New Sometimes-Commuter – Tips/Etiquette/Advice?

[baiskeli]

Cool! Your route avoids the IoD (Intersection of Doom) in Rosslyn. I’d stick with it. It might be the fastest anyway.

[jrenaut]

Your responsibility as a slower cyclist is simply to be aware. Faster people should pass, with warning, on the left. A little wave or similar to acknowledge that you heard them call the pass is appreciated but not required.

[consularrider]

@kcjewett 179689 wrote:

… I used to bike everywhere in college, but that was a much smaller city in Indiana (read: very flat)…

Clearly it wasn’t the home of the Little 500 in southern Indiana. Boilermaker, Fighting Irish, Cardinal, or what?

[Brett L.]

@kcjewett 179689 wrote:

Hi All,

Just joined the forum and hoping to pick your brains a little. If there are already good threads for this (as I’m sure there may be), please feel free to drop a link. I live in courthouse and work in Crystal City. I used to bike everywhere in college, but that was a much smaller city in Indiana (read: very flat). I’m excited to get back into biking and to get some cardio in while avoiding the Rosslyn metro station.

I know there are lots of serious bike commuters here, and especially in these early days, I want to make sure I’m not getting in anyone’s way accidentally, etc. My current route is up Arlington Blvd, through the War Memorial and around Arlington Cemetery, then the Mt. Vernon Trail down to Crystal City, which is pretty relaxed but I don’t think it’s the fastest. I’m starting with one day a week to get back into it, hopefully up to 3 by the fall.

Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated, thanks so much!

Kevin

Your responsibility is to enjoy your commute and encourage others to bike to work as well! Other than that, be a PAL – Predictable, Alert, and Lawful road user.

[Judd]

That’s a pretty direct and mostly low stress route. I hope you’re enjoying your commute so far. There’s a coffee club in The Crystal City Waterpark Tuesday mornings from 7ish to 8ish if you want to come hangout with other folks from the forum.

[jrenaut]

@Judd 179730 wrote:

…if you want to come hangout with other folks from the forum.

If you want to hang out with Judd, all you have to do is gather three or more cyclists in one place and mention beer or pie and Judd will appear

[Brett L.]

@jrenaut 179732 wrote:

If you want to hang out with Judd, all you have to do is gather three or more cyclists in one place and mention beer or pie and Judd will appear

Beer? Where’s the beer?!

[Emm]

@Brett L. 179733 wrote:

Beer? Where’s the beer?!

Also in Crystal City Where a bunch of us meet between 5 and 5:30 on Fridays at the waterpark for Friday’s at the fountain. kcjewett has a great commute when it comes to coffee and beer on the ride.

[dasgeh]

@kcjewett 179689 wrote:

Hi All,

Just joined the forum and hoping to pick your brains a little. If there are already good threads for this (as I’m sure there may be), please feel free to drop a link. I live in courthouse and work in Crystal City. I used to bike everywhere in college, but that was a much smaller city in Indiana (read: very flat). I’m excited to get back into biking and to get some cardio in while avoiding the Rosslyn metro station.

I know there are lots of serious bike commuters here, and especially in these early days, I want to make sure I’m not getting in anyone’s way accidentally, etc. My current route is up Arlington Blvd, through the War Memorial and around Arlington Cemetery, then the Mt. Vernon Trail down to Crystal City, which is pretty relaxed but I don’t think it’s the fastest. I’m starting with one day a week to get back into it, hopefully up to 3 by the fall.

Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated, thanks so much!

Kevin

Welcome!

As far as routing, if you’re a federal employee or DoD contractor, you have the option of commuting through Fort Myer. It may still be longer than your current route.

It sounds like you stay on the MVT to the Crystal City Connector. Depending on where exactly you’re going, you may look into using the 27 Trail from the ANC Metro, or going under the Humpback Bridge from the MVT to get to the Pentagon Reservation.

Actually, looking at the second map, I wouldn’t do that. I’d just use the 27 trail and get off earlier.

HTH

[Judd]

@Emm 179734 wrote:

Also in Crystal City Where a bunch of us meet between 5 and 5:30 on Fridays at the waterpark for Friday’s at the fountain. kcjewett has a great commute when it comes to coffee and beer on the ride.

Guess where Judd is every Friday?

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[kcjewett]

For future reference, where is the IoD? I’m also kind of confused about the best way to get from the north side of 50 to the South side. I’ve been going through on the overpass right by the War Memorial (pictured), but it’s been a little hairy. Thoughts? Thanks![ATTACH=CONFIG]18171[/ATTACH]

[kcjewett]

@Judd 179730 wrote:

That’s a pretty direct and mostly low stress route. I hope you’re enjoying your commute so far. There’s a coffee club in The Crystal City Waterpark Tuesday mornings from 7ish to 8ish if you want to come hangout with other folks from the forum.

@Emm 179734 wrote:

Also in Crystal City Where a bunch of us meet between 5 and 5:30 on Fridays at the waterpark for Friday’s at the fountain. kcjewett has a great commute when it comes to coffee and beer on the ride.

@Judd 179736 wrote:

Guess where Judd is every Friday?

Thanks guys, I appreciate how friendly everyone is and the good advice! I’ve been to the waterpark a couple times with work folks, I’ll keep an eye out for ya!

Kevin

[dasgeh]

@kcjewett 179863 wrote:

For future reference, where is the IoD? I’m also kind of confused about the best way to get from the north side of 50 to the South side. I’ve been going through on the overpass right by the War Memorial (pictured), but it’s been a little hairy. Thoughts? Thanks!

The Intersection of Doom is not on that map. It’s the intersection of Lynn St and the westbound lanes of Lee Hwy/the off ramp from I66 (the eastbound have their own light there). The Custis Trail runs on the north side of Lee there, and has the “walk” signal when cars from westbound Lee/I66 ramp can turn right onto Lynn, creating a conflict.

So you’ve noticed that the only crossing of 50 is Meade Street. There’s a project to improve the Meade Street Bridge, but it that design could be better. I couldn’t hurt if someone wrote in and said that. I think the project is funded, but involves NPS, so is in a black hole.

[baiskeli]

@kcjewett 179863 wrote:

I’m also kind of confused about the best way to get from the north side of 50 to the South side.

You can go up and around to cross at Rhodes St. if you want. Further up, you can cross at Pershing and there’s a trail running east from there.

[Judd]

@jrenaut 179732 wrote:

If you want to hang out with Judd, all you have to do is gather three or more cyclists in one place and mention beer or pie and Judd will appear

Now I have the sticker to prove it.

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[Author]

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