Northeast - DC area bike security concerns

Hi everyone,

I am relocating to the D.C. area. I will work in D.C. and live in either D.C. (Capitol Hill, Eckington, Brookland, etc.) or MD (Silver Springs/Takoma Park).

I own two bikes: an older/modest mtb w/slicks that is my commuter and a high-end (for me) road bike (i.e. Ultegra/105s - carbon/aluminum frame) for weekends/long rides, etc.

I've been reading about the high rate of bike thefts in the D.C. area. People get their bikes stolen from their garages, yards, on the streets, etc. I realize that it's advisable to use a sturdy U-lock and indoor storage whenever possible.

I would be interested in your advice re: the best theft prevention techniques & neighborhoods for bicyclists. Alos, how is the new bike station(?) working out near Union Station?

Thanks

Haven't done anything more than walk by the new bike station at Union Station, but it seems pretty nice. Union Station was one of the biggest areas for bike theft, so that's an improvement. Only really useful if you are taking the train in and want to bike once you get to Union Station though, otherwise there's no reason for a commuter to leave their bike there.

Overall crime in DC is somewhat high, but it is generally very localized by ward/neighborhood. I would advise that you get a good feel for neighborhoods before you move. I think you'll find that while they are fairly close, Capital Hill is much different than Eckington and Brookland. Not as sure about the Silver Spring area.

I generally have no problems locking my bike outside during work, but it gets no foot traffic except for office workers, and there are decent security patrols. If you know where you are working that might help me give a little more info.

I'll be working in an office building near the L'Enfant Metro stop. I would like to keep my commute time low, but I realize that it is relatively pricey closer to this area.

Sorry for not getting back, forgot about this thread.

I actually work at L'Enfant myself. I don't have any bike security issues locking outside at L'Enfant, because that area of town has very little foot traffic besides office workers, especially in L'Enfant proper (where the glass pyramid is). No real tourist destinations, no good stores, no residential...basically not much reason for non-office workers to be there, so people stick out a bit more. Makes it at least feel a bit safer for my bike.

I'd check out the trail system if I were you, because at L'Enfant you can pretty much take any trail into town from either MD or VA. It opens up quite a few options depending on how long you might want to ride, and whether you also need to be near a metro or not. http://bikewashington.org/trails/index.htm Even if you are up in Bethesda, it's only about a 10 mile bike ride down the Capital Crescent Trail and along the river to get to L'Enfant.

I'll probably be moving in a few months, and one of the places I've halfway looked at was Shirlington, VA. It's near some trail access to get into L'Enfant quickly, and has some walkable stores, but isn't near the metro. It seemed fairly inexpensive for what it was. Hard to give much of a suggestion, since people prefer different things, but I'd just make sure you get around to all of the neighborhoods you might want to live in. I know when I moved into town I went to about 8-10 different stops on the metro and checked out nearby neighborhoods, and I knew what fit me after a day or two of that. If you have any specific questions, feel free to send me a message, since I don't check this forum too often.