Custis Trail vs. Wilson Blvd/Fairfax Dr?

[GP_Slowride]

I’ve been riding west on the Custis from Rosslyn and taking Fairfax Dr. and Wilson Blvd back east for my return commute for a while now. I got to thinking about alternate commutes to switch things up and also about which route is more efficient heading west? Taking Wilson Blvd and Fairfax Dr. gets pretty much all of the climbing out of the way smoothly and early and doesn’t have any of the short, steep climbs like the Custis does (looking at you, section between the switchback to get over Lee Highway and the overpass past N Vernon St.). Obvious downsides of Wilson and Fairfax vs. the Custis are lights and car doors but there aren’t any other trail users (runners etc.) to worry about on Wilson and Fairfax Dr.

According to Google, taking the Custis to N Veitch then onto Wilson, Fairfax, and then to the Custis again has about 226 feet of climbing and 52 feet of descending. Taking the Custis the whole way has 279 feet of climbing and 105 feet of descending.

Seems like it might be a six in one hand half a dozen in the other type scenario. Times may be about the same but perhaps my legs won’t be as tired when I hit the W&OD if I elect to take Wilson. Any ideas on what might be the best choice? Any other routes I should evaluate? I ride from DC out to West Falls Church.

Topic

[huskerdont]

@Steve O 189505 wrote:

How about this?
Since Rte 50 separates N. Arlington from S. Arlington, we could also call them “Rte 50 Trail: Rich side” and “Rte 50 trail: Ghetto side.”

That’s pre-Amazon thinking.

[chris_s]

@dasgeh 189479 wrote:

If you really want to cut out hills, and don’t mind the extra distance or riding on 10th, you could do Rte 50 Trail (north/west side*) –> 10th –> Fairfax

* We really need better names for our trails.

I thought we’d all agreed to call the South/East trail the Fort Cass Trail.

[Steve O]

@chris_s 189536 wrote:

I thought we’d all agreed to call the South/East trail the Fort Cass Trail.

That is, in fact, not an all bad idea.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]19915[/ATTACH]

[baiskeli]

@Steve O 189492 wrote:

Um, tongue in cheek.

That said, all the bridges “flow” in both directions, too–which is the analogy with Rte 50. It’s what is under the bridges that flows in one direction. In the case of Rte 50, it’s the sewer pipes: they flow from north of 50 to south of 50. So perhaps “Up-pipe side” and “Down-pipe” side.

(If we wanted to think about prevailing winds instead, we could say “upwind side” and “downwind side”)

Roads have “tides” – morning rush hour is the tide in and evening rush hour is the tide back out.

[mello yello]

This is newly relevant since I started a job in Tysons in January. I’ve been bicycling to a metro stop, and have been experimenting with routes to Greensboro metro in preparation to guide my co-workers safely to work on BTWD. Right now Custis looks like the winner, especially for biking with relatively new cyclists, but it’s a bit daunting to do more than just once in a blue moon.

This morning I rode to Potomac Ave, took the bike on the Orange line to E. Falls Church, and then rode W&OD to W. Glebe, to Old Courthouse – the ultimate (?) work-around for the Custis hills.

It’d be nice to be able to do the whole distance without hitting those bonkers hills, and the routes suggested here will take a little while to explore.

[Author]

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