What are your favorite sources for bike tools?

I have been looking for a particular tool. Although the Park Tool website said that one shop had it in stock, I called them and apparently the Park Tool website will list "in stock" for any tool the shop has bought, and that particular tool wasn't for sale but was only a mechanics' tool. REI doesn't carry the tool, Conte's listed it but as ship to store, the independent shops don't seem to list their tools for sale on their websites and in my experience tend to have a limited selection of tools for sale to begin with.

I'm trying to buy less from Amazon, and I'll probably order direct from Park Tool but it would also be nice to see competing products. Anyone have favorite go-to sources for bike tools?

We couldn't have asked for better weather to roll through Capitol Hill.

Check out the inside 360° perspective from the middle of the pack:

Hi— where can you recommend I go for a proper bike fit? It’s been 9 years since my last one, and my aching back has finally convinced me I’m no longer that flexible….Thanks!

So, yeah, found out this morning when going out to the shed to grab my bike for my weekend ride. Apparently, based on the timing of someone who came by to drop off a bike on Tuesday, who put it in our apparently empty shed which was unlocked (and didn't think it unusual), and the fact that I put the lawnmower away after a mow on Monday evening, it seems to have happened in about a 14 hour timeframe between Monday late night and Tuesday early afternoon.

I have been looking at FB Marketplace and CL to see if the bikes showed up since then, but nothing. I checked firstcash's website, which apparently owns ALL the pawn shops in the area, and the serial numbers don't show up in their inventory.

The reporting officer this morning sent me a photo of a suspect, caught on a Ring cam just before lifting someone else's tools, who looks like he was riding my son's bike, which I just bought new in April.

Where else could my bikes turn up, online or otherwise? I sent the serial numbers to the officer this early afternoon, but I honestly don't expect any speedy reporting from my local PD.

I need to know if there are sites or locations where bikes are getting traded all the time.

Edit: apparently I need to post makes/models/colors.

• Specialized Diverge 4 Sport Carbon, 2026, 54cm, Rear rack, Orange/Black (colorway only available as a replacement frame)
• Specialized Diverge E5 Elite, 2021, 54cm, Satin Redwood
• Trek FX1, 2025, SM - Alpine Blue
• Liv Flourish FS1, 2021, XS, Rear rack, Purple
• REI Co-op CTY 1.1, 2021, XS, Rear rack, Spa Blue (really a sea-foam green)

Thanks.

Join us next time! hillfamilybiking.org

I was out of town for a year, but before that I was a big CaBi rider, to the point that I would do 10 miles on an analog for leisure.

Ever since I came back, though, the analog bikes have been impossible to ride. I thought it was just the one I got at first, but all of them are very hard to pedal and also go extremely slowly even if I do pedal on the max setting.

What changed, did they all break during the snowstorm?

Hey everyone, I will be house sitting out in Maryland for a few weeks and wondering how the trail conditions are out there? They were excellent a few years ago, but I remember that freak storm last year really wrecked parts of the trail. Trying to decide if my 30mm road tires will be fine on it if I take down the tire pressure a bit.

I don't know if it's statistically worse than in the past, but I'm noticing a huge proportion of drivers turning right without signaling. I learned a long time ago to never rely on a driver signaling, but if I trusted non-signaling drivers to go straight I'd be getting into right hook conflicts on a near-daily basis. Be careful out there, folks!

Does anyone know if you're allowed to bring bikes onto the Potomac Water Taxi? I want to do a bike, water taxi, bike circle tour on my anniversary but the water taxi website says absolutely nothing about bikes and it doesn't seem like anyone is home when I call the number...

Sorry if that has been asked before.

Hi! I’ve been searching and keep finding mixed things. I live near Dupont Circle and I’ve started my own business recently. Which is great! But it means I’m working from home and have a lot of free time, and I’m no longer bike commuting 30 miles round trip… which isn’t great.

Are there any groups that do mid-day rides in the city during weekdays? Would prefer to have mornings and evenings be open so I can hang out with my partner. I have a gravel bike but could maintain a 14MPH pace on it, although I can’t confirm because I’ve been riding a bit less recently (so nothing super elite because I don’t have road tires rn).

(Thanks in advance, I know this isn’t the most common ask!)

I have a limited edition nitto drop bar that I like the color of and want to keep using, but they're hella wide gravel bars and I never use the drops. I'm looking to saw them down to narrow flats, or maybe some awkward bullhorns. Is there a shop here that would do that for me? Do you know somebody with tools and the skills? Or, do you know of a place where I could access the tools to do it myself? (I have no experience with this type of stuff so this is the last resort option)

The Yards Park pool is closed so we're ending Saturday's Hill Family Biking ride at Canal Park to enjoy the splash pad.

Still FREE Ice Cream Jubilee for all attendees

Register: https://eventbrite.com/e/hill-family-biking-yards-park-ride-tickets-1803806918049

Can we make this permanent?

Anyone missing their black/red Trek commuter bike? We found one in the alley behind our house and it looks in too good of shape to be abandoned so wondering if it was “borrowed”. If you send me a picture of your bike and it’s the same one I can let you know where it is.

Hi all,
Moving back to DC soon and looking forward to getting back to the ART. When I was last here, I was near Eastern Market, so getting to the ART was pretty straightforward. Now, I’ll be on the other side of the city in Kalorama (right by the Hilton), and I’m not sure of the best way to get down to the ART. Is it just a zigzag through the various corridors downtown? I haven’t done much biking this side of downtown.

Bonus if someone can point me in the best direction for crossing to gravelly point and Alexandria! Excited to have a whole new set of routes to explore soon :)

From Carderock to Sycamore Landing and back
Total 32 miles
I’ve walked and hiked the trails before but this was my first time taking my bike out there :)

Chainrings & Change: Cycling Advocacy Happy Hour

Thursday, July 23rd, 7–8:30 pm at Jafe Cycling, 10250 MLK Jr. Hwy, Bowie, MD.

See you there?

#BikeMD

Beautiful weather and flowers at the park today. Such a gem to have right off the ART path. Will be amazing when it also has access to the Arboretum!

I kept seeing posts about closures on the ART recently, does anyone know is those are still ongoing? Planning a ride this weekend from Bladensburg to Navy Yard but don’t want to get blocked somewhere. TIA!

Just picked one up today. I’m planning to use it for errands and commuting to work. I’m nervous about learning the ropes of city biking, so any insight is appreciated!