# DC Ride Route help!?



## Lifelover (Jul 8, 2004)

I'm considering arranging a day trip up to DC with a group of friends and I'm looking for some help developing the ride route and the general plan.

We are in Tidewater so it's about a 3 hour + drive to Northern Va. I would like to try and plan a single day trip that includes about 75 miles of riding. I would like the ride to be mostly geared towards casual speeds and mostly on muts/trails. However, a couple of my friends are hammer heads and will not be happy unless I include at least a few long sections (10 miles or so?) where they can paceline at 20+.

Ideally we will park as far south as reasonable and the plan must include a tour of the monuments! Some suggested lunch/dinner stops would be nice as well.

I envision leaving tidewater around 6:30 AM, starting the ride around 10:00 AM and giving ourselves as late as 6:00 or 7:00 PM to be back on the road going home.


Anybody got suggestions on a route, parking location, best day of the week (traffic/crowds)?

Thanks


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Park at Mount Vernon (free parking) and take the Mount Vernon Trail to the 14th Street Bridge (the first bridge past the airport). The MVT starts at the north end of the Mount Vernon parking lot.

15 miles later cross the 14th Street Bridge which drops you off right at the Jefferson Memorial and Tidal Basin.

You can easily explore the monuments and memorials from there and your hammerhead buds can paceline to their hearts content around Hains Point (don't paceline at speed on the Mt Vernon MUT).

Get the ADC "Washington Regional Bike Map" for more info and visit bikewashington.org for details of the area.


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## Lifelover (Jul 8, 2004)

MB1 said:


> Park at Mount Vernon (free parking) and take the Mount Vernon Trail to the 14th Street Bridge (the first bridge past the airport). The MVT starts at the north end of the Mount Vernon parking lot.
> 
> 15 miles later cross the 14th Street Bridge which drops you off right at the Jefferson Memorial and Tidal Basin.
> 
> ...


Win-Win reply. I'l take the advise but even more thanks for moving the thread. I had always looked in the "southeast" regional forum and had never even opened the "Mid Atlantic".


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## KWL (Jan 31, 2005)

Lifelover said:


> Some suggested lunch/dinner stops would be nice as well.


While toodling along on MUTs you could do what is known as the Arlington Loop and stop by Cap City Brewpub. Starting at Key Bridge, go west on the Custis Trail until it meets up with the W&OD trail. Turn east on the W&OD, stopping at Cap City in Shirlington. You can eat outside with your bikes in sight. The next part wanders around a bit and is less than clear, but you end up crossing over I-395 on a ped/bike bridge and following Martha Custis Drive down to Glebe Road to a trail that follows 4-Mile Run to the Mt Vernon Trail at National Airport.


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