Tour de DCPL 2022

Explore DC Public Library by bike!

The Tour de DCPL is back for Bike Month 2022 on Saturday, May 21! This year we're offering two ways for the public to explore library locations and their surrounding neighborhoods by bike: a group ride that explores the architectural evolution of D.C.'s libraries and a self-guided tour that spotlights library spaces named after notable Washingtonians.

Tour de DCPL XIII | Safe Biking Tips | About Tour de DCPL | Past Routes

Tour de DCPL XIII

Group Ride | Saturday, May 21, 9:30 a.m.

Come celebrate reading and biking as a community! This year's staff-led group ride will visit six locations in all four quadrants of D.C. starting with the Southwest Library and finishing at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, DC Public Library's most recent modernized spaces.

Riders will be able to enjoy refreshments, pick up some great DC Public Library swag and share fun trivia as we explore the architecture of the city's library system and consider where we have been, where we are today and where we are going. The route will be about six miles long, with one or two moderate hills, and our bicycle marshals will make sure that everyone remains safe during the ride. You can see a detailed route map below. Please register online - limited walk-up spots available.

More Details

What's In a Name Self-Guided Tour de DCPL | Saturday, May 21, All Day

For riders who want more flexibility regarding timing and route, we're offering the option of visiting locations that have been named or have spaces that have been named in honor of D.C. residents. They include:

Anacostia (Ora Glover)
Bellevue (William O. Lockridge)
Benning (Dorothy I. Height)
Francis A. Gregory
Martin Luther King, Jr. (Alma Thomas and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)
Parklands-Turner (Anita J. Turner)
Shaw (Watha T. Daniel)
Shepherd Park (Juanita E. Thornton).

Locations will have snacks for you to munch on while you play a fun phone texting game that'll track your route and provide interesting facts about each library. See all of the libraries pinned on the map below. Visit one or visit them all! No advance sign-up is necessary for the self-guided ride - we'll see you on May 21!

Safe Biking Tips from WABA

New to riding on the road? The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) has created a brief video with a primer on D.C.'s biking laws. You can find more in-depth tips from WABA for planning a safe ride through Capital Bikeshare.

About the Tour de DCPL

Library staff have discovered a great way to explore the ongoing transformations at DC Public Library: by bike! The Tour de DCPL was born in 2010, a free community bike ride that visits a selection of our 26 library locations. Every year, to celebrate National Bike Month, a group of library staff, advocates, and community members strap on their helmets and hop on their bikes to help the DC Public Library promote environmentally friendly transportation and explore how our libraries connect with the communities they serve.

Past Tour de DCPL Routes

2021 Tour de DCPL XII: Self-Guided
2020 Tour de DCPL XI: Self-Guided
2019 Tour de DCPL X: Route | Photos
2018 Tour de DCPL IX: Route
2017 Tour de DCPL VIII: Route
2016 Tour de DCPL VII: Route
2015 Tour de DCPL VI: Route | Photos
2014 Tour de DCPL V:Route | Photos
2013 Tour de DCPL IV: Route | Photos
2012 Tour de DCPL III: Route | Photos
2011 Tour de DCPL II: Route
2010 Tour de DCPL: Route | Photos

2018 DC History Conference Ride
"Read Your Way Up: A Bike Tour of DC Public Library Portabranches, Storefronts, and Kiosks"
The Route | Podcast about the ride on DCPL's Full Service Radio

Check out DC Public Library’s other National Bike Month resources at dclibrary.org/bike.