Bike Commute: Darnestown to Dupont Circle

[Slosurf]

Hello there. My first post (periodic lurker). We are moving our office from Tyson’s Corner to Dupont Circle (thank G#d I am getting out of Tyson’s!), which will create the opportunity for me to ride my bike to work, at least a few days a week.

I was hoping to hear from folks who may ride their bikes from the Potomac/Darnestown area into DC.

What routes do you take? MacArthur? Tow Path? Any other words of advice would be greatly appreciated.

I currently ride a road bike 2-3 times a week. My rides are between 25 and 45 miles, generally in rural settings in the opposite direction of DC. I ride all year round – cold or hot. I am hoping that by adding the bike commute into the mix I will increase the amount of rides I get in.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

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[ronwalf]

The BTWD route from Pooles Store (may it rest in peace) follows MacArthur, and so did Strava when I asked it to plot the route. I lived up in Beallsville for a while, but never biked in the area much. Depending on the hour, River Road will alternate between race way and traffic jam, but you probably know that.

[Slosurf]

@ronwalf 66613 wrote:

The BTWD route from Pooles Store (may it rest in peace) follows MacArthur, and so did Strava when I asked it to plot the route. I lived up in Beallsville for a while, but never biked in the area much. Depending on the hour, River Road will alternate between race way and traffic jam, but you probably know that.

Thanks for the suggestion. Yes, I don’t think I want to do River Road. I am thinking MacArthur and at some point getting on the Crescent Trail or towpath.

[dasgeh]

Lots and lots of racers in the area train up there. I think you can see popular routes on Strava. (We were just up there at Homestead farm — beautiful area. My husband, who is one of those racers, kept pointing at roads where various races and training rides go).

[MattAune]

@dasgeh 66667 wrote:

Lots and lots of racers in the area train up there. I think you can see popular routes on Strava. (We were just up there at Homestead farm — beautiful area. My husband, who is one of those racers, kept pointing at roads where various races and training rides go).

This is true. However there is safety in numbers and while we ride MacArthur, Falls, and River Road pretty regularly we don’t do it solo nor during commuting hours. Persimmon Tree – MacArthur – Goldsboro – Massachusetts works well on weekend mornings but I would guess that Mass Ave would be a nightmare at rush hour.

[Author]

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