[creadinger]

I’ve done some searches on RidewithGPS, for westward road routes past Dulles, but not much comes up. I agree that Leesburg seems to be the limit of bad suburban sprawl, but it just seems crazy that there’s nothing else worth taking.

I do know of (never ridden them), some routes that have a more southerly tack through southern Fairfax county towards Centreville and Manassas. Maybe that will be my best road option to get west. I could ride out that way, and come back via the trail when I’m tired of fighting for space on the roads all day. I need to do some more exploring.

I’ve done a loop like you describe many times. It’s nice! From Alexandria, it turns out to be about 120-130 miles round trip, so it’s a good full day ride, but it is a lot of trail. Sometimes I’ve avoided the W&OD return trip by heading into Maryland on Rt. 287 and riding back through Mont Co. I’ve done this mostly because I try to avoid the W&OD on nice weekend days because it gets packed. At 6am when I’m riding west it’s still empty.

[creadinger]

Dump trucks. They get paid by the load, so they will not slow down for anything. Even if that anything is you. They also seem to *think* they know exactly how wide their trucks are and despite being multiton vehicles will rarely ever try to give you 3 feet, let along actually give you 3 feet.

[creadinger]

Great story, but we have a long way to go before we even have civilized driving in some areas of the city.

This morning on Suitland Road near the water tower at SFC, I saw (from my car) another car pass a moving school bus and the car in front of the school bus by going around the right side using the shoulder. Let me state that again – this a-hole who was probably going 45 mph, veered onto the shoulder to pass a school bus and another car.

The same shoulder that I use when I’m riding to work. What was the jack-ass thinking? No idea! But I do know that he absolutely did not have anything remotely resembling good driver etiquette in relation to bikes on his mind. These are the MFers that keep me up at night.

I already reported the incident to a PG County online service and I plan on calling county police later to say something as well. They need to enforce some goddamn laws on Suitland Road. It’s like the Road Warrior out there.

[creadinger]

@rose_surfer 97890 wrote:

Any suggestions of where we should be looking to live? So far, I’ve been checking out N. Arlington/East Falls Church (a little expensive), Alexandria (looks like some of the public elementary schools) are hit and miss, Bethesda, and silver spring.

The Mount Vernon Community School in Del Ray is a pretty darn good school form what I hear. All the neighbor kids go there. It’s also bi-lingual, so your kids would learn Spanish as well as English. I’m not sure if it’s public or private though? We don’t have kids so I don’t know much about the school system.

Actually, thinking about it. There are SO many darn kids in our northern Alexandria neighborhood I don’t think we need any more, so maybe you should focus on Arlington, where you want to go anyway.

[creadinger]

@vvill 98836 wrote:

Yeah I think I would try McKinleying first, or maybe just Whitneying (highest peak in contiguous US). Single climb repeats for that long just aren’t that much fun.

To be thorough, I think I’d start with the highest point in each state…. You could do representative climbs, kinda like the spreadsheet below. It would be easy at first, but would ramp up quickly! By the 7th state (Illinois) you’re up to 1200 ft. already, which exceeds most individual segments around here, forcing you to go to the mountains or do local repeats.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]6967[/ATTACH]

[creadinger]

@VikingMariner 98171 wrote:

I’ve never seen anyone using a blinking light on the trail at night. How in the heck would they even be able to focus at night. That’s as absurd as a flashing battery operated bike light “hurting” people in broad daylight.

I saw it just this week! I did a clockwise Arlington loop ride before doing some laps a Hains Point between 6 and 8pm. I got to the Rosslyn area just as it was getting actually dark and some idiot was riding up to the IoD with his super bright helmet light on strobe. He got a tongue lashing because, like you implied – it’s frickin stupid and blinded me for no reason.

Also, I was amazed at the number of ninjas out. Bikers and joggers. They’re stupid too. I’ll be avoiding evening rides on the trails around Rosslyn as much as possible for the forseeable future. That part of my ride sucked.

I think the point is that you are underestimating how stupid people can be. And yes, despite some hyperbole this stuff needs to be discussed in a civilized manner because some people just don’t know – do not use your strobes on the trails!

[creadinger]

@jrenaut 97992 wrote:

Sounds like that guy needs a shrink, not a jail. I mean, he should definitely be off the street so he can’t steal any more bikes, but at some point it starts to sound like a mental health issue, not a theft issue.

How about a U-lock to the head? That would solve this problem too. Who does he think he is? Some sort of counter-culture warrior out to beat the cops? He’s just an asshole.

[creadinger]

Wait…what? ISIS has spaceships now?? Damn, they’re more advanced than I thought. That’s scary.

:p

PS – the rocket launch was scrubbed for tonight. It was initially delayed because of a boat in the exclusion zone, so they held the countdown for 10 minutes, then they scrubbed it soon after.

[creadinger]

@Steve O 97107 wrote:

Yeah, but at least you didn’t end up looking like this.

Ugh… yeah. I am thankful for that. Sorry you took a spill.

[creadinger]

@dkel 97047 wrote:

I see fewer bikes without lights than peds without lights, but it’s a lot either way. All my way home last night after 7:00 I kept asking myself, do these people like navigating dark MUPs without lights? It is really dark in some places! I don’t understand how these folks even stay on the path! That’s saying nothing about whether a driver could see any of them from a moving car.

Yeah, I’m really only talking about the roads. Dark MUPs and joggers are their own can of worms that I really don’t want to open, because I don’t think this forum needs another fight.

But I think all can agree that on the roads, where cars rightly or wrongly are king, it is SO much more dangerous to be invisible. Even a little blinkie would be nice. Or a reflective strap or vest. Seriously people!

[creadinger]

I destroyed a 10-month old rim the other day by hitting a pothole along that mucked up section of Maine Ave. The construction has absolutely killed any sense of a safe or fun ride in that area. It completely, absolutely sucks.

[creadinger]

Thanks. I really don’t see it happening, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

Fortunately it was only a $500 bike and not something much more expensive. Oh well… people suck.

[creadinger]

@CaseyKane50 96579 wrote:

Maybe a vehicle like this. Add a snow blade on the front.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]6780[/ATTACH]

Or this…. the road broom!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]6781[/ATTACH]

[creadinger]

@Bike-Ped Manager 96536 wrote:

Arlington is currently working on developing a snow clearing plan for its major trails for this coming winter. (Please, hold your applause until the end of the presentation.)

Hi! Thanks for asking the trail users for input.

What exactly does the snow clearing plan entail? I’m assuming plowing. But since many of the snowfalls around here are of the dusting -> 2 inch variety, where plowing isn’t quite as useful, do you also put down salt/gravel? Or use one of those industrial spinning broom things to brush the lighter snow off the trails? IMHO, with all the dips and bops and tree roots causing bumps and ruts in the trails I can’t picture a plow being as effective on the trails as they are on the roads.

Thanks for the information!

[creadinger]

Here are some pics from the 200K I did this past weekend out in western VA/West Virginia.
http://www.strava.com/activities/203352600

Temperature wise it was a beautiful fall day, but the wind was brutal at times. It sucks when you’re climbing a mile-long “roller” and 100 yards from the top have to deal with a stiff headwind making things so much harder. I think this should conclude the big climb rides I do this year.

Early morning clouds and fall colors
[ATTACH=CONFIG]6764[/ATTACH]

Looking SE toward Thomas Mountain(?) from Whitacre Rd.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]6765[/ATTACH]

Above the valleys near Timber Ridge Fruit farm
[ATTACH=CONFIG]6766[/ATTACH]

Apple trees up close and ridges far away.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]6767[/ATTACH]

After climbing up Wolf Gap, heading north back to Middletown. Round Hill in the foreground and Meneka Peak in the background.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]6768[/ATTACH]

I had the opportunity to take a shot of the Cedar Creek civil war battlefield bathed in yellow sunlight from the setting sun, but my phone died as soon as I snapped the last shot. Oh well.

[Author]

Posts