He probably didn’t know he was a trailblazer, but the Capitol Police officer posing with his bicycle above was one of the Capitol Police department’s first “bike cops.” The year was 1913, and the department was already 85 years old (it celebrated its 175th anniversary in May).

Today the Capitol Police has about 30 officers trained to ride Trek mountain bikes during patrol duties, and the department hopes to triple that number in the future.

The bicycles allow officers to get into parks and other areas difficult to access by car. Officers with bikes often help tourists needing directions and get a little exercise at the same time.