Get Off Work and Get Out of Town

Friday August 18th Free Registration

Join our friends from All-City Cycles at BicycleSPACE Adams Morgan for S24O (Sub-24 Hour Overnight) on the C&O. Talk to folks from All-City and check out some new gear at the shop from 3:30 to 4pm. Wheels up at 5:00pm. 

We'll ride up the canal for 18 miles or so and set up camp. Some light refreshments will be provided, but plan on bringing your own food/drink and anything you'd like to grill. 

The C&O is the perfect place for those new to bike camping. Its flat with no traffic and water pumps at all campsites. Bring your own tent, hammock, and whatever camping you gear you like with you. We'll ride back to town in the morning.

Bike to Brooklyn Training Rides

8:00 AM SUNDAY

Departs from BicycleSPACE Ivy City 1512 Okie St. NE

All are welcome. Weekly incremental increases to train for Bike to Brooklyn event (Oct 8, 2016). First ride will be 30 mile loop. No Drop ride. Develop pace line skills. Average pace will be 15-18mph (depending on group)

Learn more about Bike to Brooklyn. 

Biscuit Jam

Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. founders,  Ayeshah Abuelhiga, Jason Gehring, and Ross Perkins invite you to Bike to Biscuit Jam in Ivy City. 

Ride meets at 12:30 rolls at 1pm from BicyclceSPACE Adams Morgan. Biscuit Jam tickets sold separately. Use code CYCLELOVE16 for discounted tickets.

Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. . will hold its first annual music, food and arts festival Biscuit Jam on Saturday, August 6th from 12 pm to 10 pm in Ivy City at the Kendall Street Warehouse. Biscuit Jam will be a celebration of craft in the areas of art, food, cocktails, beer, and more!

Biscuit Jam features musical talents from local bands, including headliners Jonny Grave and The Bumper Jacksons, as well as live graffiti installations from artists in the collaborative, One Love Massive. Foods trucks, retail vendors, pop ups, vendors from Union Kitchen a pop-up oyster bake from Ivy City Smokehouse and new menu and southern cocktail preview by Derek Brown's Southern Efficiency!

Shout out to our co-sponsors DC Brau Brewing Company, The Washington Blade, Lyft, Jim Beam, and Coldwell Banker. Biscuit Jam proceeds will benefit the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative - raising money for arts in DC public schools supporting DC's next generation of craftspeople. We are honored to sponsor Biscuit Jam DC this year and hope you will join us!

Bike around the Bomb

Saturday, August 6th, 2016, 10am Lafayette Park, north side of the White House

We are proud to sponsor Global Zero's Bike around the Bomb, a ride that will roughly trace the circumference of the blast at Hiroshima to symbolize what a “small” nuclear detonation would look like in our city and what we stand to lose. 

Speakers. Mr. Mimaki, a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, will be the featured speaker at BAB (he'll also be joining us on the bike ride). Also Stephen Miles, Executive Director of Win Without War, and Eugene Puryear, a local racial justice activist. 

Other co-sponsors include CodePink, Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Committee, the Washington Peace Center, and Win Without War. 

Free t-shirt for every registrant! Be sure to RSVP ahead of time to claim yours: http://www.globalzero.org/bikeDC.

C&O Family Bike Tour

Inaugural C&O Family Bike Tour, 2016

By Laurie Ashley | Guest Authors: Chad Dear, Pete Epanchin, and Becky Epanchin-Neill

On the hot Saturday morning of Memorial Day weekend, we loaded up and headed out to Point of Rocks, Maryland, our designated start point at mile 48.5 of the C&O Canal. Our crew of four adults, two kids, and two toddlers had two road bikes, one hybrid bike, two kids bikes, one cargo bike, and two trailers. We were hard to miss. Our loose plan was to bike the canal path back towards DC for three days going as far as the 4 and 5 year old group members were interested in pedaling. 

The C&O Canal path was the perfect place for this inaugural full-family bike tour. The biker/hiker campsites every 4-5 miles, easy grade, and no cars made it possible (and safe) for still somewhat wobbly new bikers and trailers loaded with napping babes to cruise along. The river, natural wonders, and biking community along the path were big bonuses. 

At the Point of Rocks parking lot, we stuffed the contents of the three-page packing list into the nooks and crannies of panniers and trailers, fed everyone lunch, and started off at the crack of 1pm. Within ten minutes we had our first of a few wrecks when the 5 year old (Colby) stopped abruptly to look at something, causing the 4 year old (Zoe) to crash right into him. Back on the path, we kept the kids going with skittle and peanut M&M treats at every milepost—this had the added convenience of doubling as a bribe. The first day we made it 5 miles to the Indian Flats campsite and we deemed it a great success, well deserving of celebratory toasts with the finest boxed wine a bicycle can carry. 

In camp, the kids got a second wind and played with the neighbor campers until the light started to fade and the tents cooled down a bit. Becky curled up with Colby and Zoe for story time and the others washed dishes with water pumped from the well. 

The next morning we explored the Monocacy Aqueduct on our way out of camp. Along the eight miles to the Turtle Run campsite, we spotted turtles, a snake with a bulging belly (frog breakfast? egg breakfast?), herons, barred owls, and more. We stopped for lunch under the enormous maple tree at Woods Lock (Lock 26) where there was lots of exploring to be had. At White’s Ferry the kids were happy to eat ice cream and watch the ferry shuttle the long line of cars back and forth across the Potomac, from Maryland to Virginia. Counterbalancing the four well-behaved kids, we had a near-miss on an adult tantrum or two when it was learned that in spite of the little store’s prominent outdoor sign, they in fact did not sell cold beer (not even warm beer). There was consolation in knowing that some of the boxed wine remained for an epicurean pairing with our camp stove pesto pasta dinner. That evening after dinner we shared s’mores over the fire with the other bike campers while the occasional passing rain cooled us off. 

On our final day, the kids rallied for another 8 miles. The forecasts had warned us to expect continuous rain. Our gear may have had us physically prepared to face the elements, but our visions of young, cold, and complaining cyclists had us doubting all of our best efforts. Amazingly, though, the actual weather was dry and gorgeously below the previous two days of high temperatures and humidity. Spirits were high and there was plenty of singing while pedaling along. We stopped at Edward’s Ferry to play in the river and finished at the McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area. 

While we only went 21 miles over three days, we went 21 miles! As in, our four and five year olds pedaled their own selves over this epic distance! Both of our one-year-olds happily tolerated riding in the trailers for 21 miles! And conveniently, this epic distance was an easy ride for Pete and Chad to bike back up the path and retrieve the cars -- a bicycle shuttle for a bicycle trip. 

Biking and camping with kids has challenging moments, at one painful point, there may have been a group member who claimed she would not take her 1 year old camping again until the babe learned to fall asleep more easily. We sure weren’t the fastest bikers on the canal-- at this rate, it’s going to take us another 18 days or so to complete the full path, but who can argue with long summer days playing outside, biking with friends, and exploring the C&O Canal in Washington DC’s backyard.

Introducing Brooklyn Bicycle Co.

We're proud to introduce Brooklyn Bicycle Company. A brand dedicated to making practical bikes for getting around the city and celebrating the power of bikes to connect you to your community. That's something we can get behind! We sit down with President Ryan Zagata in our Bikes are People video series. 

Brooklyn Roebling $499

"All our bikes are named for Brooklyn streets, and this one is no different, but Roebling Street itself is named for the man who designed the Brooklyn Bridge—and here we have a bike engineered to travel farther than our bikes have ever gone: across bridges, over trails, along highways, and off-road.  Roebling is a powerful combination of sleek Brooklyn Bicycle style and 24-speed hybrid capability."

Why the BK Roebling is better:

• Double-Butted Chromoly Steel main frame means a lighter, stronger bike

• Puncture resistant tires mean fewer distractions and more ride time

• Ergo grips and touring saddle mean a comfortable ride, regardless of the miles you log

• Braze-ons for water bottle holder, front & rear fenders, front & rear racks means easy accessorizing  

Brookyln Lorimer $499

"Think of our Lorimer as a two-wheeled all-terrain vehicle--equally well-suited to a twenty-mile morning commute as it is to a full day of bike trails--engineered specifically for a woman's anatomy.  Pair a lightweight frame and 24 speeds with the sleek look you’ve come to expect from a Brooklyn Bicycle, and you’ve found your new go-to hybrid."

Why the BK Lorimer is Better:

• Double-Butted Chromoly Steel main frame means a lighter, stronger bike
• Puncture resistant tires mean fewer hiccups and more time in the saddle
• Quick-release wheels mean ease of transport and maintenance
• Ergo grips and comfort saddle mean a comfortable ride, no matter how many miles you put in

You're Invited! Ivy City Grand Opening

Join us beginning July 7th for blowout prices on bikes and accessories at our Ivy City Grand Opening Celebration! Party with DJ, food, drinks, games and more on July 9th! 1512 Okie St. NE Washington DC 20002

Firefly Full Moon Outing

Full moon rides are back!

BicycleSPACE, Best Bike Shop in DC, celebrates the return of summer with our Firefly Full Moon ride. Meets 7:30pm on Friday June 17th at Ivy City 1512 Okie St. NE. Rolls at 8pm. A casual social ride around the city and rivers, ending at Bardo Brewpub. We'll have fresh strawberries on hand to celebrate the Strawberry Moon. Bring lights and bells!

School Garden Tour: June 2016

DC's network of School Gardens continues to grow. Our bike shop started these tours three years ago, there we're around 80 gardens and now there are over 120! The District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education’s School Gardens Program, BicycleSPACE,  FoodCorps DC and SlowFood DC  co-sponsor the DC School Garden Bike Tour. For this tour we highlighted schools in NE, beginning at our shop in Ivy City. Each school pitches a project and at the end of the tour riders vote to support their favorite. This ride is

Friendship Woodridge Elementary

Garden Specialist, Brady Wheeler, shows us what his students, ranging from Pre-K to 6th grade are up to in the garden. Each grade looks after specific beds, which gives them ownership.  Wheeler helps students learn part of the plants life cycle with games like "decomposer tag." Recently Wheeler has helped bring food from the garden into the cafeteria for lunch. Students learn to try new foods and see firsthand where their food comes from. While never one to advocacte peer-pressure, Brady does enjoy how his students will team up to encourage other students to try new foods like kale. 

Asian Pears from Casey Trees

Ibti of Slow Food DC, brought along seeds from the Ark of Taste, which preserves culturally significant herbs and vegetables. At Friendship Woodbridge riders plant Chapalote "Pinole Maize", one of the oldest varieties of corn. 

Good Food Market

Lunch was provided by our awesome garden tour partners at Good Food Market, in Woodridge. This market is a great source of fresh produce for communties in NE. 

John Burroughs Elementary School

Saxon Henderson, Garden Coordinator, was thrilled to have guest First Lady Michelle Obama visit recently. Saxon loves connecting gardens to food and food to science. She's created pizza roll ups to talk about different layers of the earth. One of the best ways to keep the garden relevant is to build relationships with the other teachers in the school so different types of curriculum can be celebrated.  

We planted a version of the Three Sisters: Pinole Maiz, Hidatsa Shield Figure Bean and Sibley Squash. 

Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School

Executive Director, Erika Bryant, shows off the garden at one of the most diverse schools in the city. The garden is 8 years old. This building was bought with the idea of using the land for gardens and outdoor education. Complete with a beehive and zen garden. Stokes is dual-language school where students learn French or Spanish. Students are named compost captains and are responsible for composting during lunch. The school cooks, prepares and serve breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday. As well as providing lunch for other schools in the city. 

There are over 10,000 worms on site to be used in the gardens. The beds we're constructed with help from the the parents. At this garden we planted moon and stars watermelon. 

OSSE Garden Specialist, Sam Ullery, with trailer in tow, oversees all the school gardens in DC. 

Public Option

Local brew

Our ballot box: seeds in shot glasses 

Our ride ended at Public Option in Langdon. We wet our whistle and voted for our favorite projects, ultimately selecting Woodrige Elementary. "Mr. Wheeler, the garden is cool, but it could be a lot cooler" said students of Woodridge. At Woodridge the students want to create a mural to really make the space their own. Along with the art project funds will also bring rain barrels to collect water for the garden. Public Option was the perfect place to unwind after the tour and we're grateful to owner/brewer Bill Perry for the hospitality. A DC native, Bill is committed to giving back to the community and loves hosting events like this in his neighborhood. 

Huma's road to commuting

Huma hadn’t ridden a bike since she was seven. Bike commuting was not part of everyday life for women in Pakistan. After moving to DC and making friends in the area she was interested in riding again. In early 2012 she took an adult riding class through WABA and left feeling confident to get out riding on her own. Soon she discovered how fun and convenient riding in the city is by using Capital Bikeshare. In 2014 she got her own bike and began riding everyday!

In addition to the fun factor, bikes help Huma reach parts of the city that aren’t easily accessed with public transit. Being in Bloomingdale, the G8 was a common source of frustration and the Bikeshare station was all too popular, she would often arrive to empty racks. Now with her own bike the city is at her fingertips.

Huma seeks out bikes whe she travels, recently riding in Vancouver, San Francisco, London and Istanbul. Huma is grateful for having bikes in her life and hopes life for bike commuters here in DC will only improve. Given the recent SafeTrack work, Huma hopes more attention can be focused to maintaining and expanding bike infrastructure. Follow Huma's life as commuter @humaimtiaz

What's been your road to commuting? How do bikes enrich your life? Let us know in the comments.