A request: Don’t do speedwork on the Mt. Vernon Trail at rush hour

[PotomacCyclist]

I know most of the regulars here probably don’t do this. But I know there are many more lurkers on the forum, so maybe a few of the guilty parties will see this. The Mt. Vernon Trail, particularly the section between Rosslyn and the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, is not really the best place to do bike speed workouts, especially at peak hours (perhaps 7:30-9:30 am and 4-7 pm) on days with nice weather. There are a lot of cyclists, runners and walkers on the trail at those times. The trail is narrower than some other trails (like the W&OD) and certain sections have blind curves, including the section south of the airport.

Other hazards: Gravelly Point is popular with pedestrians, including many families with young children. Expect to see young kids on the trail over there, whether it’s appropriate or not. It’s simply going to happen.

What bothers me the most are the people who clearly look like they are on a training ride, who think that they can’t stop or slow down no matter what. If they even pause for a micro-second, they believe that the entire workout will be nullified. Thus, they will speed through a section where there is a lot of bike and pedestrian traffic going in both directions. They will pass even though there are multiple bikes heading in the other direction. They pass in between bikes going in both directions, forcing other cyclists to veer off to the outer edge of the trail to avoid the risk of side-swiping the speeding cyclist.

Note: I’m not trying to beat up on fitness cyclists and triathletes, because I also belong in that category, for the most part. I simply want to point out that the Mt. Vernon Trail is not the place to be doing continuous tempo rides and speed intervals. Hains Point or some of the local low-traffic roads are much better for that. Even if someone chooses to do a speed workout on the MVT, that person needs to understand that it’s OK to slow down when there is a lot of bike traffic going in both directions. It is not OK to force everyone else to avoid you as you squeeze in between bi-directional bike traffic while you continue to zoom through with an intent look on your face.

And for the runners (I belong to this group too), please don’t swerve back and forth from side to side on the trail, especially if you are wearing earphones, which make you oblivious to your surroundings. (Many people claim that they can hear everything around them when wearing earphones but that hasn’t been my experience in far too many cases.) If you plan to turn around on the trail and do a U-turn, peek over your shoulder first to make sure there are no cyclists (or other runners) coming up from behind. It is dangerous to stop suddenly and veer across the yellow line and do a U-turn without looking behind you first.

And thus ends my yearly rant about dangerous behavior on the Mt. Vernon Trail. Apologies to those who’ve heard this before, but there are always new cyclists and runners out there every year, many who don’t yet understand the concept of trail etiquette. In the meantime, I vow to make more of an effort to ride there only in non-peak hours, to the extent possible. In general, cycling in the D.C. area is fun. Cycling on the Mt. Vernon Trail at rush hour? Not so much.

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[eminva]

Isn’t it funny how a rainy day pretty much eliminates most of the problems discussed above? I don’t know how it was on the MVT, but I had the W&OD and Custis largely to myself.

On a less lucky note, I did review the weather conditions before leaving home, but somehow blew the translation into appropriate wardrobe choices. My fingers and feet were like ice cubes by the time I got to the office. Hoping the space heater can get everything dry by the evening.

Liz

[Author]

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