New bike commuter: EFC to Reston and Chinatown

[jabberwocky]

@kcb203 59800 wrote:

2) For some reason, I hate the stretch of the W&OD between Vienna and Hunter Mill Road. It should be the best part of the ride–3 miles with wildlife, greenery, and no cross streets –but I hate the false flat going east so much that I can’t even enjoy the slide descent going westbound.

That stretch was part of my old commute. The long gradual climb from difficult run to Vienna in the morning definitely hurts, especially if there is any sort of headwind. Keep riding it and you’ll get used to it though.

@kcb203 59800 wrote:

3) The path along the FFX County Parkway to get from the W&OD to Sunrise Valley is hell. It crosses three ramps to/from the Toll Road or Sunset Hills. Two of the crossings are almost blind to oncoming traffic. I’ve been going down Glade in the afternoon to get to Hunter Station to avoid it. The morning isn’t as bad due to better sightlines. I’m tempted to ride along Sunrise Valley the entire way from the W&OD in the morning.

The Fairfax county parkway path is abysmal. Pretty much all the road crossings are dangerous as hell. The combination of poor design, traffic volume and general inconsideration from motorists makes me hate that trail. I cannot count the number of times I’ve nearly been hit by turning traffic at New Dominion Dr. The entrance and exit ramps from the toll road are bad because, despite the crosswalk, traffic generally enters or exits at extremely high speed and attention is focused on traffic coming on Fairfax County parkway, not the poor bastards trying to cross at the crosswalk.

Hunters Station to Laywers/Twin Branches/Glade is my recommendation if you can stomach the initial hill. I find those roads to be nice to ride. I ride that route often on non-commuting rides. Reston has a lot of cyclists and most motorists are used to them.

[dasgeh]

@kcb203 59800 wrote:

1) Going to DC, I’ve been going W&OD to Custis to Roosevelt Bridge to F or H Street to Pennsylvania past the White House to New York to H. I don’t want to cross the GW Parkway for the Memorial Bridge. Is this the best route, or should I add a couple miles and go to the 14th Street bridge?

This is what I would suggest. Another option would be to take the Key Bridge through Georgetown. There are definitely people who go that way and like it. I prefer the daily passing dance on the TR Bridge.

[thucydides]

1. I personally think this is the best route. I come from the EFC neighborhood in Arlington and every once in a while I have to go to the Chinatown area and you described pretty much what I do. 14th requires going way south.

2. Hmmm. Always liked this stretch but I’ll think about what you’re saying next time I’m there.

3. Yeah,the FFX parkway trail is famously bad. I’ve biked several times via WOD onto Sunrise Valley, but only on weekends very early in the morning. My inclination is to say this is what you do (i.e., get off onto Sunrise where it crosses WOD), but that means taking the lane (there’s no shoulder at all as I recall). So it depends a whole lot on how you feel about dealing with that traffic. Going down Reston Pkwy puts you on Sunrise less but I’m not sure that’s any better than just going on Sunrise the whole way (which is surely shorter anyway).

4. I don’t know how you have your bike set up, but I’m a big advocate of bringing your lunch. It’s cheaper and generally better for you. But that may not be an option for you even if you overcome the lazy/shortsighted bit. Bringing your lunch adds weight but the Reston trip doesn’t have much in the way of hills. I started bringing my lunch every day about 10 years ago. I’m sure at this point I’ve saved thousands of dollars. That’s money for MORE BIKES.

[hozn]

Hello!

I also live near EFC (Westover, specifically) and commute to Reston (Sunrise Valley & Reston Pkwy). I commute pretty much daily and also love my commute.

2) For some reason, I hate the stretch of the W&OD between Vienna and Hunter Mill Road. It should be the best part of the ride–3 miles with wildlife, greenery, and no cross streets –but I hate the false flat going east so much that I can’t even enjoy the slide descent going westbound.

I have grown to love this section of trail — for the nature-related reasons you mention. Sometimes (not today, trails too wet) I get off in Tamarac Park and ride my cross bike through Lake Fairfax. It’s wonderful to be able to do that [loosely] en route to work.

If I don’t do that, I ride up Hunter Station and then up Glade for a much more serene commute (wide roads, fewer trail intersections, etc.). E.g. this AM: http://app.strava.com/activities/71372365 This might actually be a nicer option for you too — go Glade all the way to Sunrise Valley and then you’re basically at the intersection of FFX County Pkwy and Sunrise Valley. I agree, the trail along 7100 is absolutely horrid (and crossing over 267 is downright dangerous, as the cars don’t stop).

[baiskeli]

@kcb203 59800 wrote:

1) Going to DC, I’ve been going W&OD to Custis to Roosevelt Bridge to F or H Street to Pennsylvania past the White House to New York to H. I don’t want to cross the GW Parkway for the Memorial Bridge. Is this the best route, or should I add a couple miles and go to the 14th Street bridge?

You could also go up New Hampshire and around the GW Circle to L Street and take the L Street Cycletrack to where it ends at 11th as Mass, which is a few blocks from Chinatown.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@kcb203 59800 wrote:

1) Going to DC, I’ve been going W&OD to Custis to Roosevelt Bridge to F or H Street to Pennsylvania past the White House to New York to H. I don’t want to cross the GW Parkway for the Memorial Bridge. Is this the best route, or should I add a couple miles and go to the 14th Street bridge?

I live fairly close to you and work in Foggy Bottom and, on the days I can manage to get myself up a little early, I like to take the W&OD/4MRT all the way to the river and come up the MVT to the 14th St. Bridge. It only takes me maybe 12-15 minutes longer than the Custis>TR bridge route, but it’s more relaxed and with better scenery.

[americancyclo]

I make the trek from WFC to Capitol Hill a few days a week, it’s a nice ride.
@kcb203 59800 wrote:

1) Going to DC, I’ve been going W&OD to Custis to Roosevelt Bridge to F or H Street to Pennsylvania past the White House to New York to H. I don’t want to cross the GW Parkway for the Memorial Bridge. Is this the best route, or should I add a couple miles and go to the 14th Street bridge?

You should take:
Custis
Key Bridge (Eastern footpath)
M St (traffic is not bad in the AM)
Penn(again, traffic is light, and lights are timed well once past Washington Circle)
behind the white house
Quick right on 15th
Quick left to G st. Bike lanes

I take the G St route as an alternate through downtown to get to the capitol every once in a while. Bike lane is decent and lights are timed relatively well before 8:30am.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@TwoWheelsDC 59817 wrote:

It only takes me maybe 12-15 minutes longer than the Custis>TR bridge route, but it’s more relaxed and with better scenery.

Show off.

[kcb203]

@hozn 59811 wrote:

Hello!

Sometimes (not today, trails too wet) I get off in Tamarac Park and ride my cross bike through Lake Fairfax. It’s wonderful to be able to do that [loosely] en route to work.

If I don’t do that, I ride up Hunter Station and then up Glade for a much more serene commute (wide roads, fewer trail intersections, etc.). E.g. this AM: http://app.strava.com/activities/71372365 This might actually be a nicer option for you too — go Glade all the way to Sunrise Valley and then you’re basically at the intersection of FFX County Pkwy and Sunrise Valley. I agree, the trail along 7100 is absolutely horrid (and crossing over 267 is downright dangerous, as the cars don’t stop).

I’ve been riding my road bike, but am tempted by the Twin Branches connector trail between the Glade/Twin Branches intersection and the W&OD. Is that doable on a cross bike?

Thanks to everyone for the comments and suggestions. I’ll probably end up going up Hunter Station in the morning more often. I love hills. I often ride the Military Road area hills in north Arlington–that’s a lot more fun for me than flat and straight.

I think part of my disdain for the Vienna to Hunter Mill section of the W&OD was that was the location for my morning interval sessions during Ironman training a couple years ago. It’s about 20 minutes from my house to Vienna, which was a good warmup, then I’d go hard to Hunter Mill and back. The memories of those intervals are still fresh in my mind, but unfortunately, not in my legs.

[hozn]

@kcb203 59835 wrote:

I’ve been riding my road bike, but am tempted by the Twin Branches connector trail between the Glade/Twin Branches intersection and the W&OD. Is that doable on a cross bike?

Yeah, it is, though it’s fairly technical — at least if we’re talking about the same thing. I rode that connector (the “Turqoise Trail”, I believe) yesterday AM: http://app.strava.com/activities/71392177

When you ride down there, you need to cross over the bridge to your right (or ride through the stream next to the bridge). Then shortly after you have a choice to stay left (non-technical, but tends to be very muddy) or go up into the hills — not muddy, but fairly technical / steep. I haven’t been able to ride it cleanly recently. Last week I also fell over into the woods on one of the climbs; that was awesome So it’s not easy CX, but it’s a fun challenge.

@kcb203 59835 wrote:

Thanks to everyone for the comments and suggestions. I’ll probably end up going up Hunter Station in the morning more often. I love hills. I often ride the Military Road area hills in north Arlington–that’s a lot more fun for me than flat and straight.

Yes Hunter Station is a fantastic wakeup hill I love that hill. I dunno what time you leave, but I typically head out west around 6:15.

[kcb203]

@hozn 59839 wrote:

Yes Hunter Station is a fantastic wakeup hill I love that hill. I dunno what time you leave, but I typically head out west around 6:15.

I’m usually not on the road until 7:30 or so, but one of these days I’ll have to go early and we can ride in together.

[Brendan von Buckingham]

@kcb203 59800 wrote:

1) Going to DC, I’ve been going W&OD to Custis to Roosevelt Bridge to F or H Street to Pennsylvania past the White House to New York to H. I don’t want to cross the GW Parkway for the Memorial Bridge. Is this the best route, or should I add a couple miles and go to the 14th Street bridge?

I don’t mind being traffic and like 22nd Street to Lee Hwy (@Heidelberg Pastry) to Custis Trail (@Lyon Village Shopping Center) to Key/M/Pennsylvania/H. Inbound, Lee Highway is sufficiently downhill that keeping up with traffic is a breeze. Outbound, to avoid going slow up Lee Hwy, I’ll take Custis Trail to Washington Blvd and pound the humps through Westover.

[Author]

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