By Aaron Schuetz

Arlington at 15 MPH

By Aaron Schuetz

I am a biker. My health and the planet’s health are two reasons I choose to cycle. And it isn’t just for my physical health. Psychologically, it is a great way to start my day by commuting to work. If the day goes poorly, I hop on my bike and not only get to work out the stress on the ride home, but I get an endorphin hit, fresh air in my lungs, and time to reflect and de-stress before I’m home.  

I want to share with you why it’s so awesome to be on a bike in this area—for commuting and recreation — and why you should do it, too! When we drive, we’re sealed inside a box with limited visibility, focused on quickly reaching our destination. When we walk, we’ve got full visibility, we experience the weather, and we can enjoy the beautiful houses, trees, and gardens of our neighborhoods but we cover less ground. Cycling is the sweet spot between these two. Instead of exploring a few new blocks while out walking, you can explore entire neighborhoods. You decide when to roll slowly, and when to push yourself on a climb. Those with electric assist get even more choices in how much they want to sweat.

During the pandemic, I rode 2/3 of all streets in Arlington, and 1/3 of all streets in DC. I found some ridiculous hills, very odd homes, amazing views, surprising history, and a great diversity of neighborhoods. Biking has helped me appreciate how wonderful it is to live in the DC area.

Though I love solo explorations, in the past year I’ve begun riding with some neighbors. This is not only fun but also motivating! It pushes us all to do more and explore more. We love riding in the hills of North Arlington and heading across the river for popular routes like MacArthur Blvd out to Great Falls, Rock Creek Park, Beach Drive, Sligo Creek and Anacostia Trail. We have biked the ever-popular Custis, Mt. Vernon, W&OD, C&O, and Capital Crescent trails. Beautiful tree-covered trails, iconic views, and robust exercise keep us pedaling through all four seasons.

Looking for support or inspiration? Arlington has some great resources.

Bike Arlington (bikearlington.com has some nice route suggestions and tools, including a “Bicycle Comfort Map” that helps you find routes appropriate for you and your family to get around Arlington.

The Washington Area Bicycle Association (waba.org) is a great education and advocacy group, and organizer of big rides. Many bike shops in the area organize group rides for various levels.

Capital Bikeshare is a great way to start. We have 3 stations in Lyon Park, and their e-bikes are really easy to use.

Our new bike shop, Vélocity Bike Co-op, on Pershing Drive can help get your bike back in shape, or help you find a new one.

I recently joined the county’s Bicycle Advisory Committee to encourage the county to make cycling safer and more accessible for residents, and because I would like to see more bike infrastructure in Arlington County. If you have suggestions or improvements you would like to see made, please reach out to me and I will submit them for discussion at a meeting. And if you want encouragement, ideas, or are interested in joining me for a weekend ride, email me at ajschuetz@yahoo.com. You can also follow me on Strava.

I hope to see more neighbors biking around the community on these beautiful fall days. And if you drive, thanks for sharing the road! Cycle on!