Getting Started
Whether you’ve never ridden a bike before or it’s been a while, goDCgo is here for you! Biking has many benefits like saving you both time and money, and it’s good for your health as well as the environment. Our nation’s capital makes it easy with over 165 miles of bike lanes and trails for you to get your roll on. To get started, we want to build up your biking confidence by starting with the basics before turning this into a habit.
Learn to Ride
The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) is a non-profit organization that educates children, adults, and motorists about biking as a transportation option and how to safely bike in the DC metro area. They also advocate for better biking infrastructure and healthier environment in the DC metro area.
You don’t need much to start commuting by bike besides the know-how. In the District, you don’t even need to own a bike as you can rent one through Capital Bikeshare, Lime, Spin, or Veo.
Essentials:
Non-Essentials:
Find good routes. Some of the best bike routes are hidden from street traffic. You can try a practice run on a weekend, or you can try biking to the nearest Metro station or bus stop if you want to become a multi-modal commuter!
Download the DC bike map here.
Sharrows are street markings that serve as reminders to road users that bicyclists have rights to the lanes on these routes. Sharrows are often placed on routes that see more bike traffic or on streets that are too narrow for drivers to pass bicyclists safely as reminders.
Bike lanes provide a dedicated space for bicyclists on the roadway. Without a lack of physical barriers, however, cyclists still must be wary of riding in the “door zone,” the 3 to 5-foot area along parked cars, double-parked vehicles, road debris, and turning vehicles. Parking in bike lanes is illegal in DC.
Cycletracks are protected bike lanes. Some provide physical barriers from other road-users and effectively form an on-street bike path.
Wayfinding encompasses things such as street signs placed throughout the region to direct bicyclists to trails, paths, and other amenities.
Bike boxes give priority to bicyclists at intersections by providing a designated space to queue up in front of cars. Bike boxes improve the visibility of bicyclists and can help prevent right-hook collisions.
(photo courtesy of WABA)
Mixing zones are merging areas. Traffic that is turning at intersections must yield to bicyclists just like they would with another automobile and enter the mixing zone. Sometimes this means the vehicle may need to wait in the bike lane at the intersection before turning. This is perfectly fine as long as the driver yields to bicyclists.
Designed for bikes and scooters, corrals are an efficient use of on-street bike parking. They transform a parking space or sidewalk area into bike parking.
Find the bike route for you! We teamed up with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) to customize the best local routes for beginner cyclists.
Join the Bike Forum
Try using the online Washington Area Bike Forum to find a ride buddy. You can look for riding buddies, ask questions about commuting and route selection, and discuss bicycle safety, advocacy, and so much more. The community on the forum is helpful, knowledgeable, and open to riders of all ability levels.