[bentbike33]

@Steve O 194175 wrote:

For curiosity’s sake, here’s a map of speed limits in Arlington. One discrepancy I noticed is that Old Dominion between Lee Hwy and Glebe is signed at 30, but shown as 35 on the map.

Some of the arterials that one might think would have higher speeds, but are 30 or less, include:

• Wilson Blvd.
• Lee Hwy west of Lorcom
• George Mason
• Washington Blvd. (except for the portion that functions like part of I-395)
• Williamsburg
• Yorktown
• Military
• Columbia Pike east of the W&OD

GWMP = 40 mph :rolleyes:

[bentbike33]

@Crickey7 194150 wrote:

So I watched the news this morning about Chain Bridge being shut down and saw, in the background of the shot, a cyclist coming down the hill toward the Bridge and stopping. Does anyone know if they allowed cyclists across? Because all I could think about was how horrible it would be to have to turn around and head back up the steep hill and then work your way down to Key Bridge.

This guy says he went across.

[bentbike33]

If you are going to ride the Custis in the dark wearing dark clothes, with no lights, and no reflective material whatsoever, you definitely need to turn your music speaker way up so other trail users can hear you coming, especially given the I-66 traffic noise.

[bentbike33]

@dasgeh 194076 wrote:

Yep, there. Chief Farr claims the lane is 12 feet wide, and reasons that a bike is 3′, an average car 6′, so there’s room for a car to pass with a 3′ buffer if a bike is as far right as possible, and the car’s tires are on the right hand line of the double yellow.

FTF the Chief

[bentbike33]

Too much going on in life to work on a costume this year. Thus unencumbered, I’m planning on doing the long route. I can take one other rider and bike (although FFG may have dibs).

[bentbike33]

Calling AFHokie and Bob James!

[bentbike33]

@ursus 193687 wrote:

Can someone mention at least one light with a cutoff pattern? I am unfamiliar with this.

The most complete source about bike light systems I know is Peter White Cycles. Most of the lights with well-designed beams are German-made because of their strict regulations on bike lighting.

My favorite is the Busch + Muller Luxos U

[bentbike33]

@wheels&wings 193413 wrote:

Huskerdont, Subby, and bentbike33: Thanks so much for your help with these routes. I definitely prefer steep climbs and extra mileage over getting hit, even if by a BMW with good insurance. And I’ve not yet signed up for the optional death and dismemberment plan.
So I guess I will try Great Falls St. and then get on the left side after crossing 123 and continue on Lewinsville (left side “infrastructure”) to Swinks Mill … or if it seems dicey I will cross over and try Timberly, Huntmaster and Bridal Path.
Swinks Mill itself isn’t bad?
And on the way back I’ll keep going north on Swinks Mill, then right/east on Georgetown Pike (shoulder), right on Balls Hill, left on Churchill (crossing 123, becoming Chain Bridge Rd), and then a left on Westmoreland. Sounds safe-ish?
Thanks!
w&w

Lewinsville does not get narrow until after Timberly, in fact there is a right-turn lane for Timberly starting just after the beltway bridge (which has bike lanes), so I would go that way rather than crossing back and forth over Lewinsville. There is also a paved off-road trail next to west-bound Lewinsville between about Windy Hill Rd. (last light before beltway) and the betway bridge. Lewinsville can be busy on Saturdays because of the nearby Spring Hill Rec center and its vast tracts of soccer fields.

[bentbike33]

@wheels&wings 193384 wrote:

Hi all – Is anyone familiar with the roads in McLean? This weekend I need to go to an address on Carlton Place off Swinks Mill Road just south of Scotts Run Nature Preserve and Georgetown Pike in McLean. This is north of Tyson’s. Starting near Falls Church, it looks like a pretty straight shot via Great Falls Street and Swinks Mill. But are any of these streets safe on a bike?
Thanks! w&w

Great Falls Street becomes Lewinsville Rd. at about the intersection with 123. Once you cross the beltway, Lewinsville Rd. gets steep and kind of narrow. I have ridden it eastbound where you can bomb down the hill at traffic speeds, but not westbound. There is some off-street “infrastructure” on the wrong side of Lewinsville Rd. that may be a good option westbound. Swinks Mill Rd. does not register as popular in the Strava Global Heatmap, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad, and I have not ridden it.

Another way to avoid most of the worst of Lewinsville Rd. would be to take Timberly to Huntmaster to Bridle Path to Swinks Mill. Just found that on the map.

Another option westbound is Westmoreland to Chain Bridge through downtown McLean to Churchill, to Dead Run Rd (not as bad as is sounds) to Georgetown Pike. It’s all downhill from the Georgetown Pike beltway crossing to Swinks Mill, although Georgetown Pike is pretty narrow there too.

Your problem of course, is that you are venturing here into Cartopia. The roads that go anywhere are narrow, windy, and hilly, and otherwise look like the “professional driver on closed course” in the BMW commercial, which of course the BMW (and Lexus and Mercedes, etc.) drivers think they are starring in.

If bikes weren’t banned from the Scotts Run Nature Preserve trails, there would be a nice mountain bike option, but alas.

[bentbike33]

@Steve O 193335 wrote:

Fake News!

After the scores were officially approved and certified by Governor McAuliffe, it appears that Team Sandals retained its second-place finish.

Team Responder

1st- Kyle Goodwill/PJ Russello/David Nadrchal

2nd- Stephen Claeys/Steve Offutt/ Robyne McRey

3rd- Fuddy Juddy Lumberjack/Aitch Eff/Sarah Bee Beaten

Wait, now Governor McAuliffe = Ralph Northam, too?

Good thing I did not enter this competition. It’s so confusing, I’d probably still be wandering around Arlington with a load of canned goods in my trailer.

[bentbike33]

@Judd 193330 wrote:

After the scores were properly calculated, it appears that Judd, Bee and HF finished in second place.

Team Responder

1st- Kyle Goodwill/PJ Russello/David Nadrchal

2nd- Judd Isbell/Jospehine Liu/Sarah Billington

3rd- Stephen Claeys/Steve Offut/ Robyne McRey

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

HF = Josephine Liu? :confused:

[bentbike33]

@Dewey 193321 wrote:

DC Police reacted to last night’s post by Dr Gridlock warning of the Shut Down DC climate protest disrupt this Monday morning, there were 4 bicycle police on the East side path of Key Bridge this morning, didn’t look over to see if they were on the other side as well. Were there police on the other Potomac bridge side paths?

Police vehicles (no bikes) were lined up on the I-395 shoulder on the DC side of the 14th street bridge at 7:10.

[bentbike33]

@dasgeh 193230 wrote:

In the not too distant future, Banneker Park will be closed as well, making 3 significant detours in a 3 ish mile stretch of the W&OD.

I believe the following route will get you around all three detours. The crossing of Lee is at a light, but the crossing of Roosevelt/Sycamore involves turning right onto the major street and then left off of it. So this isn’t a safe-and-comfortable route, but a route that could do for a confident commuter.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/6998-6900+N+Four+Mile+Run+Dr,+Falls+Church,+VA+22046/38.8801808,-77.1262668/@38.8828695,-77.1504219,16z/data=!4m34!4m33!1m30!1m1!1s0x89b7b4e8c7ddb835:0x4ca93b19bc13263d!2m2!1d-77.1665838!2d38.8886961!3m4!1m2!1d-77.1656033!2d38.8837728!3s0x89b7b4ebf9a51a39:0x3bddb47561d13f14!3m4!1m2!1d-77.15185!2d38.8806694!3s0x89b7b4f4f772074d:0x93713ee9802e3ab4!3m4!1m2!1d-77.1471466!2d38.8813388!3s0x89b7b45f685ce56b:0x10a1510914fe3dcf!3m4!1m2!1d-77.1385971!2d38.880944!3s0x89b7b45c943180ff:0x1fb788a98c2adfac!3m4!1m2!1d-77.1323771!2d38.8812596!3s0x89b7b444755df5b9:0x9a93f49bac5dfacf!1m0!3e1

How much of the trail in Banneker Park will be closed? All the way under Sycamore? If they stop the closure short of the trail spur to the dog-park lot, then that would be a more comfortable way to 16th/Columbia (it’s usually the way I go now).

[bentbike33]

@ursus 193227 wrote:

Where does that end up crossing I-66? Either that or can someone direct me to that thread? I do recall that thread but just gave up looking for it. I always have trouble with the organizational structure of this forum’s posts.

This is the detour segment westbound. If you scooch over to Fairfax at the first trail exit after Harrison, you can build up enough speed on Fairfax to make the hill up to Kensington pretty much a roller, and Kensington has no stop sign at the intersection with 11th, only 11th does.

[bentbike33]

@dasgeh 193086 wrote:

If only there were an alternative route on a continuous bike lane to the north of this stretch.

The official detour is all trail, it goes over the nearby bike/ped bridge.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]20378[/ATTACH]

But I’m not sure how that is supposed to work while they realign the trail by moving the intersection away from the retaining wall.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]20379[/ATTACH]

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