Every month, Arlington’s Capital Bikeshare for All outreach team visits the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) warehouse to share information about $5 annual memberships for qualified participants. Arriving by bike, they talk to AFAC clients about the advantages of riding bikeshare to get around: it’s convenient, low-cost, healthy, good for the environment, and sometimes faster than other transportation options.
Each time they visited AFAC and spoke to clients about Capital Bikeshare, AFAC Client Services Associate Andrea Aguiluz Jovel listened with interest. She thought bikeshare sounded like a great idea—but she didn’t know how to ride.
“You should ask Henry (a member of the outreach team) to teach you,” a colleague told her. “I’m sure he’d be happy to do it.”
The First Lesson
One Sunday morning in March 2024, Andrea met up with Henry Dunbar, Capital Bikeshare Equity Communications and Outreach Coordinator, on the plaza of the Arlington Mill Community Center for their first lesson.
Using the League of American Bicyclists’ Smart Cycling Curriculum, Henry began by removing both pedals from his own bike and instructing Andrea to get on and glide back and forth to learn balance first. He took advantage of a slight slope near the community center and encouraged her to try gliding downhill. The hill helped her gain momentum, which is important in learning balance on a bike. Once she was able to glide comfortably for several feet, he added one pedal. After that seemed to be going well, he added the second pedal. She was riding with both pedals after about 20 minutes.
“I generally don’t have good balance and I’m actually pretty clumsy, so I was surprised by how quickly I picked it up,” she says. “It was easier than I expected.”
She credits the method Henry used for her successful experience.
“If I’d tried to teach myself, I wouldn’t have taken the pedals off or tried riding downhill to get some help from gravity,” she says.
Making Progress
After that initial lesson, Andrea got a Capital Bikeshare membership and used those bikes to practice by herself. She went for rides at least once a week. Having moved to the area recently, she also used these rides as a way to familiarize herself with her new surroundings.
“I started by riding on the W&OD Trail, which at the time had some construction going on,” she says. “I would walk with my bike past the construction and practice in the bike lanes.”
Next, she rode the Mt. Vernon Trail to Gravelly Point.
“At first, I just rode one mile, then three, then seven, and then ten,” she says. “I made a lot of progress quickly. Biking started becoming a hobby for me.”
Andrea is still cautious about riding on roads, although she does ride on some neighborhood streets, and has occasionally used a Capital Bikeshare e-bike to commute to work. She encourages anyone who is interested in learning to ride a bike to give it a try.
“It’s hard to put yourself out there, but no one is an expert when they’re trying something for the first time,” she says. “There’s no shame in falling; no one is judging you.”
Andrea says biking has opened up new pathways for her.
“Biking has been a way for me to meet new people and see new things,” she says. “I’ve discovered places on my bike I’d never have known about. It’s also been great for my mental health.”
She adds: “I’d tell anyone who’s thinking about taking an Adult Learn to Ride class to do it. You’ll be in good hands, and you’ll never know if you like it until you try it!”
To learn more about adult bicycle education classes, which are just $10 for Arlington residents, visit our Events page.
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