DCITYCYLING
DCITYCYLING
I am an everyday bike rider passionate about teaching women, children, and teens how to enjoy riding bikes.
Born in DC, and having spent the majority of my life in DC and Arlington County, I have enjoyed riding bikes in every corner of the DC metropolitan area. I gained my LCI ( League Certified Instructor) qualification through the League of American Bicyclists, while running an outreach program encouraging safe cycling for Washington Area Bicyclist Association, but I am not just a qualified teacher on paper. I have taught more people how to bike than I can count now, and have fallen in love with the challenging and rewarding process. I believe in making the process as fun and positive as possible, so be prepared to have fun learning a new skill.
MY CORE BELIEF
I believe that anyone can ride a bike. I learned to ride a bicycle from my father who now is blind and rides a tandem with my mother. I've taught folks on trikes who have balance issues, a young person with knee problems whose doctor recommended an e- bike for trips around her university campus, and worked with people suffering from extreme anxiety. I will stand beside you to make sure you have the resources to succeed, and encourage you to the best of my ability. I even have a sliding scale price to accommodate your income. Let's get you riding!
Re-learning to ride a bike was definitely one of the highlights of my time in DC (and I moved here in 2012!). Thank you so much for everything
Mona H
Annmarie taught me how to brake and lock a bike!! Yeah!!! She helped me to feel comfortable after over 15 years of riding a bike.
Sandy J
I'm gonna tell my mom all about how good a bike teacher you are!
Anna
LOCATION
I teach mostly at Carter Barron Ampitheatre ( by the ticket office!) in NW DC, and in Arlington, VA at the carpark on top of i-66 .
The address for this location is: 4001-4035 15th St N, Arlington, VA 22207, United States
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I am to teach in places that are comfortable, safe, and away from (most) cars. Please enquire with me directly for more details.
WHAT DO I NEED?
For your first lesson, I may be able to provide a bike from you, free of charge, if organized in advance. It will fit anyone from 5 feet to 5'10. Please ask me in advance if you think you'll need a bike.
What about helmets?
Please wear one! ...But good news; cheap ones are fine (!!!) They are regulated in the US by the CPSC. Expect to spend $15+ on one.
Bike Buying
I teach with a folding bike; many people love the versatility of them.
Dahon is a reliable and affordable company for folding bikes. Another folding-bike specific company I like is Citizen Bike. These bikes can be sent to you folded up and ready to ride, anther huge advantage.
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You can always visit your local bike shop when you are looking for a bike. They will help fit one to you and usually include a free tune-up after you start riding your bike a bit. Pro Tip: some also have discounts for WABA members. Non-folding affordable bikes I recommend are the Jamis Coda Series, the Downtown EX from Breezer, or this urban Bianchi
On a tight budget, I recommend buying a used bike that has been professionally tuned up with new parts from a local store such as Phoenix Bikes or Velocity I DO NOT recommend buying a bike from a big box store, like Walmart. These bikes typically have cheap components and end up costing you money in the long term. Another thing to note is that bikes DO have a good re-sale value, so you can recoup about 80% of the initial cost of a bike even after some use.