Hi to all my Maryland peeps!

I've recently joined the BF and already posted one intro post, but thought I'd say hello here too.

- Kelly

Welcome!

Hey guys,

I need some routing help. I need to find a way from Timonium to Annapolis.

Here is the setup. Next saturday (May 12) we have a wedding to go to. Plus I have been looking for ways to increase my mileage.

So friday I am going to drop the kids at my parents for the day, and to spend the night. Friday I am going to bike home via this route

Saturday the wedding is at 10am, with the reception at 11:30 Here in Timonium.

So really I need a direct as possible, bike safe route from Timonium to around BWI. From the BWI trail I can take the B&A down to my parents house to pick the kids back up.

The only biking i have ever done in baltimore is the Tour Du Port, so I am not great with which rides are the best to bike. I am not scared of traffic. I am used to 2 lane country roads with moderate traffic and little to no shoulder. I just don't want to end up on roads that are bike restricted or anything.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

-D

Here's what I would do:

https://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path...um-to-BA-Trail

Cool!

I didn't even think about just shooting down York Rd. It can be fairly busy but with 4 lanes it shouldn't be too bad right?

How is MLK to bike on? I know it can be fairly busy too, but plenty of lanes for people to go around.

-D

I think it'll be ok. Just ride with confidence.

Maybe Barry or Charlie will chime in with their opinions.

Here it is then. A full 17 miles shorter than the ride home to my house.


https://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Wedding-to-Parents


Yea I am not too worried. Part of the ride down near my parents on College Pwky is a 4 lane divided road with 50MPH speed limits and I never have problems.

Heck, I was riding tuesday with a friend out in Howard County. Route 108 was so backed up we had to weave messenger style.

I do like the elevation profile for the ride

40 miles. Nice! Elevation should be decreasing steadily.

Well, maybe not... look like you fall off a cliff at mile 8 or so.

Yea, it should be nice after the friday night 57 mile elevation increasing steadily ride.

Yea! silly bikely.

-D

I don’t care much for the MLK close to Howard St but south of 40, it’s fine (for the reasonably fast.) If traffic is heavy you are keeping up with it, if it’s light they go around. And if you are slow there is a sidewalk to ride on. But my experience has been more south bound then north bound. YMMV

FWIW I know a couple of east dwelling cyclists (not on this forum) who swear by using Hanover/ Potee St bridges. I keep meaning to try it out but so far I haven’t tried it.

And Charley I got your email and I will try and get to answering it.

Thanks guys! Now I am actually excited about this wedding. (I generally am not a big fan, I find them boring). But now I can say "gee honey, I'd better get on the bike. I gotta go get the kids" Plus I should get in about 100 miles between friday night and saturday.

-D

I drove Hanover St to check it out as a possible route to Annapolis. My initial impression was that it isn't maintained well other than maybe the bridge. After the bridge it was a tight squeeze in one spot with only two lanes of traffic and parking on both sides.

FWIW As far as ambience on the route I am more partial to Charles/St Paul then York. Nicer yet is Mays Chapel to Falls but that will also add some climbing in as well and spoil that lovely descent you have going there. But there is not much here in Balto that poses any real problem to a cyclist that knows what they are doing and rides with confidence. So enjoy the ride what ever route you take!

BTW if you guys like solving route puzzles I can post some of the questions I get on here and see what you think. Any way this fellow wants to go from Parkville to Woodlawn and avoid bad neighborhoods and heavy traffic. This is my best guess:
https://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/NorthernPkwEW (He was doing Harford, North, Franklinton)

Baltimore County rider here.
Roads are terrible here in Middle River. My neighborhood is nothing but potholes . I'm not interested in riding through the city, so I wind up driving to the Balt. and Annap trail to ride. That or get on my hybrid and ride the NCR.

Please explain the bikely to me - all I see is a purple line but no street names!I agree about the Charles street comment over York Road - for a few miles at least especially close to the city/county line. Nice sholder and less cars.

Zoom in further. You will see road names. Also make sure you are either in map or hybrid mode. All of the map controls are in the upper right

-D

You aren't too far away from me. I live in Essex.

So, what roads are you referring to? Some are worse than others. Some have more debris on them (glass, nails, tacks, metal shards). An example of a debris-strewn route is the bike lane on Pulaski Hwy (Route 40). Due to the landfill on Days Cove Rd, you can hope to pick up any of the above listed tire killing debris. It would be nice if the county would send a road sweeper along the lane periodically.

Anyway, you can report potholes and other road maintenance issues here:

https://baltimore.customerservicereq...alt/Controller

To request bike-specific facilities, go here:

https://www.baltometro.org/content/view/289/239/

And, here's a handy Maryland Zip Code lookup, in case you need it for filling in some of these forms:

https://www.50states.com/zipcodes/maryland.htm

This weekend's Baltimore Bike Club rides (For contact information, go to https://www.baltobikeclub.org/index.pl/scheduled ):

Saturday - May 5
CASUAL – 9 am - 17 miles
START: Anneslie Shopping Center on York Rd.
A revival of an old Club favorite developed by Virginia Phelan: The Spring Garden tour. We will visit Cylburn Park, the Conservatory at Druid Hill Park, and Sherwood Gardens tulips. Some hills to climb. We will regroup several times. Directions from I-695, go south on York Rd. approximately 4 miles to Anneslie Shopping Center on the Left. Park in the adjacent Drumcastle Center lot. Bring a snack. Optional lunch afterwards at Paneras.

10/12 MPH - 10 am - 32 miles
START: Fells Point, Baltimore. Recommended parking locations are anywhere you would normally park to go to the Inner Harbor or the streets east of Fell's Point (S. Broadway) and south of Eastern Ave. Just arrive early enough to bike to ride start from parking location if not parking in Fells Point itself. Meet at the bottom of S. Broadway.
Scott's famous Baltimore Waterfront Ride to North Point State Park. Flat, partly rural ride through Fells Point, Canton, Dundalk, Edgemere, Millers Island and North Point State Park on the Chesapeake Bay. Food/rest stop enroute.

10/12MPH - 10 am - 36 miles
START: Western MD Rail Trail, Big Pool - West on I-70 to Exit 12. Take MD 56 South toward C & O Canal, Ft. Frederick and Big Pool. Go half mile to parking lot on right Western Maryland Rail Trail. Travel time from Baltimore is about 2 hours.
Western Maryland Rail Trail. Start at Big Pool and ride to Hancock for lunch at Weavers; then back to start.

13/15 MPH - 9 am - 56 miles
START: RUN - Runnymede Elem. School
Carol and Walt's ride to Thurmont.

15/17 MPH - 9 am - 63 miles
START: SPK - Sparks Elem. School
Gene's classic Sparks to Hampstead to Madonna Ride. Rest stops in Hampstead at 20 miles and at Cucina's at 40 miles. Will provide maps and bailout options.

18 MPH - 10am - 64 miles
START: NOC - North Carroll High School
Firecracker ride up to Taneytown for lunch.

Sunday - May 6
CASUAL – 10 am - 25 miles
START: Carroll Island Shopping Center
Tour de Chesapeake: Relatively flat ride through the scenic Bowley's Quarters and Carroll Island sections of Baltimore County. Directions from I695: go East on the Beltway to Exit #36 SR 702 (from the Left Lane). Left turn on Eastern Blvd. at Traffic Light. Go 4 miles to right turn on Carroll Island Rd., then Right turn into Shopping Center.

10/12 MPH - 10 am - 28+/- miles
START: SPK - Sparks Elem. School
Scenic, moderately hilly, low traffic roads w/ stop @ Mia Cucina (formerly Twin Oaks)

13/15 & 15/17 MPH - 9 am - 46/54/61 miles
START: MTV - Mountain View Middle School
John Picket Ride - Beautiful country ride through Carroll and Howard counties. Snack or Lunch stop in Lisbon with opportunity for an additional stop late in the ride. Mostly low traffic areas. Hilly to moderately hilly. The ride includes 1 mile on a well-packed unpaved road but the cue sheet includes an option to avoid it.

15/17 AND 18 MPH - 09:30 am - 63 miles
START: HHS - Hereford Middle School
New Freedom Metric

TANDEM - 10 am - 37/45 miles
START: TMP - Taneytown Memorial Park
Ride to Gettysburg; come join us for a pleasant ride on scenic country roads with a tour of the Battlefield in its spring glory. Lunch / rest stop in Gettysburg; easy to rolling terrain.

For contact information, go to https://www.baltobikeclub.org/index.pl/scheduled

I begged to differ with the Racing NoRacer on the York rd route. Not that one can't do it I just think there are better ways. As mentioned before Charles/ St Paul are much nicer, there's also Falls rd and Roland Ave BUT my favorite rt. from Catonsville to Tim. is cutting through both Druid Hill and Leakin Parks, riding by television hill, over the Jones Falls via 41st , through Hamden Hon',onto Roland Ave. Very bike friendly rt, Much more scenic and relatively flat(including crossing the Jones Falls). Catonsville to BWI trail is downhill all the way. If speed is what you want then NoRacers rt is best. I ride to my parents often(probably today) and love my route. It's not perfect but good.
Why I don't like york rd. I grew up just off of York and Gittings ave. Lots of traffic, neighborhoods and road conditions deteriorate S of Belvedere all the way downtown. They are not horrible areas just better areas nearby. If you are determined to ride this route I would cut over to Charles Street on Gittings. If you want I will bikely it for you. I think I have a gpeds route at work.
MLK is for the fast as Barry mentioned. I hate the area where that mini freeway dumps onto MLK. Cars come off that freeway thinking the speeds are still 55mph especially heading south. Charlie

I just showed the one I would have taken not having the experinece in that area of you or Barry, which is also why I hoped you two would chime in.

He should try my route through Television hill/41st. I'll post the route later. Charlie

What are you doing inside. Get out there and ride Someone bought my beloved vanagon this week and I have to wait for him to show up and drive it away... ...sniff, sniff

I have to go find the title!!!

I'm dropping volume in favor of intervals for the time being. I'll be headed to Oregon Ridge in an hour or so, then I'll bike to Dover Rd where I've been told is a good 1.5 mile hill I can do long repeats on.

I’ve been stuck home most of this week with a really bad chest cold so I haven’t been riding all that much.

FWIW Here’s another route for my route puzzle:

Some hill suggestions for our misnamed NoRacer
https://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.p...&postcount=214
https://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.p...&postcount=217

One of my favorite “distractionary” routes around Television Hill is to take Clipper Rd/Seneca St south to a little dirt path that leads up to the roads behind the zoo. And there is a fun little coffee shop on Clipper Park Rd so I have some reason to take this route