help with a commuting route
 

I recently purchased my first road bike and would like to start commuting to work on days my carpool falls through, is there a website where i can easily plan a route, otherwise I'm open to suggestions on a route from clifton to belle view alexandria, i have no problem driving and starting from centreville or burke but i would like to avoid riding along high speed roads (ie. clifton rd), thanks in advance

Google maps has a cycling option:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&bi...-8&sa=N&tab=wl

This seems to suggest using the path beside the Fairfax Cty parkway. My understanding is that path is not necessarily continuous.

mapmyride.com
ridewithgps.com
bikely.com

Just a few of many

Wow! Compared to the roads in my neighborhood, you've got a LOT of turns on your route.
http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Cl...&z=12&lci=bike

That's a long ride.

Does anybody know what average speed Google assumes a rider will go? I'm faster than the estimated times, happily.

You should look a getting on the W&OD Trail around Vienna and then the Four Mile Run Trail/Mount Vernon Trail down to Belle View. There may be other routes, but that's the only one I'm familiar with and would highly recommend. Bike Washington is a good website http://bikewashington.org.