I ride my bike past the White House everyday to and from work. Pennsylvania Avenue is closed off to traffic but not bikes, and there are these metal column things that allow you to walk or ride your bike through. So, about a month ago, I did not cut a wide enough arc as I was turning onto Pennsylvania Ave. and my handlebars caught the pillars. I went crashing down, in front of hundreds of people. The guard in the little guardhouse came running out to see if I was okay. Luckily I just had a couple little scrapes, but my ego has been forever damaged. Well, not really.