Originally Posted by
FBinNY
DC has a tremendous cycling community, and as you've seen, there are too many choices. Best bet is do some research, then check around when you arrive.
There's a nice small shop in Arlington run by a bicycling enthusiast (even after many years in the biz) called Papillon Cycles. Bailey is the owner, and I'm sure he can give you plenty of pointers, and something of a who's who, what's what in the area. Feel free to tell him that Francis from Chain-L sent you and you'll get VIP treatment.
You can try calling him before you head out, but do it soon because once the season breaks he won't have much time to give you on the phone.
I'm making a note to check out Papillon as well. Thanks for the heads up. Yes, the community in DC is pretty great. As mentioned in another thread,
Washington Area Bike Forum is a useful resource. Those nutters also run a contest every winter called Freezing Saddles to encourage people to keep riding through cold weather. They often post events on the calendar at
https://freezingsaddles.com.