From Tacoma to Dulles

[souryoyo]

Hello all,
I am a moderate rider (5 miles 4-6 times a week to school, many hills) and do not like my options for public transportation to dulles on thanksgiving wednesday. I enjoy biking and will carry a light backpack no luggage. During daylight. Is this a workable ride?

Basically 16th
L
Francis Scott Key Bridge
Curtis Trail
Washington and Old Dominion
sterling
autopilot

this is what google map advises
They also say 3 hours so I will give myself 5 and maybe have lunch somewhere
My expected time for metro is 3 hours.
Would there be somewhere to park my bike at dulles?
It is a hybrid trekr modded to have a single gear.

Any advice?
Anyone up for a ride?

Topic

[TwoWheelsDC]

@souryoyo 36162 wrote:

Hello all,
I am a moderate rider (5 miles 4-6 times a week to school, many hills) and do not like my options for public transportation to dulles on thanksgiving wednesday. I enjoy biking and will carry a light backpack no luggage. During daylight. Is this a workable ride?

Basically 16th
L
Francis Scott Key Bridge
Curtis Trail
Washington and Old Dominion
sterling
autopilot

this is what google map advises
They also say 3 hours so I will give myself 5 and maybe have lunch somewhere
My expected time for metro is 3 hours.
Would there be somewhere to park my bike at dulles?
It is a hybrid trekr modded to have a single gear.

Any advice?
Anyone up for a ride?

You can ride to Rosslyn and catch the 5A MetroBus (buses have bike racks, so you’ll be fine there) which goes to the airport. Or, it looks like you could ride the W&OD out to the FFX County Pkwy trail, and ride that down to the Herndon/Monroe Park/Ride lot and take the 5A into the airport from there, which is only a couple miles at most. I doubt there’s much, if any, bike parking at the airport, but you might be able to find somewhere to lock up in the daily garage, which has a pedestrian tunnel to the terminal.

[souryoyo]

will the traffic from rosslyn to the airport be bad the day before thanksgiving? I am new to dc.

[eminva]

@souryoyo 36162 wrote:

Hello all,
I am a moderate rider (5 miles 4-6 times a week to school, many hills) and do not like my options for public transportation to dulles on thanksgiving wednesday. I enjoy biking and will carry a light backpack no luggage. During daylight. Is this a workable ride?

Basically 16th
L
Francis Scott Key Bridge
Curtis Trail
Washington and Old Dominion
sterling
autopilot

this is what google map advises
They also say 3 hours so I will give myself 5 and maybe have lunch somewhere
My expected time for metro is 3 hours.
Would there be somewhere to park my bike at dulles?
It is a hybrid trekr modded to have a single gear.

Any advice?
Anyone up for a ride?

I would take 14th (it has a bike lane) to M (L is one way east bound, M is one way westbound, which is the direction you are going).

I don’t know how to get to the airport from Sterling.

If you decide to take the bus, I think traffic will be brisk but it won’t be stop and go from Rosslyn to the airport or anything.

Liz

[KS1G]

Access into the airport by bike is challenging – Ariane Way from VA 606 is feasible but 606 can be busy around rush hour and the shoulder is gravel. You can get to it from W&OD in Sterling. Figure 25 miles each way (W&OD @ Sterling Blvd is mile 22.5). Hilly on the Custis from Rosslyn, but you said you were OK with some hills. I think the bus route suggestions are a better idea. I have no idea if there is any long-term bike storage at the airport, and there is a risk the airport security would cut the lock on anything left near the terminal unattended. If you are counting on the bike being there when you get back, metro+bus is going to be more reliable IMO.

[Riley Casey]

A bit of googling returned this http://fabb-bikes.blogspot.com/2011/08/riding-to-dulles-airport.html but precious little about bike parking at Dulles.

[souryoyo]

thanks for the link, I think I am going to aim for Rosslyn and if I am making good time to continue by bike. I enjoy biking and from what I can tell most areas are safe (except occasionally from cars).
Thanks for everyone’s help

[Author]

Replies