Arlington to Winchester?

[btj]

I’m trying to find a decent route from Arlington to Wincehster and am hoping you guys have some ideas. Google Maps gives me three routes (listed below) and I’m wonder if these are the only real options. My biggest concern is riding on RT 7 / 50 with cars buzzing by at 60+ mph. The C&O route sounds appealing, though it’s a bit longer of a ride than I am looking to do right now.

Any ideas, routes, , suggestions, or tips for doing this ride?

Thanks!

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=22203&daddr=Winchester,+VA&dirflg=b&lci=bike

• Washington and Old Dominion Trail to RT 7 – 71.3 miles
• Washington and Old Dominion Trail to RT 50 – 75.0 miles
• Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park – 91.2 miles

Topic

[CCrew]

WOD to Rt 7 is about the best bet. Really no good way to get here (I live in Winchester) from there without contending with highways. Rt7 definitely better than 50.

Just try to not hit 7 on the afternoon rush (3-7pm) and it’s actually not that busy. Overall issue is that there really aren’t that many entries into the valley here so access routes are limited

[JimF22003]

Have you ever ridden the short section of Rt 7 from Round Hill to the top at 601 (Blue Ridge Mtn Road?) I usually end up going down Airmont/Snickersville to Bluemont, which is nice, but sometimes I want to avoid the extra leg. It looks fairly rideable, but I’ve never tried it.

[CCrew]

@JimF22003 8068 wrote:

Have you ever ridden the short section of Rt 7 from Round Hill to the top at 601 (Blue Ridge Mtn Road?) I usually end up going down Airmont/Snickersville to Bluemont, which is nice, but sometimes I want to avoid the extra leg. It looks fairly rideable, but I’ve never tried it.

It’s doable (I’ve done it), and I frequently see loaded tourers doing it. That said, the weekday 3-7pm rule applies here. If for no other reason than traffic in that right lane won’t have the opportunity to get over even if they want to. You have to hug the right line, but you’re really only talking about from the store where the covered wagon is to the base of the mountain before you pick up a wide shoulder again. From there to the other side of the Shenandoah river it’s wide shoulder, and then it narrows again to Berryville, and then after Berryville again for about 2 miles. Sight lines are pretty good – albeit not perfect so I’d obviously recommend hi-vis, but no one’s been hit in that stretch that I’m aware of and I see riders on it several days a week.

[JimF22003]

Thanks. I was there a couple of weeks ago, and was tempted to try it, but I chickened out and rode to Harpers Ferry instead, which also can be a bit hair-raising

[btj]

Thanks for the info, much appreciated!

[Author]

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