Routes from Takoma Park to Arlington/Ballston area

[Brendan von Buckingham]

Hey Guy, get outta my head.

[GuyContinental]

@ebubar 26836 wrote:

Wow, thanks for all the suggestions! My inclination was to go the trail routes and avoid downtown until I can maintain a higher average pace.
It sounds like I’ll need to work on my hill climbing abilities. As it is, I’m tired after just riding up Maple Avenue between Philadelphia and the Metro!

Another way to start out is the one-way commute- it sounds like you take the metro now so on day 1 ride to work and take the metro home, on day two, take the metro to work and ride home. Rest on day three (if you need it) and then repeat or do a round trip. You’ll iron out the commute and improve fitness. It would help to have a secure place to leave your bike of course (or lots of locks). An added bonus is that if the weather turns you can always just bail on the ride and take the train.

I did exactly this when building up to my current 50 mile commute (after a few years mostly off the bike). It took about 3 months before I added multiple round trips and then a few more months before I abandoned the one-way. I’m still a bit shy of 5 days a week (a la Ccrew who does 55+, 5x a week) but if I had the desire I could probably do that now without ill effects.

[GuyContinental]

@Brendan von Buckingham 26875 wrote:

Hey Guy, get outta my head.

We also “liked” Em’s post at the same second… of course, you are trying to kill the guy by sending him downtown, I’m trying to provide a relaxing nature tour

[vvill]

If the Chain Bridge => CCT connection was better, it’d be in my regular commute route rotation. That path isn’t so bad to walk down (be careful in cleats), but crossing the road while carrying your bike only to be met by a guardrail on the other side is not so fun.

[ebubar]

I took a look at all the suggested routes using mapmyride and took a look at the elevation changes. They all seem pretty modest/non-existent until the Chain Bridge or Custis portions. Chain Bridge looked ridiculous for my meager skill level. Custis looked doable in the near future. I have a couole comparable grades that I can take from Takoma metro home to work myself up a little.

I have a teaching lab, research lab and an office so the one way trip is definitely possible. Might try that out soon. Maybe next week a day before the academic year gets crazy!

[ebubar]

@jopamora 26866 wrote:

Going through DC the traffic lights will keep your average pace down.

I just thought of this today on my ride to the takoma metro. My current route along maple has around 10 stop signs/traffic lights within a 1.9 mile span. I’ve noticed that I can really push myself and get an average pace of 11-12 mph or take it easy and have 10-11. It seems all those stops drag my average down. I can even see it on my Strava plots: jagged peaks the whole way. Stop and go is so frustrating, but I guess it’s a good workout!

[dasgeh]

Another option as you work up to Arlington’s hills is ride to Rosslyn, then put your bike on one of the many bus options between Rosslyn and Ballston.

@DismalScientist 26832 wrote:

I can’t say I see the advantage of taking the TR bridge. You’ll be walking with you bike over your shoulder for some of the distance from the CCT to the Key bridge over the canal, but it takes a good two miles off from going over the TR bridge.

The advantage of TR Bridge over Key is that not everyone has the option of shouldering their bike. If you can, Dismal is right, CCT -> Key is trail/low volume road only. If you can’t, CCT–> Key means riding on Wisconsin and M, which are not low volume, so TR Bridge is the better option to avoid that.

[GuyContinental]

@dasgeh 26913 wrote:

The advantage of TR Bridge over Key is that not everyone has the option of shouldering their bike. If you can, Dismal is right, CCT -> Key is trail/low volume road only. If you can’t, CCT–> Key means riding on Wisconsin and M, which are not low volume, so TR Bridge is the better option to avoid that.

There are a few no-carry options from the CCT to Key:

1. Up the ramp at the Georgetown tunnel to C&O then cross the canal ramps to the bridge park (usually what I do when be-trailered)
2. Skip the ramp, use the tunnel and sidewalk and cross at the Key light
3. CCT to Water St to Wisconsin, Left on M (and don’t die…)
4. Water St right up to the C&O is a very short carry

[americancyclo]

@vvill 26889 wrote:

If the Chain Bridge => CCT connection was better, it’d be in my regular commute route rotation. That path isn’t so bad to walk down (be careful in cleats), but crossing the road while carrying your bike only to be met by a guardrail on the other side is not so fun.

But great cyclocross training!

[Terpfan]

@ebubar 26903 wrote:

I just thought of this today on my ride to the takoma metro. My current route along maple has around 10 stop signs/traffic lights within a 1.9 mile span. I’ve noticed that I can really push myself and get an average pace of 11-12 mph or take it easy and have 10-11. It seems all those stops drag my average down. I can even see it on my Strava plots: jagged peaks the whole way. Stop and go is so frustrating, but I guess it’s a good workout!

And aside from dealing with idiot drivers, that’s largely why you will want to avoid the city. I could run my commute 25-30% faster if not for six traffic lights. I know the timing, but it’s a hit or miss.

When thinking of hill comparisons, think of some of the big ones on 16th Street, that’s what they’re talking about comparatively (albeit not to the 41st which is far steeper). I think your inclination to do GBT to CCT is good. Plus, as some recommended, you can always bike to somewhere such as Rossilyn and hop on a bus if you want or bike in and ride home. Timing wise, from Takoma, it’ll probably be slightly faster if your commute is 1.5 hours.

[Tim Kelley]

We’ve mentioned bike on bus, but don’t forget that that Metro to Capital Bikeshare is also an option.

[dasgeh]

@GuyContinental 26914 wrote:

There are a few no-carry options from the CCT to Key:

1. Up the ramp at the Georgetown tunnel to C&O then cross the canal ramps to the bridge park (usually what I do when be-trailered)
2. Skip the ramp, use the tunnel and sidewalk and cross at the Key light
3. CCT to Water St to Wisconsin, Left on M (and don’t die…)
4. Water St right up to the C&O is a very short carry

I asked about this before and was told there are no no-carry options, aside from Wisconsin & M. All of the ramps I know over the canal (all East of Key Bridge) involve steps (=carrying). So if you could be more specific on 1 & 2, that would be great. Thanks.

[GuyContinental]

I’ve taken my WeeHoo trailer up/down both of them- no way to carry that thing. They *are* stairwells but both have 14″ ramps on one or both sides of a center step section. Just walk up the steps and push your bike up/down the ramp which terminates at the Foundry tunnel under the canal to G’town.

The tunnel is at Foundry Branch Park (just E of Foxhall rd)- head up the sidewalk near the Exorcist stairs, past the gas station & Car barn. I know that I’ve taken a bike through there. Pretty sure there is just a *steep* ramp to the tunnel. Regardless, option 1 is easy, just takes some riding on the C&O.

[Nuke]

Maybe I’m missing something, buy why not use the Rock Creek Trail, then take TDR? CCT seems like a big detour. No need to carry. The roads on the VA side of Chain Bridge do not seem too bike friendly to me.

[papalena]

@dasgeh 26935 wrote:

I asked about this before and was told there are no no-carry options, aside from Wisconsin & M. All of the ramps I know over the canal (all East of Key Bridge) involve steps (=carrying). So if you could be more specific on 1 & 2, that would be great. Thanks.

The “no carry” route: From the CCT (in the area around where Foxhall road turns into M St), take the tunnel underneath the canal; this leads you to a (steep?) path to the sidewalk on the east side of M street. From there you can stay on the sidewalk towards Georgetown / Key Bridge. This is not a great ride since there is at least one place where there is a telephone pole (and maybe a fire hydrant?) directly in the middle of the sidewalk (and not much space to get by), but if you’re willing to go slow and dodge or follow possible pedestrians it is passable. When you get to the light by the Whitehurst Freeway entrance, cross to the west side sidewalk and go up the Key Bridge.

This is not a favorite path of mine, but it does allow you to get to from the CCT to the Key Bridge without any carrying of the bike.

(The other alternative is to go all they way down to Wisconsin, up Wisconsin, then back along M Street. I actually prefer that option, but you have to be
comfortable in traffic, to say the least.)

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