saying hi

[lordofthemark]

This forum is supposed to be the place for introduction posts, so here goes.

I live in Annandale, work near the Navy Yard in DC. I have biked recreationally very occasionally in the past. I decided to haul our old bike (a mountain bike that I think someone had rescued from Freecycle) out of the basement, and get back into cycling (got the broken inner tube replaced, and bought a new helmet). Also I have a coworker who is a somewhat fanatical bike commuter and he inspired me, and I’ve been thinking bike commuting could be a solution if and when my wife and I make an empty nester move away from Annandale (places near Metro stations in DC are pretty expensive, and staying in NoVa and doing transit means persisting with the annoying Yellow line to Green line transfer). Anyway, the last couple of months I’ve been trying to one or two rides each weekend. I intend to do some local errand rides, and try out putting my bike on the express bus to try bike commuting (at least by next BTW day). Also want to try out CaBi.

I expect to be posting questions about equipment, cycling techniques, routes, and stuff like that. Maybe also some policy (I work in the transportation field, and have some interest in cycling and policy) but I think it would be better if I have more experience as a rider first.

Thanks in advance for your patience

Topic

[Certifried]

welcome!

[Tim Kelley]

Welcome! Out of curiosity, how did you find out about the Washington Area Bike Forum?

[Mikey]

Greetings,

My story is fairly similar to yours. I live in Fairfax off of Braddock Road, and I commute each day by bike to the NAVY Yard. I had ridden both ways about once a month for nearly a year before I took the plunge and gave up my car commute last March. When I stopped driving to work I originally commuted by VRE/CaBi. I rode my bike to the Burke Centre Station, locked it up, hopped on the commuter rail to L’Enfant, then picked up a CaBi bike to ride to the Navy Yard Metro station. This worked great since even in CaBi’s infancy there were plenty of bikes and docks, and if they were empty in the morning I would just stay on the train to Union Station and pick up a bike there. For the reverse trip I would check the CaBi tracker website to see where there were more docks and ride to that station. I would even ride over to crystal city for days where I wanted a little more exercise. On days that I would have to leave early I would ride to the Vienna Metro station and lock my bike there. I would still ride all the way in about every month for the fun of it.

When the federal employee commuter benefit was cut from $230 to $125 I switched over to the Metrobus. I ride my bike to one of 3 bus stops within a mile of my house that allows me to catch either the 17K, 17G, or 17H express bus (with this flexibility a bus is avaiable nearly every 10-15 minutes which is better than the 40 minutes between VRE trains). I load my bike on the front of the bus and take this bus to the pentagon, then with my bike ride the 5 miles from the Pentagon to the Navy Yard. Most days the entire trip door to door takes about 1:15-1:25 minutes depending on traffic. The nice thing about the bus is that I have a way to transport my bike back home without huffing it all the way up the Custis/W&OD, so I can ride my bike all the way in during the morning commute, and take the bus home in the afternoon (a necessity during the +90F degree days of July and August).

Annandale is tough, not much bike infrastructure. I can probably help with routes, if you have any questions.

Welcome to the addiction!

[RESTONTODC]

@essigmw 22618 wrote:

Welcome to the addiction!

Bike to work is my addiction too.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@essigmw 22618 wrote:

Greetings,

My story is fairly similar to yours. I live in Fairfax off of Braddock Road, and I commute each day by bike to the NAVY Yard. I had ridden both ways about once a month for nearly a year before I took the plunge and gave up my car commute last March. When I stopped driving to work I originally commuted by VRE/CaBi. I rode my bike to the Burke Centre Station, locked it up, hopped on the commuter rail to L’Enfant, then picked up a CaBi bike to ride to the Navy Yard Metro station. This worked great since even in CaBi’s infancy there were plenty of bikes and docks, and if they were empty in the morning I would just stay on the train to Union Station and pick up a bike there. For the reverse trip I would check the CaBi tracker website to see where there were more docks and ride to that station. I would even ride over to crystal city for days where I wanted a little more exercise. On days that I would have to leave early I would ride to the Vienna Metro station and lock my bike there. I would still ride all the way in about every month for the fun of it.

When the federal employee commuter benefit was cut from $230 to $125 I switched over to the Metrobus. I ride my bike to one of 3 bus stops within a mile of my house that allows me to catch either the 17K, 17G, or 17H express bus (with this flexibility a bus is avaiable nearly every 10-15 minutes which is better than the 40 minutes between VRE trains). I load my bike on the front of the bus and take this bus to the pentagon, then with my bike ride the 5 miles from the Pentagon to the Navy Yard. Most days the entire trip door to door takes about 1:15-1:25 minutes depending on traffic. The nice thing about the bus is that I have a way to transport my bike back home without huffing it all the way up the Custis/W&OD, so I can ride my bike all the way in during the morning commute, and take the bus home in the afternoon (a necessity during the +90F degree days of July and August).

Annandale is tough, not much bike infrastructure. I can probably help with routes, if you have any questions.

Welcome to the addiction!

I also live off Braddock and do the 17 lines with my bike on days I don’t have to drive into Old Town first (my usual bike start) and then ride from the Pentagon to downtown. What route do you take on days you ride all the way in?

[lordofthemark]

@Tim Kelley 22615 wrote:

Welcome! Out of curiosity, how did you find out about the Washington Area Bike Forum?

I don’t remember precisely, I’ve been lurking for a while. I think I was browsing around the Arlington County bike/ped material and found it.

[lordofthemark]

@essigmw 22618 wrote:

I switched over to the Metrobus. I ride my bike to one of 3 bus stops within a mile of my house that allows me to catch either the 17K, 17G, or 17H express bus (with this flexibility a bus is avaiable nearly every 10-15 minutes which is better than the 40 minutes between VRE trains). I load my bike on the front of the bus and take this bus to the pentagon, then with my bike ride the 5 miles from the Pentagon to the Navy Yard. Most days the entire trip door to door takes about 1:15-1:25 minutes depending on traffic.

Yes, I am considering something similar – either the 29G (closest to my home) or a slightly longer ride to where the 29G and 29H join, and then use the bike from the pentagon to my work place to avoid the up to 30 minute metro ride.

I will post more specific questions about Annandale rides later.

Thanks to all for the welcome!

[Mikey]

@ShawnoftheDread 22634 wrote:

I also live off Braddock and do the 17 lines with my bike on days I don’t have to drive into Old Town first (my usual bike start) and then ride from the Pentagon to downtown. What route do you take on days you ride all the way in?

I live over near GMU, I cross campus, take University and Old Lee Highway across downtown to the FFX Circle. I then cut up through the East Blake Lane Park by the Vienna Metro, stay on Vaden through to Nottoway park and right onto Tapawingo. I cross Vienna on Tapawingo Right on Glynndon, Left of Adahi and Right on the W&OD. I take the W&OD to the Custis to the MVT then across the 14th street bridge. I do it about twice a week, let me know if you want me to meet you somewhere on the way, we can ride it together.

-Mikey

[Mikey]

@lordofthemark 22637 wrote:

. . .or a slightly longer ride to where the 29G and 29H join, . . . QUOTE]

That’s a good Idea, if you can get to a bus stop where multiple lines run, you can basically just go there and not worry about timing, since the busses will run about every 10 minutes or so. I ride a little further to where the 17K and 17H share a bus stop, if I miss the K by a minute I only have to wait 8 minutes for the H. very convenient.

[Author]

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