SpongeDad

Went out of a light spin today from Bethesda and decided to head over to the dark side - Virginia. The ride down the Mt. Vernon trail was predictably crowded, so I can't complain except for the part in Alexandria where they closed the trail. So I decided to turn around and go the other way. Rode the Curtis trail for a while about 6 miles past Roosevelt Island - pretty much the same but without the Potomac to look at.

So where does one ride to in NoVa to avoid the constraints of narrow MUPs and /or crazy traffic?

KevinF

The PPTC has a huge on-line cue-sheet library for Virginia: https://www.bikepptc.org/cuesheets/by-loc#VA

Most of them start a little ways out, but the reward for driving a bit is worth it to get the heck out of the traffic situation in the Beltway area. Man, I miss those rides , but I sure don't miss the weather.

orcanova

There is a North Arlington hills ride that has some posted queue sheets on some of the local websites. Essentially it is Lorcum Lane from Spout Run, Military Road, Glebe Rd., Williamsburg Rd. and some of the lesser roads up in there. Quiet, with very wide bike lanes, hills, etc., but you have to be creative to make it longer. You can take Custis trail to that shopping center at Spout Run and Lee Hwy., and 30 meters of sidewalk get you onto Lorcum Lane.

It is legal to ride on the GW Parkway: too dangerous North of Old Town, but when traffic is light, you can ride on the parkway between Old Town and Mt. Vernon. You can do laps at Ft. Hunt Park on the way. The Mt. Vernon trail between Old Town and Mt. Vernon is actually pretty nice for a sprinty, technical ride, but DEFINITELY not when you chose to do it. Only at off peak times, and you will find it almost all to yourself if you go off-peak. At one point you can ride on the road parallel to the trail, which is called West Boulevard.

Beware that Alexandria Police are ticketing cyclists, particularly for blowing stop signs, on the bike route as it runs on Union St. in Old Town. They have had problems with weekend warriors ignoring the signs and buzzing the old waddlers and tourists. They are in an enforcement campaign so be cool going through Old Town. Alexandria wants to be more bike friendly but they are expecting cyclists to be more respectful.

Some groups do repeats up and down Eisenhower Ave. in Alexandria. I've never done it, because it doesn't appeal to me.

probable556

The Vernon Trail on the weekend is hell on asphalt.

+1ish for N.Arlington. Lot of really bike friendly roads includiing Pat Henry, G. Mason, etc. Maybe try Walter Reed starting in Shirlington and then up north and around up there.

To "avoid the MUP traffic" completely, gear up on the knobbies and hit Fountainhead or Schaefers.

SpongeDad

thanks guys - I don't want to sound like a total whiner - I knew there'd be plenty of people out today. On the MD side, I'd normally head out to Poolesville, and was wondering what the comparable ride in NoVA would be.

As my boys get more into cycling, I think the mtb ride is going to become more frequent.

cc_rider

I second North Arlington. I love both Williamsburg and Military. Yorktown is a good hilly challenge. Arlington has a nice on-rald bike system to go with the trails.
Chain Bridge Road up from Chain Bridge, turning into Dolly Madison, gets you to Mclean.
From Glebe take Chesterbrook, Kirby, Idlewood to Vienna.
Westmoreland and Great Falls/Lewinsville between Mclean and Falls Church.
Wilson Blvd and Clarendon Blvd have good bike lanes between Roslynn to Clarendon. Fairfax Drive gets you thru Ballston, then I usually switch back to Wilson to get to the W&OD.
And there are countless residential routes.

Mid-county are some lesser used bike paths - Braddock Road, route 123 and Fairfax County Parkway - where you can get up some speed without fighting for a lane with the heavy highway traffic. Along 123 from Fairfax City to Occaquan is one of my favorite runs, and in 10 miles I'll often pass less than a dozen other trail users.

probable556

Those are good runs, although the noise of fast moving traffic is a bit uninspiring. 123 from Fx City to Occquan is a decent ride and if you descend into the park, you have a nice grind climbing back up to 123 from river level.

orcanova

A fellow cyclist just told me that if you go beyond Mt. Vernon to Ft. Belvoir, you can enter Ft. Belvoir if you show your a DL or valid ID at the gate. He said there are some good rollers in there, so you can add some miles in there as well. I never knew that.

biker128pedal

Unless it was made 4 lanes East/West Braddock Road from Mount Vernon out to Scroggins Road in Alexandria has some nice short hills.

Lithuania

i usually ride on the gw parkway to mt vernon and then on to route 1. I stay on route 1 for about 3 or 4 miles and make a left on old colchester and then another left on gunston road. I double back at the end of gunston road and make a right on colchester but this time cross route 1 and stay on telegraph road. From there I take a left on van dorn and then a right on eisenhower which takes you back to old town.

J.Lockdown

I road out in poolsville today and yesterday and it was pretty good, but it would be nice to do similar and mix it up a bit. Today however was pretty busy with other bikers on some roads I was taking. A couple were taking up almost a hole lane and I had to push between two of them cause they were not listening to me saying I was coming on the right.

cc_rider

Noise on the Parkway is worse than on Braddock or 123.
I usually avoid that grind on 123. I do a loop from Fairfax City down 123 to Occoquan, Old Bridge to the PW Parkway to Manasas, Centerville to Braddock Rd and back to Fairfax. 40 to 60 miles depending where I start and if I make the side trip to Brentsville.

Step Down

come out to Prince William Co. a short drive in traffic down I 95 south go down Old Bridge Road to the where the AAA baseball team plays it's called the McCord building. Free parking as it is county building you will see a bunch of cars/vans etc with bike racks. From this starting point you can ride 7.3 miles with one stop light a mile from the start. The rest is 7 miles of varied terra with one climb about a half mile at 4 percent. There are no skaters, strollers, walkers etc, just a couple of runners now and than. It is what a bike path should be. When it ends in Manassas take a left and go down the 234 bike path with NO obstructions for around 8 or more miles, why, the whole thing borders the Prince William forest where no building is allowed, again no skaters, strollers, some walkers but that is it. PW county has been a blessing to me and all the other riders that either live out here or the many who come out here to ride. I dont have a odometer but I think the total bike path length I just discribed is about 22 miles each way, turn around at I 95 and return the same way to the Mccord Building and that is a good ride.


regards

steppy

before I hit post replay I had a slight pause that I was giving away one the best kept rides in the DC area.

DrPete 

Capitol Hill Bikes runs a sunday ride--starts at the shop at 9AM-- and heads into the arlington area for some hill work, etc. It's definitely a good time, and a ride frequented by the team's cat 3/4 crowd.

StanSeven

Potomac Pedalers has a good ride out of Belle Haven park that mostly runs along side of the Parkway. You have the last couple of miles on the parkway just before Mt Vernon.

I often just ride the parkway. Drivers are surprisingly courteous and watch for you.

If the pptc ride isn't lomg enough, you can get in Ft Belvoir my showing a drivers license. Cut through the base to Telegraph Road south. Cross Rt 1 and stay on the road, which changes to Glouchester. Take a right at the intersection and you can go out to Mason Neck park and see Eagles.

Check out a road map. You can go from there to Clifton and some really scenic country roads.

JimF22003

The few times I've ridden on the GW parkway beyond Belle Haven the other traffic seemed none too pleased to have me there. I got several honks, and I noticed one guy giving me the "tsk tsk" head shake in the rear view mirror as he passed. Oh well.

orcanova

That's a pretty good group to ride with. Seems funny driving from VA to DC for a VA ride, but the 9 AM start is pretty nice, the drive to Capitol Hill Bikes is quick, since its right off the expressway, even if the group splinters on the climbs they wait and reconnoiter at certain points, and when you are done, you are right by Eastern Market, so you can pick up some goodies for the day, and for the house. Very nice group of people...and if you are hurting that morning, there is a slower, more social ride that winds through Bethesda, stopping at a coffee shop, and its very co-ed and cool.

orcanova

I got buzzed bad a couple times. Its rare, but I'm not giving them the road back. Just don't do it when rush hour is in that direction. Otherwise its fine.