Fall Forum Happy Hour?

[americancyclo]

@jrenaut 9196 wrote:

Getting there from DC – I’ll be coming from Columbia Heights Metro, more or less. Google tells me I can come down the Rock Creek Trail, turn right on a path just south of M Street, then it’s not clear from the Street View how the heck I get on the Key Bridge so I can get hit by a car on Lynn Street. Can anyone clarify the route?

That path is the C&O Canal towpath. kinda rocky. unless you’re on big tires.

If I were me, I’d just take M St, then when all the traffic turns left towards the bridge, take the western (upstream) path on the bridge. just make sure you’re in one of the two left turn lanes before the bridge. traffic that goes straight gets the green before the turning traffic.

Are you comfy in traffic?

or you could try this route, that keeps you off M St until the bridge. I used to ride this way with a WABA staffer after volunteer meetings.

http://g.co/maps/nnb2n

[jrenaut]

Generally I’m fine in traffic, but Georgetown makes me a bit nervous. I don’t get down there much at all, and I’ve never done it on a bike. So I’d be ideally in the right of the two turn lanes, and then I can hop up onto the sidewalk to go over the bridge?

[DismalScientist]

The route that Google gives you is the C&O towpath, which I think is pretty unusable by bike in Georgetown. If you like traffic as stated above, take M St and the (west) sidewalk on the Key Bridge. If you don’t, I suggest staying on the Rock Creek trail and crossing on the north sidewalk of the Roosevelt bridge, (I’m not sure of the connection, but maybe you can take Virginia Avenue a few blocks east and go south at the circle in front of the Watergate.

[jrenaut]

Ahh, P to 34th looks like a winner. Thanks.

[DismalScientist]

Outbound traffic on M St. is generally stopped. Riding on the sidewalk on M is illegal, slow and probably less safe than the street. There shouldn’t be any problem making the left. Filter through the traffic at the light on the far right of the rightmost turn lane. (I actually pull in front of the first car in the right lane.) The first green is a green arrow forward. Let the folks go by you on the right. When the green left arrow appears, go straight for the west sidewalk of the Key bridge. Generally, you should be there sufficiently quickly that you do not piss off all the drivers behind you turning left onto the bridge.

[americancyclo]

@jrenaut 9199 wrote:

Generally I’m fine in traffic, but Georgetown makes me a bit nervous.

I don’t blame you. Splitting lanes through M St. can get anyone’s blood pressure up. That’s why I’ve axed it from my commute. Glad the P St. route will work for you. Haven’t ridden it in a while, but it is MUCH more pleasant as I recall.

[jrenaut]

A lot of it is familiarity with light timing and traffic patterns – on the routes I take regularly, I’m much more comfortable getting around in traffic. Having never biked M, and barely driven it, I’m not at all comfortable with the traffic there. Plus Georgetown drivers are terrible. I had some clown honk at me once as he tried to make a left through the crosswalk I was walking through with the light.

[DSalovesh]

I was reading this announcement thinking “not Thursday, not Thursday, any day but Thursday, not Thursday pleeeeze”…

I’m still teaching our bike intro class at the shop on the other side of town on Thursdays, goes until about 8 though I’m on the schedule until 9:30. Unless this turns into an all-night affair I’m going to need to attend in spirit alone.

[Tim Kelley]

Okay–I’ll make the executive decision since there haven’t been any other locations proposed. Let’s plan to meet at the Continental at 6:30pm on this Thursday (10/20). They have some bike parking out front, and there are plenty of street signs nearby that work for parking too.

Come out and meet Zanna and enjoy some food and drinks. (Light appetizers courtesy of BikeArlington!)

For everyone who can’t make it–we’ll plan on doing another one again soon!

[RESTONTODC]

Tim,

It’s good location but I haven’t been in the Continental bar before. Can I still see the bike parking area from bar?

Normally, I don’t commute with a bike lock. Do I need to find a lock for this one?

Thanks,
Rick

[Tim Kelley]

Rick–yes, you’ll definitely want to bring a lock. Or maybe one of the nice people here on the forum could share with you a lock two bikes up with one lock?

[gregbilling]

I should be there if the bicycle advocacy world doesn’t change dramatically before then.

Greg

[zanna_leigh]

You can RSVP to the meet-up on our new facebook page!

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=164742220284458

[DaveK]

@Tim Kelley 9228 wrote:

two bikes one lock

…

:p

I have problems.

[Mark Blacknell]

@jrenaut – Florida Ave to 22nd to P to 34 to M to the Key Bridge. I bike that route all the time, and it’s a good one.

@DaveK – you posted that out loud, you know.

@Everyone else – I want to see lurkers at this one. C’mon out, folks.

[Author]

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