She learned how to ride a bike when she was younger so I probably don't need to start at the absolute beginning, but her reluctance to take up biking in DC has primarily revolved around her fear of getting hit by a car. I'm looking for others' suggestions and tips on how to ride in DC and become more confident in city cycling.

She lives on the H Street Corridor, so I was thinking of making our practice on the Metropolitan Branch Trail and some of the streets near her that have bike lanes such as Eye Street NE and G Street NE as she feels more comfortable. Of course I plan for us to always avoid biking on H Street NE. Some tips I plan to work specifically on are:

• Helmet, always
• How to ride in Bike Trails vs. Bike Lanes vs. Bike Sharrows vs. Sidewalks (when appropriate outside of downtown)
• Signaling, passing, making yourself visible
• Knowing the fit and capabilities of your bike
• How to operate Capital Bikeshare
• Location of bike infrastructure in the area (lanes, sharrows, streets to avoid, as well as bike shops)
• Dangerous situations: Getting doored by parked cars, passing a vehicle that's stopped in a bike lane, crossing trolley tracks, cars turning at intersections, nighttime riding, potholes, pedestrians, weaving in and out of cars
• Good rules of thumb: Make yourself visible, make your intentions clear, make eye contact with drivers, wear a helmet, follow the crosswalk timing

Can you think of anything important that I should be sure to include early on?

Thanks