Allen Muchnick
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Allen Muchnick
ParticipantI live in the City of Manassas (zip code 20110) and moved there in 2014 because it is bikeable. Manassas City is reasonably bike friendly and has many connected low-traffic streets. Even most arterial roads in the City of Manassas are readily bikeable. Bike Manassas and Bull Run Bicycles hold regular group rides.
If you work in downtown DC, Crystal City/Pentagon, or Old Town Alexandria, the VRE stations in Manassas and Manassas Park are great commuting assets. You can easily bike to those VRE stations, although VRE still doesn’t provide bike lockers.
The surrounding communities in Prince William County with “Manassas” zip codes (20109, 20111, 20112) are generally considerably less bike friendly, but the newer multilane suburban arterials there have often been built with asphalt sidepaths. Manassas Park is somewhat bikeable (and has an excellent community center) but has less well-connected streets.
The primary longer-distance trails in the area are sidepaths along the Prince William Pkwy and Route 234. These are poorly maintained but can work for longer trips and training rides. VDOT says it will repave the PW Pkwy Trail in the coming year.
The Winters Branch Trail is a paved park trail in the City of Manassas that runs between Godwin Dr and Wellington Rd for about one mile.
Proximity to the semi-rural Nokesville (and even closer Brentsville) area is definitely an asset. If riding there without driving is a consideration, look at communities in the southwest part of the City and just to its south, near Hastings Drive or Godwin Dr and Lucasville Rd.
If mountain biking is your thing, there are several good mountain biking trails in parks in western Prince William County, and more trails will be developed in the coming years.
June 13, 2012 at 2:33 am in reply to: Cyclist seriously injured, staying at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington #942899ParticipantStephen Szibler is an active member of the Potomac Pedalers Touring Club. Word of Stephen’s injury and hospitalization was conveyed to the club and posted on the club’s unofficial Google Group on June 6. On June 9, Stephen himself posted that he has been released from the hospital and is healing at home.
Stephen wrote, in part, “What I know so far is that I have a broken neck in three places, but that it is a stable break – chipped – and I don’t have to wear a cervical collar according to the neuro-surgeon. Although PT people have said I should be wearing it – so contradictory information. The surgeon advised fusion surgery, but after I mentioned the type of insurance I have the “team” came back with a “wait and see” plan. I have some continued paralysis of my right hand and arm. I’m unclear if the origin is cervical, shoulder, or arm related. I’d kind of like to know! The surgeon was uncertain whether full use would return.”
“I’ve been able to get out for walks, but the biggest challenge is trying to rest with all these insurance and care fears constantly running through my head, as well as possibly not being able to work for 3 of the biggest weeks of my year. My job is “as needed” in clinical education, again without any benefits – ironic. On the positive side I had some fantastic caretakers while I was in the ER and surgical suites until Wednesday.”
Although I’ve never met Stephen in person, I wish him a speedy and complete recovery.
Allen Muchnick
Arlington VAApril 26, 2012 at 6:25 pm in reply to: Trail along FMR – between WSO&D and MVT – who maintains? #939818ParticipantThe trail along Four Mile Run going east from West Glebe Rd was originally called the Wayne Anderson Bikeway, and it ran along the south/Alexandria side of Four Mile Run between Mt Vernon Ave/Arlington Ridge Rd and US-1. With the creation of additional trail segments along both sides of the stream, this name for the dual-jurisdictional bikeway has apparently fallen into disuse.
April 26, 2012 at 6:15 pm in reply to: Trail along FMR – between WSO&D and MVT – who maintains? #939815ParticipantUnlike motorists, bicyclists lack insurance coverage for their bicycling injuries and property damage, so insurance company lawyers are not pressuring public agencies to promptly fix trail hazards.
ParticipantWhen you vote, please bike to the polls, especially for the countywide Democratic caucus. Bicyclists will be noticed!
January 18, 2012 at 1:39 am in reply to: The Ultimate Arlington Grocery Store Bike Parking Guide!! #934733Participant“As an aside, I was upset that the Pentagon City Costco didn’t have a bike rack and was ready to take it up with the manager – and then I found out that they do have one. It was just on a side of the building that I had never looked at before.”
The Costco in Pentagon City is another Arlington grocery store that was omitted from the survey. That bike rack has been there since the store first opened (as Price Club), and it’s clearly inadequate.
ParticipantMelissa Bondi’s pro-cycling statement is remarkably perceptive, especially for a non-cyclst. I wonder who actually drafted it?
Audrey Clement is–by far–the most dedicated transportation bicyclist running for the County Board.
Participant“Happiness is a vacant parking space!”
ParticipantHow about including a phone number and a rack number to report abandoned bikes or other problems with the rack?
Participant“BikeArlington: building bike culture since 1972”
Really???
ParticipantAmong other things, check the B-limit screw setting on the back of the rear derailleur. The buzzing might be due to grinding of the jockey pulley on the rear derailleur.
ParticipantI’m not sure what you mean by a “buzzing” noise, but noises can be generated from many drive train components. I’d start by inspecting the bottom bracket/cranks, the pedals, and the rear derailleur pulleys, then check the tightness of the chainring bolts and the rear cogs.
Best,
Allen Muchnick
ParticipantFor upcoming classes and online registration go here:
http://tinyurl.com/2dv57sParticipantThe Arlington County Police Department, of course, maintains the data on all bicycle crashes (i.e., bicycle-motor vehicle crashes) that it reports to the Commonwealth of Virginia. The real questions are why ACPD doesn’t post this bicycle crash data on the Web and why Arlington’s bicycle program staff and/or the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee aren’t insisting that this happen.
ParticipantYes, southbound Washington Blvd has a continuous wide paved shoulder and no ramp crossings from 2nd St S (actually S Walter Reed Dr/Uhle St) and the exit ramp to Columbia Pike. It’s fast and direct, perfectly legal, and reasonably safe for bicycling, but be alert for debris on the shoulder.
The closest nearby through street, S Courthouse Rd, is considerably less direct and requires riding the entire downhill segment of Columbia Pike from S Courthouse Rd to the Washington Blvd interchange.
The yellow warning signs referenced in the original message are for the short sidepath along Washington Blvd between Rte 50 and the S Walter Reed Dr/Uhle St exit ramp, where the sidepath crosses high-speed highway exit and entrance ramps. That sidepath will someday be extended south to Columbia Pike, but the existing shoulder is perfectly adequate for southbound bicycling by competent adult cyclists.
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