Cycling route from C & O Towpath to Hostel at 1009 11 St NW

[pslates]

I am looking for the best cycling route with a for a bike and 4 panniers to easily get from the end of the C & O towpath to the Hostel at 1009 11 St. NW. I have been using Google Maps and read of a route to go to Pennsylvania Ave and then turn off onto L street which seems to have a bike lane and then turn onto 11 St. I will be using some route for this and wanted to check to see if any construction or anything else was going on on L street or if there was a more out of the way safer route for a touring gear setup.

By the way can anyone give a good route from that Hostel to the National Mall area and then the next day will be going to Union Station to take the train back.

Topic

[americancyclo]

I would take the C&O all the way though til Grace St
L Wisconsin
R M St NW.
Becomes Pennsylvania
get in the left two lanes to bear left on to L St. NW
R on 11th st

Just be aware that the L St bike lane has lots of opportunities for car to turn left through the lane and blind driveways.

To the mall, head south on 11th
L Pennsylvania
R 9th st

To union Station
south on 11th
L on E St. NW

[Mikey]

And if it’s a Friday Morning – ride to 17th and G to M.E. Swings for coffee club and tell us about your awesome journey (we are there from 7:30ish to around 9:00.

[americancyclo]

@Mikey 138320 wrote:

And if it’s a Friday Morning – ride to 17th and G to M.E. Swings for coffee club and tell us about your awesome journey (we are there from 7:30ish to around 9:00.

#fridaycoffeeclub is now at A Baked Joint 440 K St NW, Washington, DC 20001 Swings is closed for the next 14 months for building renovations!

[dasgeh]

@americancyclo 138317 wrote:

I would take the C&O all the way though til Grace St
…

I would too, but I would take a right on Wisconsin (or Cecil Pl), then a L on Water Street (which is underneath the Whitehurst Freeway if you’re looking at Google Maps). If you’re ok with traffic, I would stay straight on Water, which becomes K St NW and takes you basically to the hostel. If you don’t like traffic, I’d still stay on K St NW coming under Rock Creek Parkway (get on the sidewalk if there’s too much traffic), then turn right on 24th St NW, then left onto H St NW. Going straight on H (take the sidewalk where H is closed for construction) will put you on Pennsylvania. Take that past the White House, then take New York Ave to 11st St NW.

Basically, all the streets downtown are bike friendly, though some have heavier traffic. As a rule of thumb, it’s basically a grid (especially once you’re east of the White House), and if you don’t like the traffic on the street your on, just head to a parallel street. There’s no street in that area that I’d say avoid at all costs.

[Author]

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