Bethesda to Tysons Corner?

[Gus]

I’m considering a new job in the north part of Tyson’s Corner, around Westpark. I’ve seen a commuting route that goes down the Capital Crescent Trail, over Chain Bridge, Williamsburg Blvd., WO&D, and up Gallows Road. Is this really doable? Any better options? I’m not worried about the mileage, I used to bike commute 36 miles/day every day no problem. Just worried about traffic and cars. Thanks.

[n18]

If you get one of these Shuttle Bike Kits, which converts a bike into a boat(it’s backpack-size), you can make your commute much shorter(Google Maps link).

[DismalScientist]

You may be portaging your bike up and down a steep, rough trail between the CCT and Chain Bridge.

[cvcalhoun]

@DismalScientist 184223 wrote:

You may be portaging your bike up and down a steep, rough trail between the CCT and Chain Bridge.

Yeah, I remember that trail. I started out biking up it. Then I went to walking the bike up it. I ended up crawling up it on all fours, dragging the bike behind me.

It’s worth the extra distance to cross the Key Bridge, and bike up from there.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Gus 184113 wrote:

I’m considering a new job in the north part of Tyson’s Corner, around Westpark. I’ve seen a commuting route that goes down the Capital Crescent Trail, over Chain Bridge, Williamsburg Blvd., WO&D, and up Gallows Road. Is this really doable? Any better options? I’m not worried about the mileage, I used to bike commute 36 miles/day every day no problem. Just worried about traffic and cars. Thanks.

Instead of Chain Bridge to Williamsburg, you could just take Chain Bridge to 123 to Lewisville, to Spring Hill. It’s not the most warm-and-fuzzy route, but I do a chunk of it every day and have done the 123>Lewinsville>Spring Hill route many times, and it’s not as bad as it seems.

[Steve O]

@DismalScientist 184223 wrote:

You may be portaging your bike up and down a steep, rough trail between the CCT and Chain Bridge.

Yes, but it is doable if you are strong enough to lift and carry your bike for short distances. You will be going the opposite way during the rush hours, which changes the road crossing strategies somewhat. I portaged this trail for several years commuting on and off, probably a total 300 round trips. It’s still my go-to route when I need to go to upper NW and parts of MoCo.

I recently introduced reji and CBG Animal to it.
They “loved” it.

[huskerdont]

I’ve done that trail a few times, but really, it’s pretty easy to just ride the CCT all the way to the towpath and take that to Chain Bridge. Bonus is you get extra milez; demerit is you’re not as bloody-minded as Steveo. But then, you never really were going to be able to measure up there anyway.

[Steve O]

@huskerdont 184282 wrote:

I’ve done that trail a few times, but really, it’s pretty easy to just ride the CCT all the way to the towpath and take that to Chain Bridge. Bonus is you get extra milez; demerit is you’re not as bloody-minded as Steveo. But then, you never really were going to be able to measure up there anyway.

A shorter workaround is to use the stairs at the trestle. If you don’t mind carrying your bike up/down the stairs.

[huskerdont]

@Steve O 184307 wrote:

A shorter workaround is to use the stairs at the trestle. If you don’t mind carrying your bike up/down the stairs.

Yes, I could have clarified with that. Especially easy now that they’ve improved the stairs on the south side.

[VikingMariner]

@Gus 184113 wrote:

I’m considering a new job in the north part of Tyson’s Corner, around Westpark. I’ve seen a commuting route that goes down the Capital Crescent Trail, over Chain Bridge, Williamsburg Blvd., WO&D, and up Gallows Road. Is this really doable? Any better options? I’m not worried about the mileage, I used to bike commute 36 miles/day every day no problem. Just worried about traffic and cars. Thanks.

That’s the best route, but the areas on and near Gallows and the bridge are high accident areas. Lots of distracted drivers in cars. Some of the road signs on Gallows get knocked down every couple of months or less. Seen many collisions and veering into the bike lane on Gallows (more than anywhere else I ride).

[hakalugi]

hi

working in reverse:

1 from north tysons: spring hill / international drive / jones branch – go north on Spring Hill, under 267 (toll road)
2 from Spring Hill Rd make a right at the light, eastbound, on Lewinsville Road (this has a bike lane, but there is a narrow section just on the west side of the beltway, at a hillcrest)
3 cross over beltway on Lewinsville Rd
4 continue past 123/Chain Bridge (note: Lewinsville changes to Great Falls St when you cross 123)
5 left at next light “(Old) Chain Bridge Road”
6 right at next light Westmoreland St
7 make a left just after McLean HS on Old Chesterbook, large crosswalk area, HS kids, so beware
8 left at stop sign on Kirby Road
9 right on Chesterbook Rd, another stop sign
10 left at light for Glebe Road
11 quick right on Old Glebe Road
12 old Glebe Road crosses Glebe and drops you into a neighborhood, follow Randolf to the right, and get ready for a steep descent, dropping you onto the paved trail and then to the sidewalk over Chain Bridge itself (see below)
13 at the end of the bridge, take the ramp down to the C&O canal trail/towpath
14 east on towpath to the tressel from the Cap Cresent Trail. Walk/carry up the stairs, take the CCT over the canal and Canal Road
15 just over the tressel, look for a dirt path on your right, take/walk that down and pick up Arizona Avenue north bound, you can snake up to Bethesda via neighborhood roads (or stay on CCT up to your hood)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]18799[/ATTACH]

(first post!)

[Subby]

That route above is pretty great. I think a few other folks would agree though that the most direct/fastest route would have you turning left directly onto 123 from Lewinsville and following that road all the way down to Chain Bridge. You’ll have a wide shoulder for most of the trip (save for a small uphill section after Old Dominion through McLean and then once you start descending to the river after crossing over GW parkway).

Coming into Tysons Corner, I don’t know that I would want to climb 123 from Chain Bridge every day. Sure it’s not a long hill (less than a mile) but there is almost no shoulder for parts and it’s kinda stressful.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Subby 185106 wrote:

I don’t know that I would want to climb 123 from Chain Bridge every day

::waves::

[TwoWheelsDC]

@hakalugi 185057 wrote:

hi

working in reverse:

1 from north tysons: spring hill / international drive / jones branch – go north on Spring Hill, under 267 (toll road)
2 from Spring Hill Rd make a right at the light, eastbound, on Lewinsville Road (this has a bike lane, but there is a narrow section just on the west side of the beltway, at a hillcrest)
3 cross over beltway on Lewinsville Rd
4 continue past 123/Chain Bridge (note: Lewinsville changes to Great Falls St when you cross 123)
5 left at next light “(Old) Chain Bridge Road”
6 right at next light Westmoreland St
7 make a left just after McLean HS on Old Chesterbook, large crosswalk area, HS kids, so beware
8 left at stop sign on Kirby Road
9 right on Chesterbook Rd, another stop sign
10 left at light for Glebe Road
11 quick right on Old Glebe Road
12 old Glebe Road crosses Glebe and drops you into a neighborhood, follow Randolf to the right, and get ready for a steep descent, dropping you onto the paved trail and then to the sidewalk over Chain Bridge itself (see below)
13 at the end of the bridge, take the ramp down to the C&O canal trail/towpath
14 east on towpath to the tressel from the Cap Cresent Trail. Walk/carry up the stairs, take the CCT over the canal and Canal Road
15 just over the tressel, look for a dirt path on your right, take/walk that down and pick up Arizona Avenue north bound, you can snake up to Bethesda via neighborhood roads (or stay on CCT up to your hood)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]18799[/ATTACH]

(first post!)

I’d amend this to just take Glebe, either starting from Chesterbrook or from Old Glebe. I’d rather take the lane down the hill and then cross over to the Chain Bridge sidepath than deal with descending 41st St.

[hozn]

Unless it’s below freezing, in which case Glebe is pretty risky there where it’s always wet near the bottom.

[Author]

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