# My ride to work in DC



## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

I've been riding from Vienna VA to DC for years. It was a nice morning last week, so I went slow and took some pictures. About 98% of the ride is on the system of bike paths we're lucky to have here in the area. I took my trusty Litespeed out that day. You can see that the time hadn't changed yet, so the sun was just coming up.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

The path I start out on is a converted railroad line. A few towns along it have a restored caboose next to the path. When my kids were little, I spent untold hours watching them climb around on it. They even open it up on some weekends.


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## Christine (Jul 23, 2005)

Oh how awesome!! Dedicated bike paths are a magical thing. And that caboose looks like a lot of fun.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

Vienna is a nice town that was kind of small and sleepy when I moved here in 1995, but has become a lot busier with the growth of Tysons Corner. 









Over the beltway ... I'm, sure there's some smart person in his electric car enjoying the traffic. Glad it ain't me. Note the empty HOT lanes. What a disaster that's been.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

A picture of one of my other commuter bikes. can't find any of the Colnago. 









The path goes along I-66 through Arlington, but is separated by a sound barrier









These guys rule the trail down by the river. They don't move for nobody. I still can't figure out whether they are really tough, or really stupid.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

Who knows what goes on in there ...


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

About 12 miles in, I hit Rosslyn. A gross collection of office buildings next to the Potomac river. By 8:00 in the evening, its a ghost town. 









Traffic on the Parkway ... no shortage of that in DC. After living here for 23 years, I've concluded that the most reliable way to get to work is to ride a bike. Metro used to be OK, but it's gone really downhill lately.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

Down by the river -- first there's the wooden bridge that you must respect. It can be wet, slippery and has claimed countless broken bones. That bridge owes my wife a rotator cuff surgery. 

Some Fall color being enjoyed by those in the traffic jam. 

The Washington Monument and Roosevelt Island. Then various pictures of the Memorial Bridge. Note Rosslyn in the background of the first bridge picture.


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## doctormike (Oct 13, 2015)

I really used to enjoy riding through Rock Creek Park on the weekends and the race practice around the Jefferson Memorial. I would ride from Silver Springs to various parts of downtown and/or Arlington and I just remember always dodging buses and cabs.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

I ride across the 14-th street bridge and then past the Jefferson Memorial. You can see Tom standing tall next to the usual tourists.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

Up Raul Wallenberg Place past the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, Holocaust Museum, and U.S. Forest Service building (pictured).


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

Past the USDA arch on Independence ...


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

I'm lucky enough to have my own private bike locker. I never worry about my bike getting ripped off with that and the security here. Clothes are in my office and the shower is right upstairs. It's the best job for bike commuting I've ever had.


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## J.R. (Sep 14, 2009)

Very nice, thanks for sharing :thumbsup:


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## dcgriz (Feb 13, 2011)

10 miles on the Crescent each way every weekday morning and evening. Wish it was double that. Looking forward on the morning ride every day. We are fortunate to have such a bike trail system.


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## Christine (Jul 23, 2005)

Truly sublime!! I'm rather envious. My current job is great for bike commuting- cheap, modern gym, flex time, garage rack. :thumbsup: But dedicated locker?? Wow. 

Someday I'm going to post a photo of the Deutche Bank bike parking. The old one had windows on two sides, chandelier, and carpeting, inside a stately public atrium with armed guards roaming around 24/7. The first day I passed it by on my way to work, my jaw dropped and I gawked through the window. Waited for somebody to swipe in and peppered them with questions.

Now, it's a Starbucks, and the new locker (not nearly as nice, but still amazing) is about half the size, with wall racks and fluorescent lighting, right next door. 

Can't wait to get a video camera so I can record the daily ridiculousness, in direct contrast to photos like these.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

dcgriz said:


> 10 miles on the Crescent each way every weekday morning and evening. Wish it was double that. Looking forward on the morning ride every day. We are fortunate to have such a bike trail system.


We are fortunate to have such a nice system of trails here in the DC area. The best part is that they actually maintain them pretty well. When I first moved here in 1992, I unwittingly rented a house in Falls Church that was about a mile from the W&OD. A colleague were I worked at the time talked me into bike commuting. At the time, I didn't know here the trail was. It was 11 miles each way which seemed like a long way when I started. I later bought a house in Vienna and the commute went to 17 miles each way. Key consideration to both houses I've bought there was the distance to the bike path. 

10 miles is a decent commute. I think I'd ride more days if I had a shorter commute -- especially in the winter. The further out you go, the colder it gets. DC is a good 6-8 degrees warmer than Vienna in the morning. The older I get, the harder it is to ride in the cold. I don't know how that Bruce guy does it. 

So -- record heat wave tomorrow. Who is taking the day off? I'm going to ride to the end of the W&OD with my wife -- about 70 miles round trip. Probably the last long ride of the year


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

I miss riding in the D.C. area. I lived there for a total of about 10 years, in two different stretches, first downtown and later in Silver Spring. There are lots of nice paths, and many good roads, too. I rode on the W&OD Railroad path when it was first constructed, and did a few rides on I 66 before it was opened. It was kind of cool having 4 lanes of brand new interstate-quality pavement with no traffic at all. 

We used to especially enjoy weekend rides from downtown to Mount Vernon, and I sometimes commuted from Silver Spring through Rock Creek Park. Some very nice stretches there. Usually I biked to the Metro, where I had one of those lockers.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

JCavilia said:


> I miss riding in the D.C. area.


When did you live here?


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

pmf said:


> When did you live here?


77 to 84 and 86 to 90. So it's been a while, and I know some things have changed. The explosive growth in Northern Virginia, in particular, was just taking off when we left.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

JCavilia said:


> 77 to 84 and 86 to 90. So it's been a while, and I know some things have changed. The explosive growth in Northern Virginia, in particular, was just taking off when we left.


I moved here in 1992. The cost of living is through the roof. If I hadn't of bought a house before the market exploded I'd be living in a townhouse in Manassas. 

Pretty cool to have ridden down I-66. They're breaking the promise to Arlington residents that it wouldn't be widened. Sounds like its going to be a High Occupancy/Toll (HOT) road. HOT lanes were recently added to the Beltway, but they remain less than popular. The biking is the best part of living here. It definitely maintains my sanity.


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## Christine (Jul 23, 2005)

_The biking is the best part of living here. It definitely maintains my sanity. _

I can see why, the scenery is ridiculous. In a good way!

Today, I was ripping down a pedestrian path that's a bit of a blind curve, though usually empty. I got a bit of a shock when I nearly ran into a guy walking his crotch rocket (not a scooter, a full-blown Japanese-style motorcycle) up the ramp. I fishtailed as I hit the brakes, but managed to pass w/o hitting him. WTF.

Moments like these help keep me alert and all, but man sometimes I wouldn't mind trading the perpetual excitement with the foliage and monuments!


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## dcgriz (Feb 13, 2011)

pmf said:


> So -- record heat wave tomorrow. Who is taking the day off? I'm going to ride to the end of the W&OD with my wife -- about 70 miles round trip. Probably the last long ride of the year



I need to be in the office tomorrow morning until about noonish. Then maybe I'll piggy-back a 20ish mile extension to my regular 10 miler back home. Maybe follow the C&O to Great Falls, cut across and come down Beach Drive in Rock Creek.

Then off to the Philly Expo on Saturday....


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## Christine (Jul 23, 2005)

Rest day. For some reason, I feel really beat up after a round trip day, though I suspect that just getting my butt on the bike wouldn't feel as bad as I anticipate.

I attribute this to the potholes and the lack of gears. A nice, long, uneventful spin on smooth bike paths might not feel as exhausting. But John's idea of a fun ride is on technical downhill trails.

Oh, and it's crazy-humid! Yesterday was only in the mid-60s or so, but 95%+ humidity, wtf. At least I can still use my summer stuff.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

Christine said:


> Moments like these help keep me alert and all, but man sometimes I wouldn't mind trading the perpetual excitement with the foliage and monuments!


Well, there's traffic everywhere, though yours may be more extreme. PMF's pretty pictures make it look idyllic, but MUTs in D.C. aren't immune from the usual issues, like coming around a blind corner and encountering four pedestrians walking abreast. 

But the scenery is really quite dazzling in places. PMF, you'll have to put up some shots in the spring when the tulips come up. The Park Service plants hundreds of thousands of bulbs, and it's quite a show.


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## Christine (Jul 23, 2005)

This morning, I nearly got run over right in front of my office: Light was green, but traffic was too dense for traffic to move, so I crossed at the red since the truck was giving me room. 

But some traffic on the OTHER side of the truck (not much of a lane there) was zipping past. A Mercedes nearly ran me down and as it passed, and the driver yelled "Whadda ya _doin?!"_ Grrr. 

Eight pedestrians have been killed by cars/busses/trucks this WEEK. One in my 'hood last night. Though if I'm going to die getting hit by a car, I'd rather die as a pedestrian than as a cyclist- don't want to contribute to the biking death stats!


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## Steve B. (Jun 26, 2004)

Christine said:


> This morning, I nearly got run over right in front of my office: Light was green, but traffic was too dense for traffic to move, so I crossed at the red since the truck was giving me room.
> 
> But some traffic on the OTHER side of the truck (not much of a lane there) was zipping past. A Mercedes nearly ran me down and as it passed, and the driver yelled "Whadda ya _doin?!"_ Grrr.
> 
> Eight pedestrians have been killed by cars/busses/trucks this WEEK. One in my 'hood last night. Though if I'm going to die getting hit by a car, I'd rather die as a pedestrian than as a cyclist- don't want to contribute to the biking death stats!


I think you answered your own question as to why it's so tiring doing RT's - stress.

Stress in NYC especially. My RT from south shore Nassau (L.I.) to middle of Brooklyn is 54 RT and I've stopped doing RT's as I was just done after one day. 50 out in Suffolk on Sunday AM is tons easier. Dealing with NY drivers is just incredibly tiring having to be on your guard every inch. I realized last year that as much as I like cycling and as much as I'd rather be commuting on a bike, I HATED the route and the areas I had to commute through on portions of the ride. And this was thru the Rockaways and about 1/4 bike path. Nassau was about the worst at rush hour.

So the stress of dealing with traffic and NYC drivers has a huge effect on the quality of the ride, sad to say.


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## mtrac (Sep 23, 2013)

We don't have MUTs in my vicinity so I go through an industrial area to avoid traffic when possible. Downside, besides the poor surface, is the RR frequently blocks crossings.


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## nsfbr (May 23, 2014)

pmf said:


> Who knows what goes on in there ...
> 
> View attachment 310459


Little Falls street. That's where I get on the trail going out to Ashburn. I start out in East Broad in Falls Church. I'll be doing that until it drops below 40 due to my perpetual hands freezing issue. Great thread!


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## mtrac (Sep 23, 2013)

Christine said:


> Eight pedestrians have been killed by cars/busses/trucks this WEEK.


This will probably get moved to PO. Whatever.

Mayor de Blasio says despite 8 pedestrian deaths in 1 week, Vision Zero is working


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## robt57 (Jul 23, 2011)

mtrac said:


> This will probably get moved to PO. Whatever.
> 
> Mayor de Blasio says despite 8 pedestrian deaths in 1 week, Vision Zero is working


WhoTF came up with the name Zero Vision? I mean Vision Zero?


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

JCavilia said:


> Well, there's traffic everywhere, though yours may be more extreme. PMF's pretty pictures make it look idyllic, but MUTs in D.C. aren't immune from the usual issues, like coming around a blind corner and encountering four pedestrians walking abreast.
> 
> But the scenery is really quite dazzling in places. PMF, you'll have to put up some shots in the spring when the tulips come up. The Park Service plants hundreds of thousands of bulbs, and it's quite a show.


I took this earlier this year.


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## Christine (Jul 23, 2005)

mtrac said:


> This will probably get moved to PO. Whatever.
> 
> Mayor de Blasio says despite 8 pedestrian deaths in 1 week, Vision Zero is working


Just read something in the Gothamist about this. 11 killed since Halloween 

Vision Zero makes *bicycling* look safe, I'll give him that much. :skep:

Should be renamed "Zero Vision." The article I read suggests that pedestrians need to be more careful. Granted, there IS a problem with walking/texting, but I don't think any of the victims were doing that, from what I recall. 

I'm still baffled by the van that ran into me out of nowhere, and the elderly woman crossing the street on a clear day, seemingly in full view of the bus that was turning.... there's no good (as in, logical) explanation for some of these incidents.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

nsfbr said:


> Little Falls street. That's where I get on the trail going out to Ashburn. I start out in East Broad in Falls Church. I'll be doing that until it drops below 40 due to my perpetual hands freezing issue. Great thread!


My wife has problems with cold hands and feet. Last year i got her a pair of heated gloves. They have rechargeable batteries in them. A little bit bulky (made for motor cycle riders), but she says they really help. 

It was 31 this morning and I wimped. After taking Friday off -- it hit 80 -- and riding 70 miles to Purcellville, I couldn't do it.


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## dcorn (Sep 1, 2011)

Nice thread, there really is some great scenery in this area. I got into cycling when I lived in Falls Church and luckily found that the W&OD was a little more than 3 miles from my house. I don't get to commute because I work in Southern Maryland, but after work rides were easy peasy. Of course with my luck, I ended up getting hit by a car on my way home from the trail one evening (hit and run, separated shoulder, good times...).

Then I lived in Columbia Heights in the middle of DC for 3 years, which greatly reduced my cycling because it was such a bear to ride 30 minutes out of the city, then 30 minutes back in each time I wanted to have a quick 20-25 miles. That and nearly getting picked off by terrible drivers and idiot pedestrians multiple times a ride... 

Now I'm finally back out of the city in Alexandria. The 4 mile run train is maybe 1/4 mile from my house and another 1/4 mile to the Mt. Vernon trail, so I definitely have no excuse to ride. Maybe one of these days I'll have a rideable commute, but instead I drive 25 miles each way


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## SauronHimself (Nov 21, 2012)

My commute in upstate NY has nice scenery and is generally nice when I'm not being endangered by cars. Yesterday morning I had three near misses. First, a woman pulled out of a Stewarts in front of me but hit her brakes at the very last second, and had I not also swerved it would've been a hit. Then, a pickup truck right hooked me to enter a private driveway. Finally, I got right hooked again on my company's property as I was about to turn toward the main gate, and I had control of the lane, too. People are unobservant and impatient, and that is a deadly combination.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

SauronHimself said:


> My commute in upstate NY has nice scenery and is generally nice when I'm not being endangered by cars. Yesterday morning I had three near misses. First, a woman pulled out of a Stewarts in front of me but hit her brakes at the very last second, and had I not also swerved it would've been a hit. Then, a pickup truck right hooked me to enter a private driveway. Finally, I got right hooked again on my company's property as I was about to turn toward the main gate, and I had control of the lane, too. People are unobservant and impatient, and that is a deadly combination.


It's not purely idyllic here either. The bike paths here intersect cross roads and I've seen some fairly serious accidents. I got hit (or rather hit) a car going down the Rosslyn hill years ago. I wasn't significantly injured, but my front wheel was toast. I go a lot slower down that hill now. I see people doing unbelievably stupid things like racing through an intersection at the last second expecting traffic to stop. I used to ride through downtown DC and through Georgetown, which was no picnic. And MUTs aren't only for bike riders, as someone noted -- I thank god that rollerblading has gone away. Those guys were the worst. Still we're lucky to have the system of paths we do here. There would be no way to ride 17 miles from where I live to Dc if there wasn't.


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## mtrac (Sep 23, 2013)

Am I the only one that has an uninspiring commute? Most of mine is through older NJ suburbs. The below link is the only part with scenery. On the bright side, I get good cooperation from motorists, particularly at night.

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/ge...ur-daily-ride-pics-276358-41.html#post4663534


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## dcorn (Sep 1, 2011)

pmf said:


> I got hit (or rather hit) a car going down the Rosslyn hill years ago. I wasn't significantly injured, but my front wheel was toast. I go a lot slower down that hill now.


I love that hill. I know I'm taking my life in my hands every time I go down it, but if I am lucky enough to catch all the lights perfectly, I love going full bore from the edge of Clarendon/Courthouse all the way down to the hard left turn at the bottom of Rosslyn. It's a strava segment of course, and I think I'm still 4-5 mph behind the KOM speed of 38mph if I remember correctly. Insanity.


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## dcgriz (Feb 13, 2011)

Ahhh....hills.. Coming down all out on McArthur from the entrance to Great Falls will test your disc brakes ... or make you to get some. No lights either.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

dcgriz said:


> Ahhh....hills.. Coming down all out on McArthur from the entrance to Great Falls will test your disc brakes ... or make you to get some. No lights either.


Well, lets not get carried away; it's a perfectly enjoyable little hill, but it's hardly some big mountain descent.

And as for the "need" for disc brakes, somehow riders have been descending long steep mountain roads safely with rim brakes for decades. Discs have advantage in wet conditions, but in dry conditions, the "extra braking power" is marketing hype. 

IMHO. But that's another subject, discussed at length elsewhere.

In any event, I think we can all agree that descending is fun.

;-)


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## dcgriz (Feb 13, 2011)

Oh come on, lighten up! This is not a road disc vs. rim brake debate nor anyone said anything about "needing" discs. 

Coming down that hill I find my self doing around 50mph and that's my limit nowadays. Of course Alpine switchback descenders eat that for breakfast  but this for me is as "Alpine" as it gets close to home.

Two Xmas's ago, I wiped out on that very same road. Something about carbon wheels, wet rims and not feathering out the brakes long enough for the pads to catch.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

dcgriz said:


> Oh come on, lighten up!


Didn't you see my smiley? ;-)



> Something about carbon wheels, wet rims and not feathering out the brakes long enough for the pads to catch


. 

Wet, I conceded the advantage of disc. Anyway, I don't want to debate it especially. And 50 mph is kind of over my limit, too.

Ride on.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

dcorn said:


> I love that hill. I know I'm taking my life in my hands every time I go down it, but if I am lucky enough to catch all the lights perfectly, I love going full bore from the edge of Clarendon/Courthouse all the way down to the hard left turn at the bottom of Rosslyn. It's a strava segment of course, and I think I'm still 4-5 mph behind the KOM speed of 38mph if I remember correctly. Insanity.


You go down that hill to Rosslyn at 38 mph? Well, I guess you're due up in line for a Darwin Award.


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## Fredrico (Jun 15, 2002)

pmf said:


> You go down that hill to Rosslyn at 38 mph? Well, I guess you're due up in line for a Darwin Award.


There's the W&OD MUT alongside Lee Hwy. and then there's Clarendon Blvd. that parallels Wilson Blvd. and goes right by the courthouse. I've made runs to the Social Security office almost all the way down in Rosslyn, having no problem keeping up with traffic.  The climb up Lee Hwy. is a nice heart pounder, isn't it? 

I live a block away from West Park, where the Custis Trail breaks off from W&OD and goes under I-66. Great location! A mile from a block of restaurants, great neighborhood hardware store, post office, library, barber; 2 miles from two supermarkets and the place to drop off the car if it needs repair. 5 miles from Rosslyn. 

I commuted several years to Reston, 14.2 miles each way, all on the W&OD. Rides up the Capital Crescent MUT to the MD burbs then back down Rock Creek Park are always a treat. On weekends the road is closed to cars most of the way. I stayed at the Woodner in the late '80s, on 16th St. right off the Park and a half mile from where I worked in Adams Morgan. Used to meet up with like minded on Beach Drive and do impromptu group rides up into Montgomery County, which at that time was still very rural country. 

There was a Tuesday night ride that started at Wheaton Rec. Ctr. and blasted down Beach Drive, 30-50 riders, looped around a climb up Ross Drive, and back up Beach Drive, sometimes attacking the hill to the east of the Mormon Tabernacle. Is that ride still going? I wouldn't be surprised. 

Morrow Drive snakes up the east side of the park into Carter Barron ampitheater. There was Bjorn Borg, brilliantly lit by the lights, in a pro tennis match. You just never know what you'll see in DC! Or be stopped by motorcycle policemen to protect some head of state moving non-stop through the city, like one time Nancy Reagan going up to the Hilton to a fundraiser. That's where Ronald was shot. I could have seen it from my living room window when I lived on 19th St.

No better way to explore this multifaceted city than by bike. Since the 90s, lots of trails have opened up on every quadrant. Rode out to College Park a while ago on trails I'd never ventured, on the Anacostia River flood plain. My daughter lives in Rockville. She took me on a trail that starts at Wheaton Regional Park and goes way up north into MD. Anywhere you go can be negotiated mostly on bike trails. And gridlock in the city is no problem if you're watching out. Bikes can easily go faster than the cars!


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

It's amazing what they've done to downtown as well. I used to work on 18-th and M street NW years ago. This was back when there were bike messengers who used to hang out in groups at DuPont Circle. I go back there now and there's all these bike lanes on the roads. Very few bike messengers though.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

pmf said:


> Very few bike messengers though.


It's an interesting phenomenon everywhere. Electronic communications, and the willingness of institutions (even courts) to accept electronically-transmitted signatures, has drastically reduced the need to move paper around quickly in cities. Bike messengers, the Postal Service, and overnight deliverers like FedEx have all seen a big drop. On the other hand, e-commerce has increased the package business. You still can't e-mail hardware.


> It's amazing what they've done to downtown as well. I used to work on 18-th and M street NW years ago. This was back when there were bike messengers who used to hang out in groups at DuPont Circle. I go back there now and there's all these bike lanes on the roads


I moved away from D.C. 25 years ago. Haven't ridden a bike there since then. Sounds like I missed some very positive changes.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

It was Mayor Fenty, I think. Younger guy who was into triathalons. As DC mayors go, he was a pretty good one. He gets credit for the bike lanes I believe. 

Another huge change here has been the Bike Share program. There's literally thousands of these bikes out there. People get around town on them, tourists use them -- it's been hugely popular. The bikes themselves are these clunky things that I have no interest in riding. And apparently no one will steal either. 

I don't miss bike messengers. Many of them were rude, rode on the sidewalks, down one way roads the wrong way, etc. The kind of people who give cyclists a bad name.


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## dcorn (Sep 1, 2011)

dcgriz said:


> Coming down that hill I find my self doing around 50mph and that's my limit nowadays. Of course Alpine switchback descenders eat that for breakfast  but this for me is as "Alpine" as it gets close to home.


How on earth do you get to 50mph on that descent? Last time I rode that area, I was bored and went down the hill twice. I was going as hard as I could, grinding the whole way and I bet I barely got over 40mph. 



pmf said:


> You go down that hill to Rosslyn at 38 mph? Well, I guess you're due up in line for a Darwin Award.


I said the KOM was 38mph. I probably avg 32-33 if I time all the lights perfectly. Basically the only reason I do any climbing is to fly back down the hill. 



pmf said:


> It was Mayor Fenty, I think. Younger guy who was into triathalons. As DC mayors go, he was a pretty good one. He gets credit for the bike lanes I believe.


Probably the only good mayor DC has had in my lifetime and they chased him out because he didn't care enough about the worthless poor people who do nothing but keep portions of the city a perpetual hellhole. My 3 years living in DC was 3 years too long.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

A couple weeks later ... November 18 ... all of the leaves are off the trees out in Vienna, but fall still holds on along the Potomac. The weather has been cool, but rideable. Tomorrow storms, so I'll catch the train. That's a commute not worth documenting.


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## dcgriz (Feb 13, 2011)

dcorn said:


> How on earth do you get to 50mph on that descent? Last time I rode that area, I was bored and went down the hill twice. I was going as hard as I could, grinding the whole way and I bet I barely got over 40mph.


Wider tires, heavier wheels. Maintain speed in the 20s coming down Falls road in front of the park entrance then stay in the middle to avoid the potholes on the side and also help your line. Wider tires help with better grip, cutting the turns and maintain stability.

Downright stupid so do not attempt it. Long story behind it......Anything over 30s in that road needs a lot of attention as it could easily hurt you and hurt others as well. I should not have mentioned it.


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## TREKIN (Aug 17, 2012)

Are there any websites that provide a map of the bike paths in the DC area? I live in central PA and would love to drive down to the DC area and ride the bike paths through DC.


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## cobra_kai (Jul 22, 2014)

This has a lot of them:
Bike Washington

I bike up that MacArthur hill when I commute on my way home. That's a little longer of a route for me though so in the morning I come a different way, down Seven Locks to MacArthur. 

Nice pictures of the W&OD and Mt. Vernon trail. I tend to stay off MUTs after an incident a couple years back when a small kid cut over to my side of the path. Ended up endoing and my front wheel was trashed. Somehow the kid wasn't hurt at all though.


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## Fredrico (Jun 15, 2002)

cobra_kai said:


> This has a lot of them:
> Bike Washington
> 
> I bike up that MacArthur hill when I commute on my way home. That's a little longer of a route for me though so in the morning I come a different way, down Seven Locks to MacArthur.
> ...


That link pretty much covers everything.

I didn't like MUTs either when first moving back here from TX. They've become more crowded than when I left in '89.  There are more of them, though. If rider isn't in a hurry and watches out for the little kids, dogs on leashes, and slows down, they're a great way to tour the city and environs.


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## cobra_kai (Jul 22, 2014)

I agree they're good for nice relaxed rides. I still go on them with my girlfriend but we're not going much over 10 mph


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