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Swapping a Car for a Bike? Here’s What I Learned.
BY VICTORIA YUEN
fear, I started biking on bike lanes in my neighborhood, as it was an area that I felt spatially familiar with. Eventually, I built enough confidence to move to biking downtown. Look Up Your Route Beforehand I’m blessed to live in a city that prioritizes biking infrastructure; D.C. has over 100 miles of bike lanes. If I’m going to a new spot, I use the Google Maps feature to see the route. There are times when the feature doesn’t utilize bike routes, so I double-check available bike routes through the TrailLink™ app. This is helpful for when I visit a new restaurant in the suburbs.
company offers a policy where it replaces your stolen bike if the lock itself was broken by theft. Dress Appropriately for the Weather Biking year-round requires rain gear. I use a rain jacket to keep me dry during sudden rain showers. Additionally, I purchased some waterproof pants I can wear during heavier thunderstorms. In the winter, you should dress in multiple layers, and I even add the waterproof pants for an extra layer of protection against the wind and cold. Join a Local Biking Group It’s never been easier to find a group of people with similar interests. I’m thankful to be a part of some local Facebook biking groups such as Women & Bicycles: Washington D.C. Region. These groups are a space for people to share biking routes that are enjoyable, ask questions in a judgment-free zone and coordinate rides with one another. My husband even found a potential multiday biking trip from these groups; he really wants to bike from Washington, D.C., to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, along the C&O Canal Trail. One day, we’ll work up to this journey; it’s hard for me to imagine traveling that far entirely on a bike, but all sorts of possibilities have opened up since purchasing our bikes! •
As a little girl growing up in rural Indiana, I never biked due to car- centric streets and a lack of bike infrastructure. That all changed once my husband and I moved to Washington, D.C. Quickly into the pandemic, I researched what every person was looking for—a safe way to enjoy being outdoors. Fortunately, in February 2020, my husband bought a used electric cargo bike off Face - book Marketplace that can hold a passenger. Almost every day after working from home, we would hop on the bike and explore parts of D.C. I’ve never enjoyed nature as much as I have on a bike. A year into our new routine, I decided to purchase my own e-bike and conquer my fears of biking in the city. That was one of the best deci - sions I’ve ever made. On my first day of owning the bike, I rode 30 miles by myself. Now, I can fearlessly go to the grocery store, meet up with friends, exercise and have a generally more pleasant way of getting around the city. Over time, I developed some tips that I think every novice city biker should learn, and I’m excited to share them with you. Get Comfortable Biking Around Your Neighborhood City biking can be nerve-racking. When I first started, I was afraid of getting hit by a car door or getting too close to cars. To conquer that
PHOTO: (Left to right): Victoria Yuen and her husband on Maryland's Sligo Creek Trail; Yuen biking in
Washington, D.C.'s Rock
Creek Park; Yuen exploring D.C.'s Cleveland Park neighborhood on an e-bike
For more tips on how to swap out your car trip for walking or bicycling, go to railstotrails. org/swapatrip .
Make the Ride Pleasant With Additional Gear
Look into storage options for the bike. Our e-bike brand, Rad Power Bikes, has collapsible, insulated storage and is large enough to hold a lot of stuff. I’ve carried takeout, a week’s worth of groceries—and even supplies for an impromptu picnic while biking along a trail! Also, you can make your ride more enjoyable with a speaker setup. There’s nothing like a summer bike ride with the wind in your hair while you’re blasting your favorite song. Other items that have improved my ride are bike mirrors, a plusher seat and additional bike lights. On a practical front, I use the Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit U-Locks, as the
This article is part of
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Trail Moments initiative—to elevate new and tried-and- true trail voices around the country. Learn more and share your story: railstotrails.org/ trailmoments .
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RAILS TO TRAILS FALL 2022
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