Out of all the cities in all the states, DC’s biking game is pretty dang tight. In fact, we rank all the way up at No. 4 for most bike-friendly towns, just after Portland, Minneapolis and Boulder, Colo. So, how did power-hungry DC almost beat out a bunch of dirty hippies, über-nice Midwesterners and who-needs-indoor-plumbing-when-we-have-all-this-gorgeous-outdoors woodsmen? Sure we have an ever-increasing amount of bike lanes, but I think it’s because no matter what neighborhood you’re trying to get to, there’s a nice, relatively flat road for that. Here are our favorite routes to get to various popular DC destinations with minimal out-of-breathness.

To get to H Street or Eastern Market from the NW quadrant, skip riding on H or Mass Ave. If you do, you risk eating pavement when your tire gets stuck in H Street’s hazardous tram tracks or getting sideswiped by a vehicle on Mass. Instead, head east on K Street, where you’ll find a much safer, less traffic-y, relatively flat road.

Or maybe you want to get to Adams Morgan? If you’re coming from Dupont, don’t waste your time going to 18th St. before cutting north. Instead, take Columbia Rd. Not only are there fewer cars to run you over, but the hill going up seems to have a more steady increase, which results in a less breathless ride. Plus, if you’re riding in on a weekend, there’s a lot less of a chance that you’ll have to dodge wayward puke.

Speaking of wayward puke, headed to Georgetown? If you’re looking to party on M Street, get there by taking P Street. Unlike M, which is packed to the gills with three lanes of cars either way, including a row of people who don’t usually have to parallel park attempting to parallel park, P is nice and slow. Sure, there’s a slight incline going west, but the peace of mind of not getting killed by an out-of-control Range Rover is worth the little extra sweat.

The final tip: if you’re trying to get from Cleveland Park to Columbia Heights do not, I repeat DO NOT, attempt to go east on Klingle Road. Sure the initial downhill ride is fun, but working your way back uphill onto Park Road is the pi ts.Head south on Connecticut Avenue instead, and get to Columbia Heights via Woodley Park and Adams Morgan on Calvert Street, which will lead you to the bike lanes on Columbia Road.
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