Bike the Sites Blog

After just ten days into our first season, the Bike and Roll Segway tours are collecting rave reviews! Locals and visitors alike appreciate our detailed training sessions, knowledgeable tour guides, and speedy new wheels. Tours are already filling up, so grab a spot on one of our 1:30pm or 6pm daily tours. Check availability on our Reservations page. 

"Even though I've lived in DC for a few years, we learned lots of great fun facts that I didn't know before (and even saw some things on the Capitol grounds that I didn't even know were there!)" says DC local Matthewsnn (via TripAdvisor)

"The tour guide knew tons about the city and was really patient with everyone on the segways," says Katie K (via TripAdvisor). I'll be the first to admit that I was terrified to get on a segway but it was tons of fun and great way to see the city."

Segways are coming to Bike and Roll Washington DC! Our brand new tour, Sites by Segway, brings you around the National Mall from the Capitol to WWII, including the north side of the White House, some fun off-the-Mall spots, and a ride down Pennsylvania Avenue. Tours run for approximately 2 1/2 hours (segway training included). After running bike tours for the past 10 years, we are confident our experienced guides will provide the best segway tours around. Educational and fun, our Segway tours are yet another way to see the sites of the National Mall on two wheels! 

Starting on May 4th, Sites by Segway will start at our downtown location at the Old Post Office, departing at 1:30pm and 6:00pm everyday.  We can accommodate groups up to 8 people. Must be at least 16 years old to participate. For more information please call our downtown location at 202-842-2453. ($59/person)

Reserve Here!

In honor of International Cultural Awareness Month and Passport DC, Bike and Roll Washington DC and DC Metro Food Tours bring you International Bites by Bike! Similar to our Blossoms Bites by Bike tour, this biking and food tour visits three of DC's most historic neighborhoods. Enjoy specially created international dishes from critically acclaimed local eateries as you pedal from one restaurant to another in the Logan Circle, U Street, and Dupont Circle neighborhoods. Each tour will have a knowledgeable tour guide to share interesting facts about these historical areas, point out the various embassies along the way, and elaborate on the unique culinary aspects of each eatery.

Tours depart from our downtown DC location on Saturday and Sunday evenings from 4pm to 7pm. Recommended for riders age 12 and up ($89/person, includes bike rental, guide, and food). 

In it's 5th year running, Passport DC has already become renowned itnernationally for its exciting embassy events, open houses, festivals and performances which continue throughout the month of May. We recommend you rent a bike to get around to the 40 embassies hosting open houses on May 5th!  

Reserve today!

Bike and Roll Washington DC and Virtue Feed & Grain have partnered to bring you the perfect supplement to our Bike and Boat to Mount Vernon package-- A picnic by the Potomac! Enjoy the Ploughman's Lunch picnic anywhere you'd like along the Mount Vernon Trail. Virtue Feed & Grain chef Chef Ryan Wheeler has packed this picnic with cured meats, cheese, mixed greens, homemade bread, fresh fruit and some special sweets (feeds two people, $32). Packaged in it's own reusable bag, the Ploughman's lunch is the perfect size to throw in a backpack or bike pannier. 

Picnic tables line the grassy banks of the Potomac between Old Town, Alexandria and The Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens. Make a stop at one of the many parks, or enjoy your lunch on the grass in front of the Mount Vernon Estate. 

Picnics must be reserved by 12pm the day before you tour. To book, please call our Alexandria shop at 703-548-7655.

For the first time ever, Bike and Roll Washington DC and DC Metro Food Tours are partnering to bring you Blossom Bites by Bike, a biking food tour showcasing fantastic food in three of DC’s classic neighborhoods. Enjoy specially created dishes from critically acclaimed local eateries as you bicycle from one restaurant to another, touring through the Dupont Circle, U Street, and Logan Circle neighborhoods. Each tour will have a knowledgeable tour guide to share interesting facts about these historical areas while also concentrating on the unique culinary aspects of each eatery. We are super excited to work with DC Metro Food Tours, and intend on continuing a Bites by Bike tour throughout the 2012 season!

Blossom Bites by Bike departs from Bike and Roll’s Downtown DC location at the Old Post Office Pavilion at 4:00. This three-hour tour runs Friday and Saturday evenings throughout the festival. The tour begins and ends at the rear plaza of The Old Post Office Pavilion on 12th St. NW, between Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues. (Metro: Federal Triangle).

Advance reservations are required for all Blossom Bites by Bike tours and can be made online at www.bikethesites.com or by phone at 202-683-8847. Tickets for this tour are $79 per person and include the guide, bike rental, enough food for dinner, and a bottle of water for your ride. This ride is all street riding (most of which is in bike lanes) so we do not advise children (12 and under) sign up for this tour.

Blossoms Bites by Bike is an Official Program of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The 2012 Festival, March 20 – April 27, includes daily events featuring diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and community spirit.  The 2012 Festival commemorates the 100th anniversary of the gift of the cherry blossom trees and the enduring friendship between the United States and Japan. www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org

Is the humidity ceamping your vacation? Bike and Roll has plenty of suggestions on how to enjoy the sites of Washington without melting. Walking from site to site is guaranteed to be hot and sticky, but cruising around on a bike is a breeze! In addition to our popular Sites @ Nite tours we can suggest:

1. Starting early – Grab a bike for just two hours, you can cover most of the area and major spots. Maps, helmets and friendly staffers to assist you and get you on your way early.

2. Renting at night – Pick up a bike as late as 8:45PM – we'll provide lights and locks. Return them in the morning or at your leisure during the day.

3. Looking for a cooler riding? Try the canal or Rock Creek Park. Use one of our comfort hybrids or take it up a notch and try out a performance or road model.

4. Wondering which of our day time tours is cooler? Try our 9:30 AM Monuments tour. There are lots of shady stopping points, knowledgeable and entertaining guides and done by lunch time.

5. We are experts at taking advantage of the shade; on very hot days guides take breaks in the shade and are knowledgeable about avoiding long stretches of non-shaded areas.

But don't take our word for it, read some reviews on TripAdvisor from customer's who've taken our tours this summer:
"We visited DC in the hottest week of the year! The temps were over 100 every day of our visit. Because our feet and legs were so sore from walking everywhere and it was so miserably hot, we almost cancelled our bike ride. That would have been a huge mistake...The nice breeze from riding felt like heaven." - BJGtravelBug (July 2011)

"The guides are young, friendly and very knowledgeable -- telling interesting, little known stories about each site. There is plenty of time for photos -- the pace is easy and relaxing. Both times we have taken the tour at night when it is cooler and the monuments are lit. I highly recommend this tour for young and old alike." - Mammak100 (July 2011)

Bike and Roll is known primarily for our Trek comfort hybrids, but many don’t know we offer high-end road bike rentals as well. We carry both the Gary Fischer Rail and the Trek 1.2, which offer aluminum frames with carbon legs. Either one make an excellent option for long rides or races. Road bikes are $55 for the full day (9am to 9pm) or $65 for 24 hours if you need an early start. Our friendly mechanics can install your personal pedals at no extra charge! All rentals come with a helmet, a lock and a map.

Check out the many different types of bikes we rent at Bike and Roll on our Rentals page.