October 2015 Road and Trail Conditions

[consularrider]

@Tania 125609 wrote:

Stairs are a little better since you then don’t have to cross Canal Road and hop the guard rail (which honestly looked impossible last night). It was a fun adventure, but probably easier for me to just take the tow path now that I have this fancy gravel bike and all. Planning to hit 41st Street at least once a week. I WILL make it all the way up by x-mas.

Have you ordered your studded tires yet?

[Tania]

@consularrider 125627 wrote:

Have you ordered your studded tires yet?

No. I started to and someone *cough*dcv*cough* said they wouldn’t really help me much. I should though because I mean, really, what does HE know about it?

Once my bank account stops hating me, I’ll probably buy some. Can’t hurt to have a set.

[hozn]

@Tania 125630 wrote:

No. I started to and someone *cough*dcv*cough* said they wouldn’t really help me much. I should though because I mean, really, what does HE know about it?

Once my bank account stops hating me, I’ll probably buy some. Can’t hurt to have a set.

I’m not sure the context, but I know dcv has at least one set. It could just be that he’s trying to ensure that you don’t order the set he wants

They’ve definitely prevented many falls — as I feel the wheels start to slide and then catch. But then they’ve also failed to prevent a couple. They’re not foolproof — but then I also have the Nokians that have the fewest studs. They do not hold up to, for example, a steep ramp covered in ice. Lesson learned there.

[ShawnoftheDread]

Studs help a lot. But they also feel like slow death when you have them and don’t need them.

[Tania]

I suspect the conversation was something like this:

Quote:

me: “I need to get a set of studded tires this winter so I can be fast in the snow like you.”

dcv: “Uh, they’re not really going to help you that much.”

I could be paraphrasing a bit.

[consularrider]

Well, fast and snow are mutually exclusive if you want to stay upright (except of course for dcv :p). Plus, I think I’d skip the 41st St climb in ice and snow. I was just looking at the 45NRTH Gravdal 700×38 tires. One thing I’ve been disappointing with my Schwalbe Marathon Winters is the lack of depth in the tread. I’m sure that’s my problem on unpacked snow. :rolleyes:

[KWL]

The wood chips are in play. At least on the northern overpass. The ride on the chips isn’t bad, except some people walk, some people ride slowly, some people ride faster. And when you walk your bike you are taking up twice as much trail width on a stupidly narrow path. Overall it means we all go the same speed as the walkers. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I’m taking Potomac Ave – Crystal Drive route from now on.

[dkel]

@Tania 125636 wrote:

I suspect the conversation was something like this:

me: “I need to get a set of studded tires this winter so I can be fast in the snow like you.”

dcv: “Uh, they’re not really going to help you that much.”

I could be paraphrasing a bit.

He’s right, in two ways: studs won’t help you in snow, and they won’t help you be fast. Studs will help you on ice, though.

[hozn]

Well, studded tires often have aggressive tread profiles that help with snow, but definitely not deep snow. Then again that isn’t really something we deal with here for more than a day. Especially now that they plow/snowblow the trails.

So they will help you go fast on rutted snow/ice (of course you can go fast without studs but you will fall down). But they will slow you way down on pavement. So in the end they are less about going fast and more about just being able to go at all.

[dbb]

Received this from the GWMP folks yesterday.

“Thank you for allowing the George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP) the opportunity to respond to questions and concerns about the work along the Mount Vernon Trail (MVT) in the area of Reagan National Airport. The project along the trail is part of a larger project that includes milling and paving airport and parkway access ramps. The project began in late summer to lessen the impact to trail and roadway users.

The realignment of the MVT under the Metro Bridge and exit bridge from the airport is scheduled for three months. This realignment will move the trail farther from the road to create a safer separation, with a barrier wall, between the trail and the roadway. The barrier wall will be a stone wall and metal rail, similar to the barrier wall along the trail at Boundary Channel Bridge (Humpback Bridge near the interchange of the parkway and 395). The duration of this portion of the project is extended because the planned realignment parallels utility lines and crews must proceed with caution.

The realignment of the MVT under RT 233 bridge (access to the airport) is scheduled to take approximately two to three weeks. This realignment will improve safety by moving the trail away from the road.

The detour around the large tree towards the south end of the project will be used for two days. This detour will only be in use during work on the realignment. The realignment will improve safety by straightening the trail and improving sight line concerns.

The goal of the project is to improve visitor safety while ensuring we protect the natural resources along the trail. Unfortunately, to improve the safety along the trail, we have to temporarily impact the current trail use. We apologize for any inconvenience and encourage visitors to use caution through the construction zone.

When considering construction projects, the park strives to minimize impacts to the visitors. Unfortunately, there is little space for wider detours because the area is congested with car and trail traffic. GWMP doesn’t use grass or paved detours because they create long term impacts for a short term closure. In the past, mulch detours were used successfully along the MVT.

These important road and trail projects will be done concurrently. The time frames for completion is weather permitting. The intent is that the entire project, to include the milling and paving of the ramps, will be completed by Spring 2016. The park will provide more detailed plans for the detours when it is available. “

[Terpfan]

Walking the mulched area wasn’t too bad. But most people were riding it, including making some really tight squeezes through. I’ll cross my fingers and hope they don’t hit a bad mulch chip because the jersey wall there is really low and if they fall (heading southbound) they will be in the travel lane of the GWMP. So, we’ll see how this goes. Frankly, I wish they would post a sign saying ‘walk bike here’ or something along those lines. Someone’s going to fall.

[lordofthemark]

@Terpfan 125675 wrote:

Walking the mulched area wasn’t too bad. But most people were riding it, including making some really tight squeezes through. I’ll cross my fingers and hope they don’t hit a bad mulch chip because the jersey wall there is really low and if they fall (heading southbound) they will be in the travel lane of the GWMP. So, we’ll see how this goes. Frankly, I wish they would post a sign saying ‘walk bike here’ or something along those lines. Someone’s going to fall.

I saw a sign (Nbound) that said “Dismount Bike” Unfortunately it is not that far from the universally disregarded dismount bike sign at the crossing of the side road out of the airport. However almost everyone dismounted and walked – once one person ahead is walking the bike, it is pointless not to.

[BTC_DC]

Wood chips were surprisingly easy to ride on with skinny tires, but then dismounted due to traffic and people walking their bikes going both ways.

I think it is a worthwhile project, especially under the metro bridge where the trail is inches from the road. I am always worried in the winter about black ice on that little stretch and potentially going down and sliding into oncoming traffic. I do not actually recall ever encountering ice there, but provides peace of mind given the stakes are a bit higher with the off chance of sliding into a head on collision.

Straightening the path around the tree will also be nice.

So probably worth the short-term detours over the long run, and Crystal Dr. is a good option in the meantime.

[creadinger]

@BTC_DC 125688 wrote:

Wood chips were surprisingly easy to ride on with skinny tires, but then dismounted due to traffic and people walking their bikes going both ways.

I think it is a worthwhile project, especially under the metro bridge where the trail is inches from the road. I am always worried in the winter about black ice on that little stretch and potentially going down and sliding into oncoming traffic. I do not actually recall ever encountering ice there, but provides peace of mind given the stakes are a bit higher with the off chance of sliding into a head on collision.

Straightening the path around the tree will also be nice.

So probably worth the short-term detours over the long run, and Crystal Dr. is a good option in the meantime.

Yeah, I wasn’t aware of the realignment they were doing to make thing better. I figured it was just a way to mess with us trail users.

Anyway, I’ll be going up to Crystal City at least for the next few months. I really wish the underpass there was wider than 1 lane.

[Emm]

@Terpfan 125675 wrote:

Walking the mulched area wasn’t too bad. But most people were riding it, including making some really tight squeezes through. I’ll cross my fingers and hope they don’t hit a bad mulch chip because the jersey wall there is really low and if they fall (heading southbound) they will be in the travel lane of the GWMP. So, we’ll see how this goes. Frankly, I wish they would post a sign saying ‘walk bike here’ or something along those lines. Someone’s going to fall.

The detour through crystal city didn’t add any time to my commute–I was surprised since I expected at least a few minutes to be added. I think using the service road helped. I think it’ll add a few min on the way home because of that stupid block that only goes 1 way, but worth it to avoid the mulch. Plus it brings me right by Jimmy Johns…

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