Northern VA commute - any suggestions?
06-11-03, 12:54 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Fairfax, VA
Posts: 16
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Northern VA commute - any suggestions?
I am exploring the possibility of commuting from Fairfax to my job in Reston. Any suggestions on the route? The starting point is near the intersection of Main st (236) and Pickett rd in Fairfax, and the end is Reston Town Center.
06-11-03, 01:49 PM
#2
Veni, Vidi, Vomiti
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Bend, OR
Posts: 3,583
Bikes: Serotta Legend Ti, Pivot Vault, Salsa Spearfish
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I would go north through Mantua, pick up Cedar Lane to Park St., and pick the W&OD bike path to Reston Town Center. Once you are north of I-66, you can thread your way through Vienna to get to the bike path.
06-11-03, 06:57 PM
#3
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Fairfax, VA
Posts: 16
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Steve,
Thank you for the recomendation. I just looked it up on the map;
does Cedar lane have a shoulder or a path along it or will I have to ride with traffic? I am new to this and apprehensive.
Also, this way makes a small loop going east. Is there shorter way to connect to WO&D trail going north on Pickett? There is a bike path on Pickett between Main st and Arlington blvd.
Thank you for the recomendation. I just looked it up on the map;
does Cedar lane have a shoulder or a path along it or will I have to ride with traffic? I am new to this and apprehensive.
Also, this way makes a small loop going east. Is there shorter way to connect to WO&D trail going north on Pickett? There is a bike path on Pickett between Main st and Arlington blvd.
06-11-03, 08:47 PM
#4
Veni, Vidi, Vomiti
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Bend, OR
Posts: 3,583
Bikes: Serotta Legend Ti, Pivot Vault, Salsa Spearfish
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Anuta,
Cedar Lane, unfortunately, does not have a shoulder between Rt. 50 and where it crosses over I-66, as I recall. You might get out a map and drive around to see if you can find a route that minimizes the shoulderless part of Cedar Lane. Once you cross over I-66 you can turn left on Cottage St. and find a route to the bike path through residential neighborhoods. You'll still have to pick up the trail close to the intersection of Maple Ave. and Park St. in Vienna.
If you head north on Pickett, you end up too far west to easily pick up the W&OD path. The roads through Oakton have quite a bit of traffic and don't have shoulders.
Just my $0.02 cents. I don't live in the area any more, so maybe some others from NoVa will have a better suggestion.
SteveE
Cedar Lane, unfortunately, does not have a shoulder between Rt. 50 and where it crosses over I-66, as I recall. You might get out a map and drive around to see if you can find a route that minimizes the shoulderless part of Cedar Lane. Once you cross over I-66 you can turn left on Cottage St. and find a route to the bike path through residential neighborhoods. You'll still have to pick up the trail close to the intersection of Maple Ave. and Park St. in Vienna.
If you head north on Pickett, you end up too far west to easily pick up the W&OD path. The roads through Oakton have quite a bit of traffic and don't have shoulders.
Just my $0.02 cents. I don't live in the area any more, so maybe some others from NoVa will have a better suggestion.
SteveE
06-12-03, 08:48 AM
#5
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Fairfax, VA
Posts: 16
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Steve,
thank you. Your suggestions have been very helpful; I will drive around the area during the weekend and see for myself.
thank you. Your suggestions have been very helpful; I will drive around the area during the weekend and see for myself.
06-18-03, 05:02 PM
#6
Breaker of Spokes
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: N. Virginia
Posts: 493
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I have to ditto Steve's recommendation.
Find some streets that will get you to the W&OD Trail.
I tend to stick to either side streets or neighborhood streets. Occasionally you will have to get on a more traveled road for a bit. Especially since you will need to cross Route 50. That will be your hardest obstacle.
I looked this up recently for someone that was commuting from Springfield to Tyson's. Getting past Route 50 was the hard part. There are enough neighborhood streets and side streets on either side for you to get by without having to get on the more busier streets.
I also recommend you picking up the ADC Bike Route Map. It's got all the trails, plus the streets that are recommended for biking by people that do a lot of biking. It helps. The rest is really a matter of just doing test rides on the weekends until you find a route you are comfortable with.
Good luck.
Find some streets that will get you to the W&OD Trail.
I tend to stick to either side streets or neighborhood streets. Occasionally you will have to get on a more traveled road for a bit. Especially since you will need to cross Route 50. That will be your hardest obstacle.
I looked this up recently for someone that was commuting from Springfield to Tyson's. Getting past Route 50 was the hard part. There are enough neighborhood streets and side streets on either side for you to get by without having to get on the more busier streets.
I also recommend you picking up the ADC Bike Route Map. It's got all the trails, plus the streets that are recommended for biking by people that do a lot of biking. It helps. The rest is really a matter of just doing test rides on the weekends until you find a route you are comfortable with.
Good luck.
06-19-03, 08:56 AM
#7
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Fairfax, VA
Posts: 16
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
P.B. Walker,
I have that map (ADC bike map). But its such a small scale that its often impossible to figure out which street the route corresponds too. On a regular atlas, there are trail markings. Going to route 50 from the south is easy: there is a bike path on a sidewalk along Pickett. Then it looks (from the atlas, not the bike path map) that there is a trail through a park going a little north-east. Then I can take Tapawingo road through Vienna, going mostly west.
I found a map on the web describing this path:
https://www.vabike.org/var_fwod.htm
what do you think? I haven't been able to ride it yet because of all the rain
I have that map (ADC bike map). But its such a small scale that its often impossible to figure out which street the route corresponds too. On a regular atlas, there are trail markings. Going to route 50 from the south is easy: there is a bike path on a sidewalk along Pickett. Then it looks (from the atlas, not the bike path map) that there is a trail through a park going a little north-east. Then I can take Tapawingo road through Vienna, going mostly west.
I found a map on the web describing this path:
https://www.vabike.org/var_fwod.htm
what do you think? I haven't been able to ride it yet because of all the rain
