@Edgar P. 80783 wrote:
Well, I just moved to Arlington from Boston a few weeks ago so I haven’t really found much of a usual route yet. I mostly ride for exercise on a Schwinn I’ve had forever now. What are some good areas to ride through? Any tips are more than welcome.
A good starting place is the site http://bikewashington.org which has a visitor guide that can help you learn the general trails in the area. Another site to go to would be the BikeArlington site http://www.bikearlington.com which has updated maps of the area.
Since you’re living in Arlington, a very useful ride to do is the Arlington Loop because it will get you acquainted with the 4 major trails in Arlington (W&OD, 4MR, Custis, and MVT). The BikeWashington site gives a good breakdown of the trails and where they run, and the BikeArlington website has a detailed map of the loop on their Maps & Rides page.
Another useful tip is to learn your DC access bridges over the Potomac River, the areas they connect to, and which trails they lead to. I’m not an expert on the Anacostia River bridges, but others on this forum can give you information on them.
Here’s my breakdown of the Potomac River bridges in the immediate DC area (in order of how the water in the Potomac flows):
Chain Bridge – connects to Bethesda (MD) and NW DC – leads to C&O Canal Towpath (also Capital Crescent Trail if you head on the C&O for a half mile)
Key Bridge – connects to Georgetown – leads to C&O Canal Towpath and Capital Crescent Trail
(Theodore) Roosevelt Bridge – connects to Kennedy Center and NW DC (Foggy Bottom area) – leads to Rock Creek Park Trail (after a quarter mile of road riding)
Memorial Bridge – connects to the Mall at the Lincoln Memorial – leads to Rock Creek Park Trail
14th Street Bridge – connects to Tidal Basin, East Potomac Park, and SW Waterfront (and by extension, Navy Yard and Nationals Park) – leads to Ohio Drive, Hains Point (good area for road training), and by extension Anacostia River Trail (if you go to Navy Yard)
Wilson Bridge – connects to Oxon Hill (MD) and National Harbor – it’s the southernmost bridge you can cross in the DC area and leads to Oxon Hill Farm and biking opportunities in MD
I hope this helps. Happy biking!
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