General Cycling Discussion - Washington, DC - best cycling/tri neighborhood? General bike moving suggestions?

Well, I got the job.

How's roadie bike life in DC? I'm looking at living in Arlington, because the hop-on to the Custis and W&O or whatever it was trail seems very nifty (friend lives there). Any other commuter-friendliest neighborhoods? I'll be working right next to the Capitol. Fave LBS? Suggestions please!

(I've checked out:

http://www.commuterpage.com/website/btwd/viewer.htm?Title=Bike%20to%20Work%20Day

and

http://www.waba.org/ )

Also, I'm looking at 1-BRs for me myself and I. Any bike rack/storage ideas? Lock recommendations? Etiquette?

I live 7 hours away right now, and I'll be packing tons of stuff in my Subie Impreza Outback (the small one). Anyone had bike rack experience with that type of hatchback? I've thrown the whole bike in the back until now, but I'll need the space.

I'm a female triathlete. DC Triathlon Clubs? Up here in CT we have a bunch of small summer sprint series, $10 a pop, good fun on a weeknight, anything like that down there? Anyone done Team in Training with that chapter?

I hear the MD roads are also nice to ride, spill it! I need 50+ milers!

:) thanks! see you out there.

Arlington is, in general, outstanding, especially for bike commuting. You should be able to get to your job site with no trouble at all. The W&OD gives you access to some really outstanding and relatively uncrowded riding to the west. The trail itself can get very crowded, but if you head out past Leesburg it's great, and there are a lot of roads out there that make good loops from the trail. There's a book out from Falcom Press called "Road Biking Washington D.C." which has a good variety of routes. You should be able to find a copy in a local bike shop once you get here.

You're way out of my league as a biker, but welcome to DC. MD roads and trails are also numerous and there are some nice rides. There is a bike trail map put out by the ADC company, you can pick it up at any bike shop in the area. I can't point you to any club, but you might check out the City Paper and some of the other free weeklies in the area for news about clubs, rides etc.

Thanks, got a favorite shop I should support? :)

Most shops are good around here. I go with the ones that are closest to my house and my work. If you are a racer, you might want to check out www.artemisracing.org.

Depending upon where you are moving from, prepare yourself for some extraordinary rents!

yeah, i'm moving from CT, it's only really a $100 jump from a 1BR around here. stupid shoreline. awesome pay raise. ;)

Thanks for the suggestion!

I moved from CT to DC about 15 years ago. I lived their for about 3 years. I hate to sound like a bummer but leaving DC was the greatest thing I ever did in my life. Arlington is nice though, I lived in the suburban hell known as Fairfax Station. Gives me creeps just thinking about it. If I had to do it again I would choose DC or Arlington, anywhere where I can hop on a bus or train if I cant ride the bike. And I would ditch the car. Driving is just a slow form of torture anywhere near the belt way. Good luck and congrads on the job...

I work near the Capitol. Your last few blocks of the commute suck because of traffic (both cars and pedestrians) and the potholes from the roads.

The riding outside of town is excellent. I mentioned in another thread that suburban Maryland maybe 20 miles east of town is some of the best riding anywhere. You can ride on miles of scenic country roads along or near the Cheaspeake Bay and the rounte combinations are so numerous, you never seem bored.

Potomac Peddlers is a 5,000 member club with multiple rides every weekend day. They are for all distances and speeds. If you race, there are maybe four local teams and lots of other racers that do group training rides.

There are some semi-organized tris. One local propmotor of tris quit so many of the more formal racesare covered now by a NC firm. Consequently more now are located in the southern end of the area.

In nothern Viriginia you can't beat Bonzai for a tri shop. Two Arlington shops that are good are Spokes and Revolution

Arlington is nice though, I lived in the suburban hell known as Fairfax Station. Gives me creeps just thinking about it. If I had to do it again I would choose DC or Arlington, anywhere where I can hop on a bus or train if I cant ride the bike. And I would ditch the car. Driving is just a slow form of torture anywhere near the belt way.

ha! thanks, it's true that one can discover some pretty soul-sucking places in and around DC. i have to have the car, but we'll see how the bike commute works out the rest of the time. :)

thanks for your good wishes.

I live in cenrtal MD, but here is a web page that might interst you.

http://www.ohbike.org/events/

Bill

So, I've been here a week and a half. Revolution in Clarendon has been super-nice. Haven't found that book yet. Rode to the end of the W&OD and got lost in VA, it was nice to find some hills. Joined the DC triathlon group. Still hoping to find some more group rides...maybe it all depends on when I settle down, the apartment hunt is kind of wearing!

I've seen lots of you out on the paths, though, so I know I've got company! I just slather on the sunblock and go...

check out Haines Point as well-- there's usually a group riding there during lunch hour (12-130 or so) and after work. Fast, fast people riding beautiful bike porn.

DC DOT puts out free bike maps of the District. And if you're having trouble getting along with the mad drivers, try www.waba.org for the confident city cycling classes.

and for your apt hunt, CraigsList has never let me down.

So, I've been here a week and a half. Revolution in Clarendon has been super-nice. Haven't found that book yet. Rode to the end of the W&OD and got lost in VA, it was nice to find some hills. Joined the DC triathlon group. Still hoping to find some more group rides...maybe it all depends on when I settle down, the apartment hunt is kind of wearing!

I've seen lots of you out on the paths, though, so I know I've got company! I just slather on the sunblock and go...

For group rides:
http://www.bikepptc.org/
they have many many group rides and almost for every level

or maybe you find something here:
http://www.waba.org/new/clubs/index.php