Southeast - NoVa Safe commute route? - Leesburg to Chantilly

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mpomata
01-16-12, 10:03 AM
Posted this over in the Northeast forum too since I live in that NoVa no mans land

I'm looking to commute from Leesburg VA to Chantilly VA. Can anyone suggest a safe morning commute path?

Any way you slice it you have to travel/cross Rt 28 or Rt. 50 both of which are not bike friendly at all. Taking secondary routes and crossing 50 would probably be my best bet. Wonder if there's any lesser known dirt/access roads I could use to stay away from the 55mph two lane roads too???

Thanks

ks1g
01-16-12, 09:22 PM
Where in Chantilly? My commute is to Chantilly from Herndon. It may be possible to ride down from Leesburg to the South Riding area, and then east into Chantilly (I looked into it when I was riding a "dawn patrol" ride west on the W&OD and was wondering if I could ride to Leesburg and still make it to work at a reasonable time). I think it is easiest to just come down the W&OD into Herndon (at least as far as Crestview at Mile marker 21), then head south. Centreville Rd is not too bad southbound in the morning, and you can bail into parallel office parks or shopping centers as you approach 50. The office parks south of Rt 50 and across 28 are not too bad. Northbound, I use Centreville Rd in the summer (daylight) but usually take some combo of subdivision roads, McLaren, and Van Buren/Monroe into Herndon. You can catch the W&OD back to Leesburg from there. This route adds about 1-1.5 miles vs. the straight shot on Centreville Rd but there are fewer dicey spots northbound with cars that way (McLaren to West Ox and the Toll Rd underpass in particular). Speaking of dicey with cars, crossing 28 can be "interesting" but so far only one "WTF!" in 10+ months.

PM me where you are going in Chantilly and I may be able to suggest routes.