Tandem Cycling - Trip to DC

We're planning a trip to Washington DC the 1st week of May. The plan is to take our tandem and spend about every other day riding and every other day looking at mounuments & museums. I've posted queries on the Northeast Bike Forum and have gotten some helpful tips from members there.

We're staying in Rosslyn, Va - across the Potomac from DC. I think we'll use the Metro to get to the Mall and walk around. We may choose to ride to sightsee but the bike would end up locked outside museums most of the time. I've only been to DC once before - about 10 years ago.

Suggested rides were south to Mt Vernon and northwest along the Washington & Old Dominion Trail. I was also given a link to the Washington Area Bike Asscociation site with "favorite rides". We're not planning on having a car so we'll have to ride from the hotel.

Any other tips from teams on this forum? Any bike rides would be 1 day only (rally style).

Thanks - John & Lisa

The C&O Canal Path MUP begins/ends in downtown DC. As you can see, it begins right across the Key Bridge from Rosslyn. The ride up to Great Falls (15 miles) is beautiful as are the falls.



http://bikewashington.org/canal/

Of course you can go further if you want (all the way to Pittsburgh, PA! :) I noticed in the link there is a guide to other DC area trails as well. Have fun! Wish I could tag along. :(

At our son's suggestion we rode the bike paths in DC on a weekend . . .
Never again! Just plain pandemonium with anything and everything on that path and folks really not paying attention. Perhaps a weekday may be better.
Give us the road and cars rather than dogs, bikes, bladers,walkers, runners, cell- and ear phones!
Just our observation.

oldacrua, my wife and I have similar plans on a slightly different timetable. A lot of folks kindly jumped in with their suggestions for routes here (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=513986).

I'm still contemplating whether to take the tandem or go with our half bikes. A big factor weighing against the tandem has to do with train service, especially Amtrak. Amtrak and other train services would be hugely beneficial for our plans but tandems are only allowed as luggage on Amtrak or disallowed on other train services and that would slow things down considerably.

Andy

I live in DC and am glad to answer any specific questions.

One thing I will tell you is the popular MUTs on weekends (and weekday afternoons) are no fun at all.

Lots of bike parking near all the museums, just lock your tandem with 2 big sturdy U-Locks AND a cable.

BTW the C&O Canal Tow Path is indeed an amazingly beautiful ride but be aware it is a dirt surface.

What kind of distances are you looking to ride? We might be up for a tour of the city if you folks are early risers.

I spent a week in DC about 5 yrs ago in June and found Rock Creek full of bikes on the weekend and
in late afternoons during the week but pretty empty otherwise. Our stay was just over the line in
Bethesda and we were about a mile from the northern end of Rock Creek one way, and a mile from the
northern terminus of the Capitol Crescent trail. I had a nice day riding down Cap Crescent to the river and down to the river end of the Rock Creek trail and back out Rock Creek to the end. The bike trail goes
out of Rock Creek many miles on northerly through parks but eventually runs out of parks and is on
streets. Traffic varies. Cap Crescent is a R to T conversion and very shady, slightly gravelly but
no real problem for road tires. C&O path is a bit more gravely and dirt but well drained. Best to use
a robust tire there. The Mount Vernon trail would be a good bit of the day from what I understand, I
did not have time to check it out. There are multiple other bike trails in the city, nice to have direct
access to federal funding but most are on streets with a wide paint demarcated bike path on streets
where traffic is not 'too fast'. Of course there are a lot of stoplights. Rock Creek and Cap Crescent
are very bike friendly with some road crossings and lights to contend with. Be aware that entering
practically ANY building in DC is equivalent to getting on a plane with lots of searches of bags, metal
detectors and bulky guards all over.

Thanks for all the input. Several have mentioned to avoid the MUPs on weekends. Our only weekend day there will be Sunday 5/3 and we may use that to tour museums & monuments.

As far as distances per day, we're thinking of 30 - 80 miles depending on speeds, road/path conditions and sights along the way. I'll have to look but I think the trip to Mt Vernon is about 30 mi RT. Another longer suggestion was along the W&OD trail with a return on the C&O Towpath. Our bike has 700 x 28 tires that aren't great for off road but are OK on well packed gravel.

Though using the bike to tour the museums might be nice, I am a bit concerned about security while we're away from the bike and don't want to haul around 2 U locks & a cable. We may elect to use the Metro and shoes for this part.

Thanks again for your tips. We'll probably flesh out the plan as time gets closer.

....I'll have to look but I think the trip to Mt Vernon is about 30 mi RT. Another longer suggestion was along the W&OD trail with a return on the C&O Towpath. Our bike has 700 x 28 tires that aren't great for off road but are OK on well packed gravel.......

The Mount Vernon Trail starts in Rosslyn and is 18 miles each way. Very flat riding except the last mile into Mount Vernon.

700x28 tires are fine for the Tow Path. Don't ride on it if there is rain that day or lots of rain the day before.

The Custis Trail that starts in Rosslyn (where the Mount Vernon Trail ends) will take you to the W&OD trail which you take to Leesburg then some o.k. roads for about 7 miles to Whites Ferry which will take you across the Potomac ($1 for each cyclist). The C&O Tow Path crosses Whites Ferry road in Maryland about 1/4 mile from the ferry. It is about 31 miles back to the Key Bridge and Rosslyn. 75ish miles round trip. Great ride.

One of the postings on a WABA website shows the Rosslyn - Whites Ferry - Rosslyn via the W&OD and the C&O as a "very long day". A 75 mile unsupported ride would be a long day for us. Sounds like a great ride but maybe a bit long. Is there a way to shorten it a bit (say 50 miles) and still be able to go up on one path and return on the other? Is the W&OD ok w/700x28 tires?

One of the postings on a WABA website shows the Rosslyn - Whites Ferry - Rosslyn via the W&OD and the C&O as a "very long day". A 75 mile unsupported ride would be a long day for us. Sounds like a great ride but maybe a bit long. Is there a way to shorten it a bit (say 50 miles) and still be able to go up on one path and return on the other? Is the W&OD ok w/700x28 tires?

Don't forget that it is a very flat ride after the first 10 miles. Whites Ferry is the first place to cross the Potomac so no; there is no way to shorten the ride except to take the Metro from Rosslyn to the end of the Orange Line at Vienna which will save you those first hillyish 10 miles.

FWIW we usually do that ride by going up the Tow Path first and back on the W&OD. AND we usually do it on our fixed gears (so it just ain't that hard). Here are some links to a few of our rides on the things (you may have to register to see the pix). Plenty of places to eat on the Virginia side, not so much on the Maryland/DC side.

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=92799
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=160547
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=113587

The W&OD trail is paved with a very nice surface so any road tire is fine.

AND we usually do it on our fixed gears (so it just ain't that hard).
Lol. Uh huh. And how many miles have you and Miss M already logged this year?

Lol. Uh huh. And how many miles have you and Miss M already logged this year?

Oh man, 3-4 thousand.....I'm pretty sure we haven't gotten to 5K yet :o

Don't forget that it is a very flat ride after the first 10 miles. Whites Ferry is the first place to cross the Potomac so no; there is no way to shorten the ride except to take the Metro from Rosslyn to the end of the Orange Line at Vienna which will save you those first hillyish 10 miles.
........


If you check the Metro site you will find out that a tandem is to long and not allowed.

Going out on the C&O & back on the W&OD, how long does it take you? How much time stopped?

We'll have 6 days total in the DC area - maybe 3 days of museums & monuments and 3 days riding. One day on the C&O & W&OD, one day down to Mt Vernon and one day ? Does this sound like a reasonable plan? Would there be a nice circuit to see some of the monuments via bike?

We'll have 6 days total in the DC area - maybe 3 days of museums & monuments and 3 days riding. One day on the C&O & W&OD, one day down to Mt Vernon and one day ? Does this sound like a reasonable plan? Would there be a nice circuit to see some of the monuments via bike?

3 days on the museums and monuments would be too much for me. I think I could handle two (2) eight hour days on the mall before my brain wouldn't care what it was looking at or hearing. The Holocaust Museum is supposed to be good but sobering. I can't recall what is thought of the Native American Museum. Natural History and Air & Space are my favorites. The Art museums are nice but not where I prefer to spend my time. If Air & Space really floats your boat, the Udvar-Hazy Center is a must see (museum is free but I think $10 to park). I also think the WWII memorial is pretty spectacular. Not on the mall but also sobering is Arlington Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknowns is better done on a nice day (a little hike from the Metro stop and then more walking through the grounds). You may very well come across funerals while you are there. The Lincoln Memorial is also nice. Another short trip is to follow the trail along the Potomac to National Airport where you can sit and watch the planes land on your head. Our preferred transportation on the Mall is bike. It is a little distance between locations, especially the monuments. You will save yourself much time and energy getting around on a bike. Pack food if practical as there is not much available and it is expensive. Also, take advantage of restrooms when you can as they can be hard to find. I have never done it but they do have tours of the mall on Segways (little scooters). That would probably be more efficient than walking also.

I only write this to give you a sense of time and effort to see the Mall. If you had time, I would recommend Williamsburg. It is pretty nifty down there. The Baltimore Aquarium and the Inner Harbor is nice also. All those would add driving and would take your whole day though.

Tandems on the Metro are iffy. We have done it twice on the weekend (trailer also) butthat was a few years agon. They may be stricter on the policy now.

Unfortunately you'll miss the Cherry Blossoms, but it has been cold and rainy the last few years with them.

We were thinking of Air & Space, The Interanational Spy Museum, maybe Natural History and maybe American History (Smithsonian?). Never heard of the Udvar-Hazy Center - what is this? Maybe max of 2 museums/day.

I agree about museum/monument overload. That's why I was hoping that alternating bike rides with sight seeing may give us a break. I may want to consider using the bike to tour monuments but probably metro/walk for the museums. I don't think I want to leave the bike locked for a long period of time while we are inside. I'm not sure how security concious we would have to be with the bike out of site while looking at monuments. We'll bring a lock for sure but I wasn't planning on a "determined thief" lock.

Udvar-Hazy (http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/udvarhazy/) is the companion museum to the A&S Museum. This Wiki entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_F._Udvar-Hazy_Center) can tell you more than I can.

It holds the Enola Gay, an SR-71, Space Shuttle Enterprise, a Concorde, various WWII fighters, the Gossamer Albatross (who wouldn't want to try pedaling that :)) to name a few.

American History is another one I like. You might consider splitting up with your wife on that one if you have different interests. You can spend a long time in there in his and hers sections (I'd rather see the trains than look at first lady dresses :lol:). The Spy Museum is interesting also from accounts. There is the Newseum (News Museum), but I do not know much about it.

I like the monuments because you can do them in 30-45 minutes and you don't feel like you shortchanged them. Half the fun is hanging out in the spaces around the monument relaxing and thinking about where you might head next.

There are alot of free events on the mall, some are entertainment related others are issue related (USMC band, Environmental Awareness, Health Awareness, etc.). It might be too early for them to be happening but I am not sure.

If you like theatre, check out what is going on at the many theaters in town, Folger, Kennedy Center, National Theatre, Warner, Arena, etc.

That W&OD ride is a good suggestion if you have time. If not, it would still make a nice ride if you go out as far as you want and come back. Vienna is a nice little place to get to for lunch and come back. Plenty of bike shops there in case you need anything.

The National Zoo is another nice place to see. However, I have to say that I find it a little embarrassing concerning the condition of the zoo. It is a little hike from the metro stop but not too bad.

I agree about leaving your bike for so long at the museums. One thing to realize is that they do not allow bikes on the walk in front of the Vietnam Memorial Wall. You'll have to leave your bike near one of the entrances and come back for it.

+1 on the comments above regarding crowds, traffic and trails.

Going out on the C&O & back on the W&OD, how long does it take you? How much time stopped?

We'll have 6 days total in the DC area - maybe 3 days of museums & monuments and 3 days riding. One day on the C&O & W&OD, one day down to Mt Vernon and one day ? Does this sound like a reasonable plan? Would there be a nice circuit to see some of the monuments via bike?

When we do that loop we usually just stop once in Leesburg for a meal/snack.

How long does it take? 5ish hours maybe with lunch and the ferry crossing. We are not speedsters.

I love the monuments at night. Sunrise from the steps of the Lincoln isn't to be missed either. The Library of Congress is well worth a visit.

From Rosslyn the Marine Corps Memorial (Iwo Jima) is a short walk and Arlington National Cemetery is just past it.

Like I said, if you are up for an early morning thing I can lead you on a nice memorial/monument bike tour (I start work at 9). Sunrise is a great time to see things as most tourists are late risers-their loss.

MB1 - Thanks for your offer. Right now I can't commit to a schedule - maybe as time gets closer. We'll likely make a rough schedule and then modify based on weather and experiences from previous days. I kind of doubt that we would be able to finish a ride by 9 AM - but we'll see.

Other than Leesburg are there other stops along the way for food & such?

Another option, if you are there during the weekend, is to take a ride with the Washington area tandem group. Here is the website:

http://www.dctandems.org/

However, the May ride schedule is not up yet.

...Other than Leesburg are there other stops along the way for food & such?

Lots, you shouldn't have any problems.

I live in DC and am glad to answer any specific questions.

One thing I will tell you is the popular MUTs on weekends (and weekday afternoons) are no fun at all.

Lots of bike parking near all the museums, just lock your tandem with 2 big sturdy U-Locks AND a cable.

BTW the C&O Canal Tow Path is indeed an amazingly beautiful ride but be aware it is a dirt surface.

What kind of distances are you looking to ride? We might be up for a tour of the city if you folks are early risers.


We will be riding DC to Pittsburgh in 2 weels on 2 tandems (8 feet long). The DC Metro regularions say max bike length is about 80 inches which is way shorter than our bikes. Is teh Metro authoriytu strict in this? Any suggestions to get from Union Station to C&O trailhead?

Thanks!!

We will be riding DC to Pittsburgh in 2 weels on 2 tandems (8 feet long). The DC Metro regularions say max bike length is about 80 inches which is way shorter than our bikes. Is teh Metro authoriytu strict in this? Any suggestions to get from Union Station to C&O trailhead?

Thanks!!
It really depends on the mood of the station manager, but it's not that far to ride.

From Union Station I'd head south-west to the Capitol/Beginning of the National Mall. Then ride along the mall until you get to the waterfront. From there you make a right and can pretty much stay next to the water until you hit the beginning of the C&O.

http://washcycle.typepad.com/map.html

We will be riding DC to Pittsburgh in 2 weels on 2 tandems (8 feet long). The DC Metro regularions say max bike length is about 80 inches which is way shorter than our bikes. Is teh Metro authoriytu strict in this? Any suggestions to get from Union Station to C&O trailhead?

Thanks!!

How wide are the tires you are going to use? The C&O can be fairly rough in places.

We started on the C&O with 28mm tires. After the recent rains, the trail was pretty pock-marked & muddy. We quickly gave up an switched to the adjacent paved trail.

We started on the C&O with 28mm tires. After the recent rains, the trail was pretty pock-marked & muddy. We quickly gave up an switched to the adjacent paved trail.

Here's a story about how bad the trail can get.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_633399.html

Here's a story about how bad the trail can get.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_633399.html

Thanks for that, we are planning a multi family tour on part of the route and were not sure which section to pick. We'll take the Pittsburgh side after reading this article.

Sorry you guys hit the C&O at the wrong time...We had the good fortune to ride the AP and C&O in July '07. We went west to east from mile marker #1 in Coraopolis Pa. Caught four dry days in a row and had a fabulous experience. After working our way around Pittisburh the AP surface to Cumberland was perfect and the scenery even better. The C&O was rougher but not bad and thankfully it was dry. It was also very scenic, historic and fun until near the last few Locks into DC. We did Monday to Friday and had no trail traffic issues 'til DC. We did the ride on 28's but were prepared to go to 32's if rain had been forecasted for the C&O.
It was one of the all time favorite rides of my life and was worth the 5000+ mile trip to get a chance to do it. I recommend it highly...sad to read that the C&O has deteriorated some but happy to read repairs are in the mix.

Bill J.

Above Great Falls the trail turns muddy. We had to bail at White's Ferry after some rough going. The next day, from Harper's Ferry, the trail was fine up to Antietam where we got off the trail. Basically, wherever the trail has crushed gravel it drains well; where it's clay/dirt and tree-covered chances are it'll be muddy.

We had not problems whatsoever taking the metro with out loaded tandem.

We had not problems whatsoever taking the metro with out loaded tandem.

Is this what you meant to write?

We had no problems whatsoever taking the metro with our loaded tandem.

Metro does not allow Tandems in the system. Check their WEB (http://www.wmata.com/getting_around/bike_ride/bikes_rail.cfm) site.

Metro does not allow Tandems in the system. Check their WEB (http://www.wmata.com/getting_around/bike_ride/bikes_rail.cfm) site.

Regulations and firsthand experience are not strictly in alignment in this case.