It’s like riding a bike.

I love bikes. They’re beautiful, elegant, economically and environmentally friendly. I love all kinds of bikes: racing bikes, vintage bikes, bikes with baskets, tandem bikes, and bikes with baby seats. Honestly, what’s not to love about bikes?

What’s been stopping me from getting a bike? Well, riding a bike is supposed to be a very easy thing you learn as a child. You know, your dad gets a pink bike with a basket, training wheels, and some streamers coming out of the handles and you ride it up and down the street. Except I grew up in a log cabin, three miles from the nearest paved road. I never understood that expression, “It’s just like riding a bike. ou never forget.” Why? Because I don’t know how to ride a bike.

That might all be changing soon…

Today, the Capital BikeShare program officially launched with 110 stations in D.C. and Arlington making it the largest bikesharing program in the U.S.

Normally, I’d wind up ignoring something like this because of the lack of convenience and my fear of possibly killing myself. That’s not going to happen this time. There are 8 stations within a mile of my apartment – one is so close I can literally see it from my window!

Sometime over the next few weekends, I’m going to buy a helmet, rent a bike, and get the help of a few friends and learn how to ride a bike. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get someone to document the inevitable hilariousness that will ensue. If not, I’ll just photograph my injuries after the fact!

Why do I want to ride a bike so badly? Aside from loving the basic aesthetic of bikes, I’ve wanted to get one for a really long time. My current commute is more than $4 a ride, plus a mile walk to my office through cobblestone roads. If I take the bus from the metro to my office (if it’s too hot or too cold outside), my one-way commute costs more than $5.

Furthermore, I love bike culture. The environmentalist in me loves the idea that we could replace one car with three or four bikes. In D.C., they’re gradually installing more and more bike lanes to encourage bicycle/vehicle safety. One day, I’d love to see D.C. end up like this: