City Bikes has their own web site now. Check it out.

This is a small pitch for my favorite bike store in DC. In the summer of 1992, I decided to take a bike trip across the US. The problem was I hadn't owned a bike in 20 years. After wandering to 12 bike stores in the area, I narrowed it down to two. Several stores in the area had a wide selection, competent mechanics, knowledgable salespeople. What set these two apart were that they both strongly encouraged test-riding several bikes. I decided on City Bikes because:

• It had just rained, and the other store didn't want me to get their bikes dirty. The City Bikes salesperson said "If you're biking across the U.S. you're going to ride in weather like this. Better get used to it now. You're not going to dirty the bike up that much in a few minutes."
• It turned out that everyone in the store had done a long-distance tour. In fact two are on a round-the-world tour now. They all seemed unafraid to get a little dirt on their hands, and they didn't do it to make a fashion statement (unlike their main competition, where both staff and customers seemed more interested in modeling bikewear, than biking).
• The store sponsors several environmental, socially aware, leftist, commie, hippie causes -- e.g. Cops on Bikes, Bikes Not Bombs, Bike to Work Day, Bike-In for Earth Day.

Anyway, while they may not be your cup of tea, they've been real good to me over the past three years, and now they fix m'lady's handbike as well as keeping my beastie in shape.

You can find them at:

City Bikes
2501 Champlain Street, N.W. Adams Morgan
Washington, D.C.
(202) 265-1564
(202) 462-7020 (FAX)

P.S. If you find them via this page, let them know for me. They don't know I'm advertising for them, but I'd like them to.