Routes from Takoma Park to Arlington/Ballston area

[ebubar]

I have a Trek 7.2FX hybrid and would like to offset some of that expensive metro commute by biking to work.
I’ve been riding to the Takoma Metro for a couple of weeks (about 2 miles) and seem to be averaging about
11-12 mph around the Flower Avenue/Maple Avenue/Sligo Creek area that I ride around.

I’m curious if I should try the full 13-15 miles into work. I have used Google Maps to route myself from Takoma
to Ballston. Through the city, its around 13 miles, but i’m hesitant because of my slow speed.
I can alternatively cut through Silver Spring and use the Georgetown Branch trail (never used) to get to
the CCT (first trail I ever rode!). I think I could travel a steady clip along there (its relatively flat after all!).
Then I’d have to cross at Chain Bridge and get to North Glebe (~15 mile trip) or I could cross at Key Bridge
and take the Custis Trail (~18 mile trip). I’m hoping to meet/beat my current bus-to redline-to orange line-to shuttle
commute time of 1-1.5 hours on the bike.

So for the area biking gurus, what say you? Better route suggestions? Training suggestions to get in better shape
before I try it?

I have a pretty flexible schedule (college professor) and can leave a change of clothes at work, so sweating/attire
won’t be an issue!

Cheers and excited to be a forum member!

Topic

[DismalScientist]

@Nuke 26982 wrote:

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.

The road on the VA side of Chain Bridge (if you are not going north) are very bike friendly… if you like hills.

[dasgeh]

Thanks, papalena. I didn’t know you could get to the tunnel without stairs. Good to know.

Guy – I wouldn’t steer people to those bridges over the canal without a big asterisk. Those little walls beside the stairs aren’t railings designed to move bikes, and I know I can’t get my bike up and down there.

[GuyContinental]

@dasgeh 27023 wrote:

Thanks, papalena. I didn’t know you could get to the tunnel without stairs. Good to know.

Guy – I wouldn’t steer people to those bridges over the canal without a big asterisk. Those little walls beside the stairs aren’t railings designed to move bikes, and I know I can’t get my bike up and down there.

Errr- that’s exactly what they are for, it’s access for light rolling equipment and super common all over the world (particularly in ports). I did say dismount… I have no problem rolling a 90 lb bike/trailer/kid combo up either of them (kid comes out for the way down). Granted, I’m not pregnant, but I’m not exactly Hercules either.

Don’t like the ramps- take the tunnel, I happen to be more scared of the dark than I am of the ramps but YMMV.

[ebubar]

Did my commute for the first time today. Sligo Creek trail to Georgetown Branch to Capital Crescent. Carry the bike at the Key Bridge Connection stairs (which I have to admit took me like 10-15 minutes to find!) then over the climb at Rosslyn. Doable, albeit quite slowly. Then up Lee HWY to Old Dominion and arriving at Marymount. 19.3 miles and it took about 2 hours. Of course, that’s throwing in all the stops to figure out where I was going, turning around when I realized I missed a turn, stopping for the occasional traffic light and slowing down for bike trail traffic jams on the CCT. Plus the stop to take a picture on the Key Bridge! All in all a nice ride. We’ll see how I feel this afternoon, I may be metro-ing back home. Regardless, I will sleep like a baby tonight.

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[Certifried]

@ebubar 29634 wrote:

Did my commute for the first time today. Sligo Creek trail to Georgetown Branch to Capital Crescent.

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Post your route, I’d love to see if we passed each other at some point

(I’m scary looking, but not quite what my avatar is. Beard, yellow shirt, lights and reflectiveness plastered all over me)

oh, Metro doesn’t allow bikes until after 7pm, so remember that for going home. Look in to bus routes for possible distance reductions. I use an express from New Carrollton Metro to Bowie to cut off about 10 miles from what would be a 30 mile commute.

[ebubar]

@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.

Speaking of walking with you bike over your shoulder, this is the path from the Chain Bridge directly to the CCT. http://maps.google.com/?ll=38.930504,-77.111921&spn=0.056019,0.035148&t=h&z=15&layer=c&cbll=38.930615,-77.111987&panoid=3xh1mliTHLM9SppnanO-zg&cbp=12,55.26,,0,5.77 Not pleasant, but doable if you don’t have gear.
On the Arlington side, you want to go up 41 St., but coming back, take Glebe (the entire lane). It may be hard to maintain control on 41st Street downhill and you will have no problems keeping up with traffic on Glebe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrfDqoILHjw

Resurrecting a dead thread from the ashes, but thought a video of the connection might be helpful should any intrepid beginner (like myself) stumble upon this thread!

[dasgeh]

Awesome. Thanks.

[Author]

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