Every Bike Lane In Arlington Ride

[SarahBee]

@Judd 181099 wrote:

A group of folks from the forum set out on a quest to ride every bike lane in Arlington yesterday. Komorebi planned the route using the 2017 Arlington Bicycle Map supplemented with Google and some Twitter tips for lanes that had been installed since the map was last updated.

The full ride was 74 miles and over 4,000 feet of climbing with a 200+ step cue sheet. Komorebi, Josh and Chris were able to complete the full route. Casey Kane and I made it 54 miles before being defeated by the hilly bike lanes of North Arlington. Several folks were able to join for at least part of the ride.

For those that would like to give it a try, the route we used is here: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28592740

Komorebi does a last minute review of the map before the ride:

Sarah Bee was on brand in her Bike Arlington jersey.

The three finishers:

This was such a great ride- for many reasons. With all the inclement weather, fallen trees in trails, and the upcoming Disaster Relief Trials, knowing multiple routes to get to a destination by bike is essential. I was further reminded of this in the forum discussion about Fairfax County bike lanes. I realized as a transitioning resident to Fairfax County- I don’t know a full on road route to work, to my house in MD, to most places. With Freezing Saddles arriving soon and we know how bad the WOD can be when iced over and not plowed- what is my back up plan? I don’t have one! That is why this ride was so important. If your normal route is not an option, do you have a good, safe back up plan. This ride was super helpful and made me realize I have some work to do. Thank you to the lovely as always @Komorebi for a fun ride and that much needed AHA moment.

[komorebi]

That was a fun ride. Thanks to Judd for instigating, and to josh, creadinger, and LeprosyStudyGroup for pulling me up those last few hills when my legs had turned into jelly.

@Judd 181099 wrote:

For those that would like to give it a try, the route we used is here: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28592740

If anyone wants to try the ride, I’ve tweaked the route to include a few more segments of bike lanes: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28626554.

[Judd]

@komorebi 181195 wrote:

That was a fun ride. Thanks to Judd for instigating, and to josh, creadinger, and LeprosyStudyGroup for pulling me up those last few hills when my legs had turned into jelly.

If anyone wants to try the ride, I’ve tweaked the route to include a few more segments of bike lanes: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28626554.

I’m still super mad that we didn’t get to bike up Arlington Ridge in the bike lane instead of downhill on the sharrows. [emoji23]

[Judd]

Some general observations from the ride:

1. The first draft of the route was based on the 2017 Arlington Bicycle Map. It was revised multiple times because new bike lanes have gone in over the past two years.

2. The map doesn’t do a great job of identifying roads where there is a bike lane in only one side like Arlington Ridge or Superman Hill.

3. It takes a long time for roads to get striped. Pershing and Veitch were both awaiting striping.

4. All bike lanes lead to Best Buns. We rode past it 4 or 5 times to hit the Shirlington bike lanes.

5. The bike lanes aren’t connected. There’s 24 miles of bike lanes in Arlington. It took 74 miles to ride all of them.

6. The 1 block bike lanes on Bell are silly.

7. Josephine is awesome at route planning.

8. North Arlington is really hilly. Casey Kane noted that people that want to fitness train on the trails should ride the bike lanes in North Arlington instead.

9. Everyone that showed up is rad and I’m glad to have them as a friend.

[dasgeh]

These are awesome. Thank you. It would be fun to have awards for the lanes – like most delicious (access to best food), most comfortable (would ride in with a kid), least comfortable (Lee Hwy)

@Judd 181202 wrote:

6. The 1 block bike lanes on Bell are silly.

Did you ride the 1 block bike lane on wb Lee before Safeway?

[josh]

@dasgeh 181229 wrote:

These are awesome. Thank you. It would be fun to have awards for the lanes – like most delicious (access to best food), most comfortable (would ride in with a kid), least comfortable (Lee Hwy)

Did you ride the 1 block bike lane on wb Lee before Safeway?

No, we were eastbound on that section (not sure if there’s a bike lane in that direction).

[dasgeh]

@josh 181232 wrote:

No, we were eastbound on that section (not sure if there’s a bike lane in that direction).

There’s a bike lane eastbound between Pollard and the on-ramp to I-66. Westbound, there are bike lanes between Adams and just after Highland, then again from Lincoln to Monroe.

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