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A lot of people in the D.C. area who are much heartier souls than yours truly get on their bikes every day, cycling for miles to get to work.
They do it in all kinds of weather, all through the year. My ride is relatively modest by comparison.
But riding a bike in this snowy weather presents unique challenges, as I’ve learned over the years, pedaling in to work on Capitol Hill.
I’ll acknowledge my goal during this week’s snowy cycling commutes has been rather modest: don’t crash or embarrass myself.
Carrying my bike down the back steps, sometimes to an icy alley, is the first challenge. If you try to get on your bike in slick conditions, veteran cyclists know you’ll likely end up on your butt.
During my commutes in the snow this week, I’ve walked my bike to the major streets to begin my trek. Friday’s ride included lots of slushy spots, which I try to avoid as much as possible, so I don’t keel over into the snow or a parked car.
Since the roads were tight in some spots, I pulled over with my squeaky brakes and waited for cars to safely go by.
Like many of you, I thoroughly enjoy the winter wonderland of D.C. when there’s a fresh snow. The snow hangs delicately off the trees on East Capitol Street and Friday traffic was lighter than usual.
As my bike and I go past homes that people are digging out, we near the U.S. Capitol.
Tough sledding for Congress this week, but not for kids enjoying Capitol Hill. pic.twitter.com/3KRF2TYExB
— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) January 16, 2024
Since snow is a relatively rare event in D.C., it’s gratifying to see all the kids and their parents sloshing down sidewalks, headed toward what I know is their final destination — the hill on the west side of the Capitol that opens up to the National Mall.
Kids screaming with joy and sledding down that hill was a wonderful thing to witness this week. Sledding was prohibited on that site for 140 years, before Congress passed legislation in 2015, which was sponsored by D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton.
In front of the east side of the Capitol, I navigated around kids pulling sleds, people taking pictures and a group of plows blasting away the snow. Sure enough, there were plenty of bike racks open Friday.
It may seem a little nutty to ride a bike through the snow, and this may sound a bit corny, but for a guy who grew up in Michigan winters, I never take it for granted that I can ride my bike to the U.S. Capitol, lock it up, and walk into the halls of Congress.
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