North Springfield to North Arlington (courthouse)

[ShawnoftheDread]

That would work, but you could also do Sleepy Hollow, left on Holmes Run, left on South St, right on 50 access rd, left on Cherry. You could then pick up the W&OD in Falls Church and avoid Seven Corners.

I assume you plan to take neighborhood roads to pick up Sleepy Hollow rather than Columbia Pike.

[phigmentor]

I hadn’t thought of the Holmes Run option! That would help me avoid that huge hill On Sleepy Hollow.

Yeah, I would be taking neighborhood roads, attempting to avoid the Pike at all costs It’s nuts over there!

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it!

[DismalScientist]

50 (Arlington Blvd) is only bikeable where there is a frontage road. You are probably better off getting on the W&OD instead. You can take the Custis to Ballston and then Fairfax Dr. and Clarendon Blvd. down to Courthouse (as I would) or take the Custis all the way to Adams St.

An alternative to Shawn’s route off of Sleepy Hollow might be right on Valley Lane, right on Villa, eventually left on Patrick Henry and then crossing Leesburg Pike and Arlington Blvd on Patrick Henry. This becomes Willston, make a right on John Marshall and cross Wilson which becomes McKinley. Access to the W&OD is at the bottom of the hill before the bridge over 66. The biking isn’t particularly pleasant between Leesburg Pike and Wilson, but it is only 4 blocks and is better than going through the heart of Seven Corners.

[jrenaut]

@DismalScientist 87885 wrote:

…is better than going through the heart of Seven Corners.

To be fair, nearly everything meets this requirement.

[MattAune]

I would ride Braddock all the way to Columbia Pike, take the bike path on the Pike down the hill past Holmes Run and take Blair to Glen Carlyn to Manchester. Manchester takes you to Bluemont park, from there you can do Custis to Adam/Key/Vietch or you could do the Bluemont Junction to the Fairfax Dr bike lane. The latter would be about 9.5 miles from the Edsall/Backlick intersection.

Then again as an above average sized male I don’t have the same concerns about sketchy neighborhoods, but nothing on this route would concern me.

[dasgeh]

I can’t help with getting to Arlington, but I know you have a lot of options once you get to Arlington. So what are your priorities: hills? direct? trails? neighborhood streets? bike lanes?

It seems like you can head west of 7 corners, hit the W&OD, then you have the option of the Custis to Veitch (hills but basically all trail) or Bluemont Trail (flatter, but street crossings) to either Fairfax & Wilson/Clarendon (bike lanes on roads with moderate traffic and lights) or Fairfax to Quincy to 13th to Jackson to Key (basically neighborhood streets). Or you can head east of 7 corners, the Bluemont is a more obvious choice.

[phigmentor]

@dasgeh 87896 wrote:

So what are your priorities: hills? direct? trails? neighborhood streets? bike lanes?

Most direct route possible. If it has bike lanes, awesome, but I’m OK with smaller streets and access roads.

Thanks for the recommendations!

[americancyclo]

Don’t really know these roads too well, but it seems the biggest issue it getting from where you are to near Lake Barcroft. Here’s a route that uses more neighborhoods than just riding down Braddock Rd. It adds a few miles, but it does let you cross LRT at a light. maybe some others can comment on this way:

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/4981907

[TABLE=”width: 100%”]
[TR]
[TD]Slight right onto Braddock Rd
[/TD]
[TD]0.7 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn right onto Montrose St
[/TD]
[TD]1.8 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn left onto Chowan Ave[/TD]
[TD]2.5 mi
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn right toward Southland Ave (on access rd)[/TD]
[TD]3.2 mi
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn left onto Southland Ave (cross LRT at light)
[/TD]
[TD]3.4 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Continue onto Linmar Ct[/TD]
[TD]3.8 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn left onto Lincolnia Rd[/TD]
[TD]3.9 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn right onto Sano St[/TD]
[TD]4.0 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn left onto Hillcrest Pl[/TD]
[TD]4.3 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn right onto Summit Pl[/TD]
[TD]4.4 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn left onto Fairfax Pkwy[/TD]
[TD]4.8 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn left to stay on Fairfax Pkwy[/TD]
[TD]5.2 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn right onto Mary Meindl Ct[/TD]
[TD]5.3 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Slight right toward Columbia Pike
[/TD]
[TD]5.5 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn right onto Columbia Pike (sidepath)
[/TD]
[TD]5.8 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn left onto Blair Rd
[/TD]
[TD]5.8 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn right onto Glen Carlyn Dr[/TD]
[TD]6.2 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR=”bgcolor: #E7E7E7″]
[TD]Keep left to stay on Glen Carlyn Dr[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[ShawnoftheDread]

@americancyclo 87909 wrote:

Don’t really know these roads too well, but it seems the biggest issue it getting from where you are to near Lake Barcroft. Here’s a route that uses more neighborhoods than just riding down Braddock Rd. It adds a few miles, but it does let you cross LRT at a light. maybe some others can comment on this way:

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/4981907

[TABLE=”width: 100%”]
[TR]
[TD]Slight right onto Braddock Rd
[/TD]
[TD]0.7 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn right onto Montrose St
[/TD]
[TD]1.8 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn left onto Chowan Ave[/TD]
[TD]2.5 mi
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn right toward Southland Ave (on access rd)[/TD]
[TD]3.2 mi
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn left onto Southland Ave (cross LRT at light)
[/TD]
[TD]3.4 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Continue onto Linmar Ct[/TD]
[TD]3.8 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn left onto Lincolnia Rd[/TD]
[TD]3.9 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn right onto Sano St[/TD]
[TD]4.0 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn left onto Hillcrest Pl[/TD]
[TD]4.3 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn right onto Summit Pl[/TD]
[TD]4.4 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn left onto Fairfax Pkwy[/TD]
[TD]4.8 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn left to stay on Fairfax Pkwy[/TD]
[TD]5.2 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn right onto Mary Meindl Ct[/TD]
[TD]5.3 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Slight right toward Columbia Pike
[/TD]
[TD]5.5 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn right onto Columbia Pike (sidepath)
[/TD]
[TD]5.8 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn left onto Blair Rd
[/TD]
[TD]5.8 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Turn right onto Glen Carlyn Dr[/TD]
[TD]6.2 mi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR=”bgcolor: #E7E7E7″]
[TD]Keep left to stay on Glen Carlyn Dr[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Matt’s route is better than this. Turning on Montrose doesn’t cut off much of Braddock , and both Montrose and Chowan are fairly narrow with no shoulder. Chowan is hilly, poor sight lines.

The only problem with Matt’s route is the section of Braddock before Montrose, which he rides very fast and very early in the morning.

I still say Sleepy Hollow to Holmes Run is the best route. You can even cut through one of the strip malls that back onto South to reach Cherry without going all the way over to Annandale.

[MattAune]

@ShawnoftheDread 87910 wrote:

Matt’s route is better than this. Turning on Montrose doesn’t cut off much of Braddock , and both Montrose and Chowan are fairly narrow with no shoulder. Chowan is hilly, poor sight lines.

The only problem with Matt’s route is the section of Braddock before Montrose, which he rides very fast and very early in the morning.

Have you ever ridden Cherokee? You could go edsall to cherokee and go down 2nd to get to southland. It looks pretty narrow on google earth though.

[bobco85]

@phigmentor 87865 wrote:

Hello all,

I’m starting a new gig in N. Arlington, in Courthouse. I’d like to start regularly biking it (it’s about 11-13 miles depending on the route); Google maps puts me through the Braddock Road and the Pike in Annandale. I don’t love that route, as it puts me through some traditionally sketchy neighborhoods for my ride home (I’m a girl).

I was thinking of just going up Sleepy Hollow Rd. and picking up 50 at 7 corners. Thoughts? better route recommendations? 50 looks like it’s bike-able, as long as I stay on the access roads/bike paths.

I live off of Backlick, near Edsall Rd. and Braddock Road.

First off, wow, you live really close to where my brother and his family are (they’re in the townhouse neighborhood at Braddock/Backlick)!

I live near Ballston (on the way if you’re headed to Courthouse), and based on the roads I take when I bike to/from my brother’s place on the weekends (usually not during rush hour except on a few Friday afternoons), I would recommend:

route #1 if you don’t mind hills (9.3 miles) http://goo.gl/maps/8AjZv – Braddock Rd -> Columbia Rd/Old Columbia Pike (hilly, not much traffic, but no shoulders) -> Columbia Pike (service road/side path) -> Blair Rd -> Glen Carlyn Rd -> Manchester Rd -> W&OD -> Bluemont Junction Trail -> Fairfax Dr -> Clarendon Blvd

route #2 my alternative (11.8 miles) http://goo.gl/maps/RFsGt – Backlick Rd -> Cindy Ln -> Hillbrook Dr/Evergreen Ln -> Columbia Pike (service road/sidewalk) -> Sleepy Hollow Rd -> Holmes Run Rd -> cross South St and cut through strip mall parking lot -> Arlington Blvd service road -> Cherry St -> E Columbia St -> Van Buren -> W&OD -> Custis -> Fairfax Dr -> Clarendon Blvd

All in all, I strongly recommend Shawn’s advice on using Holmes Run Rd and Cherry St to bypass Seven Corners and access the W&OD as I have used that route numerous times. Plus, you get the added bonus of increased OneEighth sightings from being on the W&OD and Custis trails!

[ShawnoftheDread]

@MattAune 87954 wrote:

Have you ever ridden Cherokee? You could go edsall to cherokee and go down 2nd to get to southland. It looks pretty narrow on google earth though.

Yes, it’s narrow.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@bobco85 87967 wrote:

First off, wow, you live really close to where my brother and his family are (they’re in the townhouse neighborhood at Braddock/Backlick)!

I live near Ballston (on the way if you’re headed to Courthouse), and based on the roads I take when I bike to/from my brother’s place on the weekends (usually not during rush hour except on a few Friday afternoons), I would recommend:

route #1 if you don’t mind hills (9.3 miles) http://goo.gl/maps/8AjZv – Braddock Rd -> Columbia Rd/Old Columbia Pike (hilly, not much traffic, but no shoulders) -> Columbia Pike (service road/side path) -> Blair Rd -> Glen Carlyn Rd -> Manchester Rd -> W&OD -> Bluemont Junction Trail -> Fairfax Dr -> Clarendon Blvd

route #2 my alternative (11.8 miles) http://goo.gl/maps/RFsGt – Backlick Rd -> Cindy Ln -> Hillbrook Dr/Evergreen Ln -> Columbia Pike (service road/sidewalk) -> Sleepy Hollow Rd -> Holmes Run Rd -> cross South St and cut through strip mall parking lot -> Arlington Blvd service road -> Cherry St -> E Columbia St -> Van Buren -> W&OD -> Custis -> Fairfax Dr -> Clarendon Blvd

All in all, I strongly recommend Shawn’s advice on using Holmes Run Rd and Cherry St to bypass Seven Corners and access the W&OD as I have used that route numerous times. Plus, you get the added bonus of increased OneEighth sightings from being on the W&OD and Custis trails!

And! you can stop by Honey Pig on the way home! Yatzee!

[Author]

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