fallsjay

i dont want to go up to gtown to cross the mighty potomac but what can i do to cross it? i cant do 495. how can i cross it on bike?

Guest

Can you take Beach Ave to Independence (I think), then jump over the Memorial Bridge and onto the Mt. Vernon bike path? Then from there, head north to the Custis Trail and ride Custis to the W & OD. From there, you can ride W & OD to McLean. I think you'd get off at Gallows Rd, which is McLean.

DCCommuter will know best. He's one of the kings of DC commuting. Drop him a PM

Koffee

Falkon 

hey, if washington can do it, you can too!

Slow Train

The obvious solution would be to cross the river using Chain Bridge. To get there take the Capital Crescent Trail down until it intersects the C&O canal then follow the canal upstream for just a bit. There you will come across the Chain Bridge with a corkscrew bike ramp to get you up from the canal to the bridge surface.

I've never cross the bridge but I'm told there is a killer hill on the other side. Maybe time for granny

If you need further assitance for Rockville to the river let me know as I'm pretty familair with that area. The VA side I'll leave to someone else. I one of those DC folks that "never" cross water.

Slow Train

I think that was the Delaware

cc_rider

That's a LONG commute.

Koffee's route works, although I'd cross at Key Bridge and save 4 miles.

Much shorter is Chain Bridge
From Rockville, take Seven Locks to MacArthur towards DC.
Near the DC line MacArthur crosses over the Capital Crescent trail.
(I think this connection works, but someone correct me if theres is a better way)
Just inside DC turn right (on Norton I think). Either off of Delacarlia Pl or Potomac Ave is a connection to the Capital Crescent (I've seen it from the CCT side)
Get on the CCT headed for Georgetown. At Fletcher's head out on the C&O to Chain Bridge (1 mile)
Cross Chain Bridge and at the Virginia end turn right going up Chain Bridge Road. Up a big (but not too bad) hill, then a few more miles straight into Mclean. 123 is busy, but except for the hill has a wide shoulder.
Depending on where you're headed (Tyson's, WestPark, Springhill, Pimmit, downtown McLean, etc) there are diffferent back roads you can finish with. Can get you info if you need it.
This way saves about 10 miles over the Key Bridge route.

ST - beat me while I was typing.

Guest

Whoops. My bad. I meant to say get off at the Key Bridge- takes you through Rosslyn and Georgetown.

Koffee

fallsjay

I will try the shorter version over the weekend and see how long it takes. How long do you think that should take? do you think that is too long of a commute? i figured if i could handle the commute i would join a gym so i could shower up before work. i have to figure out if it is worth the time. if i could keep the process under 1.5 hours from door to desk i think it would be interesting to do two or three times a week. what are your thoughts?

fallsjay

thank you for your input bu the way. I couldnt think about the efficient way to do it and you have given me something to shoot for. 495 would be 15 miles... it is a shame i can't do that. i could be on the HOV lane...

Slow Train

I typically allow for 4 minutes/mile travel time. So my daily 10 mile commute to work takes 40 minutes (excluding bike prep before hand and shower afterwards). You didn't say how long you route comes out to being but I'm guessing 25 mile-ish?

Here is a tool to mark your route and come up with the distance:
Gmaps Pedometer

CHenry

From Rockville, follow Old Georgetown Road south into Bethesda. Pick up the Capital Crescent Trail in downtown Bethesda. (Easiest is right next to the Honda dealership on Bethesda Ave.) Follow the CCT to Massachusetts Avenue. There is a paved ramp that takes you from the bike path down to street level. Follow Mass Ave. south to Westmoreland Circle. Exit the circle on Delacarlia Parkway. Follow the Parkway to the end at Sibley Hospital and turn right. At the bottom of the hill, turn left onto MacArthur Blvd. Follow MacArthur toward Georgetown. Turn right at Arizona Ave. Follow Arizona Ave. to the T-intersection at Canal Rd. Turn right. Go 0.2 miles to Chain Bridge and turn left. At the Virginia side of the bridge, turn right to climb the hill. This road is Route 123 and is steep and narrow at the start.At the top of the rise, it becomes a busier divided highway. Maclean is a 3-4 mile ride away from the city on this road.

Alternatively, follow the CCT to the Arizona Ave railroad bridge. There is a rutted dirt path you can portage your bike down to Canal Road. Go to the Chain bridge from there.

Unless you are a climbing beast, a granny gear would be a good plan.

cc_rider

Wouldn't going from Rockville thru Bethesda be the long way around?
Seven Locks is fairly direct and reasonably bike friendly. Friendlier that Old Georgetown, at least.
But once you are on the CCT, stay on it to Fletcher's. No need to deal with traffic, stop lights, or even a single road crossing (there are none)

CHenry

Traffic is one-way inbound on Canal Rd. fom Arizona Ave in the mornings. If you go to Fletcher's, the only way to the bridge is against that traffic. You are better off going down the dirt path, or going the Mass Ave route. Alternatively, you might be able to get off the CCT by the Delacarlia water treatment plant south of the tunnel and take the sidestreets through the Palisades neighborhood to Arizona Ave. More scenic and less traffic.

cc_rider

Not the only way.
I was thinking CCT to Fletcher's, then the C&O straight to the Chain Bridge ramp. No Canal Road. No roads at all. No traffic, except for trail traffic. No extra hills.

And a mile on the C&O is hard to beat for scenery......
Except for Chain Bridge itself. The view up the Mather Gorge is one of my favorites.

You might even see a few turtles

CHenry

You could also go from Old Georgetown west on Democracy Blvd. to Seven Locks. Take Seven Locks to MacArthur at the Cabin John Post Office. The bike trail next to MacArthur will take you into DC from there or you could take the towpath and avoid the one-way bridge.

cc_rider

I thought about that, but other than Old Anlger's Inn the connections from MacArthur to the C&O that I've taken are not easy and not fun. To much carrying the bike up and down steps.
Is there an easier way between the two? Some of those paths up/down the palisade are a bear.

edit - Is there a connection at Glen Echo? I looked for one once but didn't find it.

CHenry

I haven't used it, but the C&O Canal bicycling guide says there is a connection between 79th St. and the towpath near Lock #8. 79th connects to MacArthur near the Deli/ Post Office.

cc_rider

I found the connection between MacArthur and the CCT.

I was riding hills in N. Arlington today and took a sidetrip across Chain Bridge to the C&O and CCT. Before the bridge at Delacarlia, there is a set of wood steps on the right/north side of the trail. Goes up to Potomac Ave. Any of the cross streets will get you to MacArthur.

Coming down MacArthur from Maryland - turn right at the light at Norton St (Loughboro on the left), immediately past the Delacarlia water treatment plant (first traffic light in DC). Go down the side of Delacarlia and where Norton meets Potomac you can a) take the dirt path straight and behind the fence, connects to the CCT close to the bridge, or b) turn left on Potomac Ave, at almost the bottom of the "hill" there is a pea gravel path and the top end of the wooden stair.

edit - Just looked at that map of the Cabin John connection. Looks like it work, too. At the Seven Locks / MacArthur intersection, probably saves a couple miles over the CCT, and avoids all traffic. Probably a mess in the rain.

fallsjay

you guys are AWESOME!!! i have so much to learn... ok, i picked up my bike sat. but needed a chain because mine broke in like 10 min. by the time i got home it was after the 2 rainsotrms and close to 8 so i bagged it. woke up at 7 and headed through wooton prky to seven locks to macarthur. couldnt find the cct (i am green) and headed into gtown and rode to brother in laws off lee highway. ate brunch at harry tap room and went to revolution bike shop a block or so over. There was a girl there who new everything. she was fantastic. she helped me buy sunglasses with the replaceable lenses. and some other stuff. she knew as much about the equipment as she did about the bikes. cute chick despite the lip ring... anyway rode back through gtown and macarthur when my gears started randomly changing so went to bethesda by way of goldsborough and went to big wheel bikes where i bought the bike and they adjusted. went back to seven locks and was almost home 3 or 4 miles away. and my chain brok in 2. spent 1.5 hours finding the pieces and putting it back on when i started riding it broke again. called wife who had to pick me up. very sad. will go to bike shop tomorrow for new chain. AGAIN. thanks for your guidance i need to learn a lot but i am motivated and reallhy had a great ride on my new bianchi cross veloce. not as hip as other road bikes but i will get there soon enough...

cc_rider

Happy to help.
Two chain breaks in one day??? Something wrong with that. In many years and many 1000's of miles of riding I've never broken a chain.

You never said what part of Tyson's you were headed to. Where you are going will help determine what roads you use in Virginia. If you are on the Merrifield / Vienna side, W&OD would be better than route 123, and Key Bridge might be better than Chain Bridge.

fallsjay

I gotta go to rt. 7 and international drive. the microstrategy/capital grille buidling. i don't know if i can hack the seven locks trip in the am and still get to work in time. it might take 2 hours to get there. i don't know. I will try to get in better shape and get used to the bike. right now i am not sure it is realistic for me. maybe in 6 months i can do it.

the chain thing was horrible. i think what happened is when i took to the guy to fix the fact that i "stretched" the chain he made it too tight. i also think my 6'5 250 pound frame must have grinded the gears while going up hill and shifting. it was really annoying.

here is another question for you, i can stradle the bike over the frame (not seat) and plant both feet on the ground and be around an inch over frame. is that good enough or should i go with the bigger bike. it is probably too late anyway to change. i like being able to straddle the thing without being on tip toes and feel more balanced that way. the reason i ask is i was wondering if i was too long or the frame was too short for me. how does a rider know if he is too big for his bike? the bike shop didn't say i was he said i was fine but then you start looking at the chains and other things so confidence reduces a bit. any thoughts??? anyway thanks again. rockville to tyson's corner is a little bit longer then i can do at this time. which is horrible because i couldn't get it out of my head. if it becomes doable I would join a gym to shower before work. I would be able to lose weight commuting. that would be efficient. oh well...

cc_rider

If you have a bike that is not too expensive, you could leave it at either the Vienna or Dunn Loring Metros and take the train that far. A bike ride from the Metro isn't bad.

If you want to combine bike and car, you could drive to somewhere just over the river and bike from that part of Mclean. Maybe find a place to park off of Georgetown Pike so you can get to and from the bridge quickly. I can probably come up with a way to your work, but Microstrategy is one of the worst places to get in and out of. If by bike, the Gallows Road side is easier.

added - Or drive down Seven Locks and park somewhere in Cabin John. Cuts several miles out. Then the C&O or MacArthur/CCT to Chain Bridge.

fallsjay

ironically i never thought of the combo. drive and bike is interesting and does offer options. i might have to ditch the car like you mentioned and take the bike due to the price and my being angry when i find it stolen one day. i need to figure the time out. going home is easier but then i will need to get back. that is the tough part. mclean is a horrible location for everything. traffic stops at falls road and is stop and go to the bridge. i might end up just driving my bike to work and biking afterwards in va but i don't know the area well and there will be a lot of traffic. besides to me the fun is making it. i think it is insane to bike from the office to home and i love that...

cc_rider

Parking near Cabin John also has the advange of not having to drive over the American Legion Bridge.
But the Tysons route in is difficult.

Close to where you work is the W&OD trail. (I somtimes ride it after work.)
Take Gallows Road south. Just past Idlywood and the trail crossing, turn left into the neighborhood. There is a small lot on the trail and places to park on the street.
I also like the Accotink Stream Valley trail. Starts at route 50 and Nutley Street and runs all the way to Lake Accotink. Mostly gravel. Nice change from the W&OD

gibbain

I go from Bethesda to Tysons 2 and I found that a nicer way to go, instead of taking 123 the whole way from chain bridge, is to take N. Glebe Rd to Chesterbrook, take a small jog to Linway terrace, then Old Dominion to 123, 123 to Lewinsville Rd. I find Lewinsville is a safter way to get over the beltway and toll road. Lewinsville basically turns into international drive at the toll road.