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TheatreME
 
Hello all,

I am contemplating a move towards DC and have found a place to rent in Alexandria where 241 crosses US 1 (about a mile and a half south of the Beltway)

Is this a feasible location from which to commute into DC? I know this whole post is very newbie ish, but I just caught the commuting/biking bug this year and I currently live in SW Florida, so as long as I look out for grandma I am okay on the road around here.

Whats it like up there? How is night commuting? I just want to plan as much as possible and I dont know how much longer the 21year old pickup is going to keep rolling along.

thanks

-E

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dubes
 
First, a caveat: what I have to say may be dated because I haven't lived in Alexandria in over a decade. When I lived there, I was on Duke Street a hop, skip and a jump from the King Street Metro station (next door to the George Washington Masonic Temple).

I think the location you are considering would be a fine place to commute from. There is a path that runs along the Potomac which, if you are looking on the east side of Route 1, should be very easy to get to (still, I lived west of Route 1 and didn't have trouble getting to the path on bike or on foot, but Route 1 north and south are divided in downtown Alexandria). My advice would be to pick up the bike trail and ride north to the 14th Street Bridge, over the Potomac (I walked this back in the day, didn't think to bike commute then. D'oh!) and Voila, you're in DC proper.

One word of caution: heading north from Alexandria, the path passes along the edge of the runway at National Airport. Needless to say, it can be very loud as planes take off and land. While I don't normally recommend riding with earplugs, this would be an exception.

Good luck with the move!

ks1g
 
Probably. I don't know for certain as I live and work out in the western suburbs and don't know the area close in to DC well enough. Dubes is referring to the Mt Vernon bike trail, which parallels the GW Parkway up to around Key Bridge in Rosslyn/Arlington. You can connect to DC via the 14th St, Memorial, Roosevelt, or Key Bridges. I'd ask on the commuter forum, as there are a number of DC area commuters there. For more local info, check out www.bikewashington.org (http://www.bikewashington.org) and www.waba.org (http://www.waba.org). According to waba's Bike to Work Day page, there appear to be several "commuter convoy" routes that run through Alexandria; their cue sheets may pass close enough to where you plan to live to be of use to you. Hope this helps, good luck!

dpara
 
I'm sure cc rider will jump in here with specific routes and advice but I can set him up by saying you should have no problem commuting from the location you mention. I live in Alexandria a little further south from where you mention and although I don't commute downtown I frequently bike there. The GW trail goes all the way to the bridges for you to get down town and you are probably only talking a mile or so to get to the trail. There are probably thousands of people that commute up and down that trail so you should be great

cc_rider
 
Thanks, dpara :D

You've got a good location. Close to Metro, so you have a lot of options.
The Mount Vernon Trail is supposed to close at dark, but I understand that it stays open for commuters.
From about where you will be, Quander gets you to Belle View Blvd (and a nice local shopping center) and over to the MVT.
I've heard that some people cross the Beltway on Telegraph Road, but I've never tried it.
There is a bikeable gap thru the sound wall at the Eisenhower Ave exit, using Elmwood and Clermont.
There is also supposed to be a bike route connection between Route 1 and Washington Blvd at the Wilson Bridge.
Try them and see what works.

Here's the link for Alexandria's bike routes.
http://www3.alexandriava.gov/cgi-bin/bike-maps_v2/bike_domap

TheatreME
 
Thanks for all the information everyone. It looks like I will have multiple options when I get there.

Now to hijack my own thread :)
Whats everyones favorite bike shop in the area???

-E

StanSeven
 
The best high end bike shop in the DC area is Contes on Wilson Blvd in Ballston. You also will be close to a very fine mechanic at Spokes in the Belle View shopping center. I forgoet his name but he's an older gentleman.

cc_rider
 
I go to HTO at Fairfax Circle for service (local for me). Been happy with their mechanics, but the prices on merchandise is high.
The Bike Lane in Burke has always treated me well.
Revolution in Arlington. I haven't bought from them yet, but I've been impressed by the people there.
Spokes has a good reputation, but whenever I've been to the Vienna store I've had trouble getting help from the sales staff.

dpara
 
The best high end bike shop in the DC area is Contes on Wilson Blvd in Ballston. You also will be close to a very fine mechanic at Spokes in the Belle View shopping center. I forgoet his name but he's an older gentleman.

I'll second the recommendation for the older guy at Spokes in Belle View. (By older I mean older then me by only a few years, mid 50's) For service he can't be beat. I took one of the Park Tool courses he offers as well. The store itself has a limited selection of accessories and might be a little over priced but you can't beat it for service. It is also the closest to where you will be located.

orcanova
 
Bicycle Pro Shop just opened up a new location in Duke St. in Alexandria. Both the wrenches there seem very good. One came from out of town. the other came from Revolution Bikes in Georgetown. My main wrench is Tom at Bicycle Pro Shop in Georgetown.
Regarding routes, I also do laps at Ft. Hunt Park if I hit the Mt. Vernon Trail, but I ONLY ride that trail off peak when virtually nobody is on it. It is the only quick out the door ride I can get if I have limited time.

stevesurf
 
Thanks for all the information everyone. It looks like I will have multiple options when I get there.

Now to hijack my own thread :)
Whats everyones favorite bike shop in the area???

-E

I've been down in Alexandria a good deal lately, so I'll chime in. I really like the service I got at the new Spokes store in Alexandria. They took me in on the spot. Also, if you are a fan of Specialized parts, they seem to carry them pretty much for everything, although they had a nice selection of Continental tires.

Here's their store links:

http://spokesetc.com/page.cfm?PageID=12

Also, here's a few bike map links:

http://www.alexandriava.gov/uploadedfiles/localmotion/info/bikeways_mapfull1.pdf

http://www.alexandriava.gov/uploadedfiles/localmotion/info/bikeways_mapfull2.pdf

http://www.ddot.dc.gov/ddot/frames.asp?doc=/ddot/lib/ddot/information/bicycle/map/2008/entirebikemap.pdf

http://www.ddot.dc.gov/ddot/frames.asp?doc=/ddot/lib/ddot/information/bicycle/map/2008/dc_map_all.pdf

http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/bikes_guidelines.cfm

orcanova
 
^That Alexandria location has been there for a long time, but they recently expanded into the next store front.

Their service side is pretty good. Retail side is actually poor IMO. They are geared towards ignorant consumers. Not a shop you want to go to if you are and advanced/experienced cyclist. I have found they don't shift gears very well when someone comes in who knows their stuff. They keep talking to you like you are a soccer mom. I live near it and have been going into DC shops for my needs for 2 years now.

emcb1230
 
I've always gotten great service from conte's (plus its convenient because I live within sightline of the place) but spokes etc is a good NOVA-based LBS.

BarracksSi
 
^That Alexandria location has been there for a long time, but they recently expanded into the next store front.

Their service side is pretty good. Retail side is actually poor IMO. They are geared towards ignorant consumers. Not a shop you want to go to if you are and advanced/experienced cyclist. I have found they don't shift gears very well when someone comes in who knows their stuff. They keep talking to you like you are a soccer mom. I live near it and have been going into DC shops for my needs for 2 years now.

I've been told (and by an older guy at the Spokes Etc. in Vienna, so take this for what it's worth) that the Alexandria shop has a good wheelbuilder, Bill Mould, a retired engineer who teaches wheelbuilding classes and, well, builds good wheels. I've been thinking of going to him for a set.

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