with a wild collection of spoke cards. Or maybe your claim to cycle fame is using your frame as a canvas for outrageous art. Whatever the means, you know your pedals are unparalleled.
E-mail a high-resolution snapshot (at least 300dpi) of your pride and joy — and means of transportation — to bike@readexpress.com by Tuesday, May 19, at midnight. We'll feature our favorite rides in an upcoming issue. Include your name, age, city of residence and why your bike makes you one of the coolest spokespeople in the D.C. area.
Photo by Getty Images
SATURDAY: When it's not raining buckets, May evenings in the District can actually be pretty serene — a perfect time for couples to take evening strolls along the Mall to sweetly gaze at our marble monuments.
Just one small problem: Blisters while pounding the pavement from one scenic spot to the next aren't so dreamy. For those seeking nocturnal sightseeing with a breezy zip, sign up for the Potomac Pedal Touring Club's Moonlight National Mall Tour on May 16. Ride your bike on this 18-mile excursion that wends its way past the Reflecting Pool, the National Gallery and the Capitol.
Register at the Tenleytown Metro stop at 8 p.m. for excursions that depart at 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. Head and rear lights are required. Still in a cycling-state of mind when you finish? Cruise over to the Washington Area Bicyclist Association's Bike Prom at the Black Cat — just pick up a corsage on the way.
» 4501 Wisconsin Ave. NW, free, Sat., May 16, 8:30 and 9 p.m., free; Bikepptc.org. (Tenleytown)
Photo courtesy Greg Drury
YOU'VE DECIDED TO BECOME a bike commuter. Kudos. But how successfully you stick with that resolution depends on whether your office goes the distance.
As cycling gains ground in the D.C. area, some businesses have been bona fide trailblazers. Toole Design — a Hyattsville-based transportation consulting firm — and the World Bank's D.C. office have even been recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as two of the nation's most bicycle-friendly workplaces.
Want to know how your employer can follow their lead? Keep reading.
Be Accessible
Most folks aren't going to want to hop on I-66 to wheel their way in. So, companies in neighborhoods near multi-use jogging and cycling trials — like Bethesda, which is close to the Capital Crescent — are more likely to lure two-wheelers. Second best are offices near roads with bike lanes (or little traffic).
Continue Reading "Wheeling in Employees: How to Keep Cyclists Happy at the Office" »
BE HONEST. As you glide past BMWs bottlenecked on M Street, you can't help smirking. Not only are you bypassing D.C. gridlock, you're also doing our planet right by riding your bike. Doesn't get more eco-friendly than that, no? Actually, it does. In honor of Earth Day tomorrow, here are some ways to shrink your carbon, er, tire print.
Eye of the Bikeholder
Show off your baby by mounting it on your wall with the Cycloc ($135). The black model is made entirely from recycled plastic and will keep your wheels from cluttering up the place.
Smells Like Team Spirit
Wash away that group ride-enduced stench with a bar of lavender rosemary or cinnamon clove from Just Soap ($3). Rather than relying on electric machinery, the all-natural product is churned by a bike-powered blender.
Continue Reading "Green Your Gear: Eco-Friendly Bike Gear" »
WHEN JEFF MAPES hopped on a hybrid 10-speed in '95, his only motive was to find an easy way to get to work. It turns out the 54-year-old political reporter for the Oregonian wasn't just commuting. He was joining a "Pedaling Revolution" (which happens to be the name of his book, due out March 20). He'll stop by the League of American Bicyclists' annual meeting Wednesday (Ronald Reagan Building Amphitheater, 6:30 p.m., free) to discuss why Americans like him are embracing two wheels over four. A chat with him reveals one clear fact: America is in for one wild (bike) ride.
» EXPRESS: Seeing more cyclists these days?
» MAPES: I sort of have a joke with myself: Can I leave my house, go four or five blocks by whatever mode of transportation that I'm using, and not see a bike during my journey? The last time was when I was coming home late from work one night, at midnight. I had to go a couple of miles before I saw a bike.
» EXPRESS: What's causing the uptick?
» MAPES: It's very much an urban phenomenon, and you're seeing a lot more in the cities than in the suburbs. Two thousand five was a watershed year in some ways because of gas prices — that was the first sudden spike up. It wasn't as dramatic as going up to $4 a gallon like last year, but it was a pretty good spike. I do think every time there is a jump in gas prices, more people try [cycling]. They're looking for alternatives. A certain number stick with it, you know?
Continue Reading "Ride the Revolutionary Road: Jeff Mapes" »
IN THESE DAYS of blustery winds and chilly temps, it doesn't hurt to have a little motivation to hop back on your bike. Lisette Lindahl of the Embassy of Sweden has just the ticket: "We have this really famous blueberry soup."
Soup and cycling? Yup. The unlikely pairing is now in its third year at the embassy and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association's Vasa Ride. The event this Sunday pays homage to Sweden's annual Vasaloppet, one of the largest cross-country ski events in the world. (And, yes, those participants slurp up the antioxidant-rich berry at pit stops, too.)
Cyclists should check in at the House of Sweden at 8 a.m. (2900 K St. NW) to receive one of three cue sheets that provide directions for either a 56 - (departing at 8:30 a.m.), 28- (8:40 a.m.) or 14-mile ride (8:50 a.m.). All routes include both streets and trails, but offer different sights: the longer rides cover ground in Northwest D.C. and Bethesda, and the 14-miler winds along Southwest and the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail. All participants are required to wear helmets. (And we'd recommend leggings and a fleece layer or two.)
Last year's ride rounded up 250 riders, and Lindahl expects a similarly sized crowd this time around — if not bigger. This year's event is dedicated to the embassy's late press counselor Anders J. Ericson, who suffered a fatal heart attack while on the ride last year.
While preregistration (Waba.org) isn't required, and it's free to join in, it helps Lindahl gauge how much soup to order. "I've got plenty now," she says. "So they can get refills." Now those are some wintry blues that we can readily embrace.
Photo courtesy WABA
Addison Road