W&OD + Custis – Falls Church to DC 01/18/2011

[eminva]

Wow, Pete, I salute you. Who else made it out? I cannot consider it because I still haven’t investigated studded tires. Also, school was cancelled and I am home with a 10-year-old.

I do hope to be riding on studded tires by this time next year at the latest — probably using a mountain bike that is part of my fleet and that I don’t often think about. However, your last point does give me pause — I worry very much about that last mile and a half of my commute that takes me along the streets of DC. The cars are scary enough when the drivers are in full control of their machines . . .

Liz

[Tim Kelley]

My ride from Ballston to Rosslyn was messy. Fairfax, Clarendon and Wilson streets are fine but the bike lanes are covered in slush. Also, some intersections can be very slick.

Take the lane, ride predictably and be careful out there!!

[Dirt]

I had the fat snow/ice studded tires on today and they were very good. I think the cyclocross studded tires I have would not have fared as well. I saw that one person had been on the W&OD either late last night or early this morning. Other than that no-one had been out. Only saw 2 walkers and one person trying to run.

It was MUCH easier to ride than it was to walk. I got off the bike once to photograph and almost fell on my face… even with serious winter boots on.

[OneEighth]

This morning’s ride on the road from Arlington into DC wasn’t too bad with cx tires. The main roads were a bit slushy at the edges but perfectly passable. The sidewalks on the Key Bridge were completely iced over. Traffic was light, thankfully.
I would be curious about the trail conditions this afternoon.

[Dirt]

It will be warm enough that I think a lot will clear off. Shaded areas might not though. Refreeze tomorrow is going to be really ugly in the areas that do not clear today.

[CCrew]

@Dirt 1982 wrote:

I saw that one person had been on the W&OD either late last night or early this morning. Other than that no-one had been out.

Have to leave the house pretty early to beat me to the trail Dirt. I left @ 1:45am this morning to go play slip-slide. I may wuss and Metro tomorrow although temps are expected to be mildish for this time of year so we’ll see.

I can’t for the life of me understand why Arlington has such nice bike lanes that they ignore when there’s weather. Dunno about others, but it’s when I’d appreciate them the most.

[LeeDiehr]

I’ve been a big fat (literally) wuss all winter this year. Especially with adverse conditions. I’m hoping for things to be a little more clear for a Thursday commute. I drive on Wednesdays anyway to take my daughter to daycare. I’m using an indoor trainer this season for the first time in 3 years. What has happened to me?!

[CCrew]

@LeeDiehr 1989 wrote:

I’ve been a big fat (literally) wuss all winter this year. Especially with adverse conditions. I’m hoping for things to be a little more clear for a Thursday commute. I drive on Wednesdays anyway to take my daughter to daycare. I’m using an indoor trainer this season for the first time in 3 years. What has happened to me?!

You know, sometimes life does get in the way. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.

Keep in mind it’s easy to find an excuse not to ride. Then again tomorrow, and again the day after that. And given the recent weather it’s certainly understandable. Get out when you can.

[Dirt]

Amen to what CCRew said. I don’t have a life, so I ride my bike instead.

[consularrider]

With my office having a two hour delayed opening, I didn’t leave home until just before 9 am. I took the combination of the W&OD/4MRT/MVT from East Falls Church to Rosslyn since it is flater than the Custis or on road routes. However, I detoured at Memorial Bridge over to the trail along the edge of Arlington Cemetary and up to the Ft Myer Gate so that I could avoid the Roosevelt Island wooden walkway and the climb up over the GW Parkway to Lynn St. Everything was iced over with a few very small clear spots and some slushy ice on the I-395 underpass at Shirlington. I was using 700×35 Marathon Winter studded tires and had very few problems as long as I took it slow and steady and did not make any sharp turns. I did not see a single other person on a bike in the hour and ten minutes I was out, just three runners. I could see a couple of tire trails most of the way and from the Crystal City access trail to the 14th St bridge, it looked like there had been about ten bikes that had passed this morning.

[brendan]

cr: did you take the W&OD/4MRT/MVT route via the cemetary branch to get extra miles in? i’m not a big fan of riding the custis trail unless i have to, I usually take W&OD to bluemont junction trail into ballston and ride surface streets over to clarendon (or rosslyn if that’s where I was headed).

[lkoach]

Would like to commute in tomorrow morning, but I suspect there will likely be hidden frozen spots among the wet spots. Behind Lyon Village, and overpasses, I suspect may be unpredictable and dicey. Without stud tires on my road bike, I think my wife will appreciate I concede one more comment day to Metro. Can anyone second my prudence?

[Dirt]

W&OD through Falls Church was still in pretty rough shape on the ride home. Slushy ice is the best description I’ve got .

If we get a freeze tonight, there is gonna be some serious ice tomorrow morning. If it stays above freezing, it’ll be a mellow ride into the office.

Have a good night y’all.

[OneEighth]

The 4 Mile Run trail was okay this afternoon, but I suspect the raised areas will be very nasty tomorrow morning as they will freeze even if the rest of the trail doesn’t. W&OD was not so promising past Columbia Pike heading West. There were plenty of patches that where the trail was mostly covered and the only mitigating factor was that it was warm enough for my tires to cut through. I highly doubt it’ll be that way in the morning. I really didn’t like the Custis from Westover heading back toward town.

Anyone ride the Mt. Vernon trail this afternoon? I’m thinking of hitting Alexandria (via Glebe Road and Del Ray) before hooking North into DC tomorrow morning. Not looking forward to the duck boards.

[lkoach]

Thanks for the input. Good luck out there.

[Author]

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