If you live in DC, how do you park your bike?

[AMGnDuc]

Currently live in Arlington and have a nice little shed that I can keep my bike in.  GF wants to move into the city and I have NO IDEA how I'm going to store the bike.  It will almost surely get messed up or knocked over if it is parked on the street daily.

How are you guys that living in the city managing to keep your Ducs parked?

[696DCRider]

vewy vewy carefully



Depends on where you are moving in the city.  If you move into an apartment with a parking garage and you have a space for a car, you can either store it in front/behind/beside your car, or if you are lucky like I was, you can find a random nook next to a column to keep it.

If you live in a rowhouse with a backyard and alley access but no parking, you can keep it in the back.  Or some of them have a little yard in the front.  Then you can chain it to something and keep a cover on it.

If you move into an apartment with no parking, then your options are either street or pay for a space.  I parked my last bike on the street for over a year.  There was also a street triple, an older monster, and an old bmw on my street.  I never had my bike knocked over, but the owner of the street triple caught someone knocking his over one day.  I also was literally working on my bike one day, and some stupid f-ing contractor got in his SUV and started backing into my bike with me on the other side.  I got up, smacked his back windshield and was ready to break off his mirror because I couldn't believe he had the audacity to hit my bike while I was standing there.  He looked at me through his mirror and just took off.  If I wasn't there, he would have knocked it completely over.

As you mentioned, it's possible it could get knocked over.  You just have to be strategic about where you park it.  If you live on a street with a nice setup though, you may be able to find a space at the end or something where you don't have to worry.  One thing to consider though, is that the city does street cleaning during spring, summer, and fall months.  So, most likely you would need to move your bike on Mondays and Tuesdays to the opposite side of the street during work hours.

Just scope out any area before you move and good luck!

[David Lowenstein]

I am lucky enough to have an attached garage on my rowhouse, where I store my bikes and other gearhead stuff.

To some degree it will depend on whether you are buying or renting; the kind of property (e.g., rowhouse vs. detached vs. apartment building); and neighborhood.  But you may find that a lot of DC houses have garages (my experience is that many do, in some neighborhoods).

Some apartment buildings have garages, and even if your apartment doesn't include a garage parking space you can often negotiate a special deal for your bike if you're willing to park in a spot that's too small for a car (I've done this in the past).  Some buildings will allow you to rent a spot even if you aren't a resident, while others won't.  You can find spots on CL.  I own a rental property in a 60-unit Adams Morgan apartment building that includes a garage parking space, and there are at least 6 motorcycles parked regularly in the garage.

Even if none of the above work, many DC rowhouse apartments include some off-street parking room accessible via the alley behind the house, so you could keep the bike off the street even if not shielded from the elements.

I definitely recommend against leaving your bike parked on the street, as the probability of knucklehead parking damage is way too high.

Dave

[Slide Panda]

Yeah... it'll radically vary based on where you live. Street parking in the heart of Dupont or Georgetown is way different than, say the single family home area of Tenlytown

Any notion of what your plan is?  Otherwise, the other guys have hit the biggest notions.

[AMGnDuc]

Great suggestions so far!

So far we are looking at Login Circle area (which she loves) and Takoma.  She works in Eastern Market and I'm all the way up in Bethesda, so someplace central to both.  I almost always metro to work.  The bike is for recreation, so I'm always going out of the city on the weekends.  I tend to prefer living in quieter neighborhoods while she is more of a city girl.  She's living in Mt. Pleasant currently.

Our plan is to rent for a year or two save for a house downpayment.  I'm pretty close, or else I'd buy a house with a garage right now and not worry about all this!  I can't wait to finally have a garage of my own, it's been my dream since I started this horrible apartment living cycle.

[696DCRider]

I'm in the process of looking for a rowhouse to buy in DC.  Some of the places I have seen have a garage and some don't, but I refuse to buy a place that doesn't at least have parking space in the backyard.  I would street park my bike again if I had to, but since I'm purchasing, I told my wife I refuse to buy a place without some way for me to store my bike safely.

[The Mad King Pepe']

I am lucky enough to have an attached garage on my rowhouse, where I store my bikes and other gearhead stuff.
Dave

Now that's an understatement!

So far we are looking at Login Circle area (which she loves) and Takoma.

Why Tacoma over downtown Silver Spring? Do you need to be in DC? How about Columbia Heights or the U-street area?

I can't wait to finally have a garage of my own, it's been my dream since I started this horrible apartment living cycle.

Welcome to the club! 

since I'm purchasing, I told my wife I refuse to buy a place without some way for me to store my bike safely.

You show her who is the man! 

[AMGnDuc]

Why Tacoma over downtown Silver Spring? Do you need to be in DC? How about Columbia Heights or the U-street area?

SS might be a bit too far and make the GF's commute a hassle.  Though I don't see why we couldn't keep it open as an option...

Columbia Heights and U St are valid as well.  We'll check 'em all out.  I have no need to be in Adam's Morgan or the heart of downtown, though...

[ducati culture]

What ever you do buy a chain and lock it down. 

[696DCRider]

If you guys plan on living in a modern apartment building with amenities there are some nice deals in NOMA by the harris teeter.  The buildings there are all brand new and you have Harris Teeter right there, H street right next to you, red line right there and 395 is super close too.  I have two friends who just got apartments out there recently.

I live right down the street from there in Mt. Vernon Triangle.  That area is very central to a lot of stuff also.

[Real Recognize Real]

Welcome to the club! 

I've been a club member for too long!

My friend lives in a rowhouse with a modest backyard in Columbia Heights. It has an unfinished basement entrance that's just wide enough for my handlebars, so that's where I park especially if I'm out late at night. Just something to consider.

[Meerkat]

I park both bikes in the front of my tandem spot where I have them chained to the steel pipe protector (which incidentally serves as a tire bead breaker when needed). It's a real pain in the ass when the cat lady next to me has company parking in the second spot of her tandem, but, well, she's a cat lady so it doesn't happen that often.

The thing that sucks worst about condo/downtown living is the lack of bike washing facilities. Just ask anyone who's seen my bikes.

[696DCRider]

For light cleaning:
http://www.amazon.com/Honda-Spray-Cleaner-Polish/dp/B00383T62O

For heavy cleaning:
http://povertychallenge.21publish.com/pub/P/PovertyChallenge/D/DavidHewitt/bucketwater.jpg

I park both bikes in the front of my tandem spot where I have them chained to the steel pipe protector (which incidentally serves as a tire bead breaker when needed). It's a real pain in the ass when the cat lady next to me has company parking in the second spot of her tandem, but, well, she's a cat lady so it doesn't happen that often.

The thing that sucks worst about condo/downtown living is the lack of bike washing facilities. Just ask anyone who's seen my bikes.

[Real Recognize Real]

The thing that sucks worst about condo/downtown living is the lack of bike washing facilities. Just ask anyone who's seen my bikes.

Three words - Optimum No Rinse!

[Meerkat]

For light cleaning:
http://www.amazon.com/Honda-Spray-Cleaner-Polish/dp/B00383T62O

For heavy cleaning:
http://povertychallenge.21publish.com/pub/P/PovertyChallenge/D/DavidHewitt/bucketwater.jpg

Three words - Optimum No Rinse!

I use Original Bike Spirits, which works great. I've been contemplating buying one of those garden sprayers that I could fill up with water and pump up.