Route request – Tysons to Ft. Belvoir

[FFX_Hinterlands]

I posted your question to the Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling Facebook thread in hopes of finding some help. I’ll post any replies back here.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fairfax-Advocates-for-Better-Bicycling/237045302214

[americancyclo]

I haven’t traveled down that way myself, but this was the best option I could muster that avoided the Cross County Trail, and didn’t resort to Ox Rd to the west, or the MVT.

How much clearance do you have on your road bike? Could you just swap out tires to ride the Cross County?

700×32 Borough CX Armadillo Elite

700×30 Schwalbe CX pro

[napes]

You might try some of these route variants as well. You may find Gallows itself not that bad at certain times of the day.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=211529365885007757045.0004b4878f69b9e3416b7&msa=0&ll=38.865241,-77.213631&spn=0.060147,0.148144

[debiguity]

I met someone on my commute a month or so ago who does essentially that commute, and I remember he said he takes Backlick pretty much the whole way. I saw him on Beulah near Ft. Belvoir, though, so I wonder if he picks up Backlick from the Franconia Rd area. (Beulah to Manchester Blvd and then up to Franconia Rd) There’s an entrance to Ft. Belvoir at Telegraph and Beulah, and Beulah has bike lanes the whole way, and no parked cars. I ride Beulah and Telegraph every day so I’m familiar with that specific area around Ft. Belvoir. Telegraph also has nice bike lanes. I have never ridden Manchester Blvd, but I pass by it, and it has both a wide side path and very wide shoulders. I’ve seen cyclists on both. I’m not familiar with anything further off Beulah – I don’t explore much around work, just go to and from.

The map/route that americancyclo posted would has you on Backlick to FFX County Pkwy to Telegraph. I work at Cinderbed and Backlick, and though there are decent shoulders on that part of FFX County Pkwy from what I remember (it’s been a long time since I’ve headed that direction), I’d actually send you Backlick to Newington, which merges with Cinderbed, and then onto Newington again, and left onto Telegraph and then up to the Telegraph Entrance. Or after crossing 95, Franconia Rd to Frontier Dr to Manchester to Beulah to Telegraph entrance.

But that’s assuming you’re not at Ft. Belvoir North, and that the Telegraph entrance works for you. (I think it isn’t open 24 hrs)

[MostA]

Thanks for all the ideas. I’ll have to do some weekend exploring. My biggest concern with Gallows / Backlick route is the Merrifield and FFX hospital areas of Gallows, so I might pick up Gallows inside the beltway and go from there. And at the Ft. Belvoir end, I will be going to the building on John J. Kingman, so can either take Beulah through the base or Loisdale to 7100 (which has a path).

[WillStewart]

One way to insert more alternatives into route planning is to consider taking a short hop on a bus with bike racks.

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/routes/

[americancyclo]

Did you end up deciding on a route? I’m thinking about applying for a job in that area, and am curious about what the commute is like.

[MostA]

I haven’t gotten settled at the new job yet with the logistics (showers, food, etc.) to ride my bike, but have decided that I will do back roads through Falls Church and Annandale. Pick up Backlick in Annandale to Loisdale south of Springfield to the FFX parkway.

[americancyclo]

Let us know how it goes once you get settled and make the ride!

[Author]

Posts