[eminva]

Sorry for jumping in so late, but if you are going to the mall (the pit stop is at LL Bean), you can take the W&OD to Gallows. Turn right on Gallows (or left if you are coming from the west). There are bike lanes. Turn right on Gallows Branch Road and then left on Kidwell Drive. That turns into Towers Crescent Drive and has an overpass over Route 7. Turn right onto Shoptysons Boulevard. Turn left on Fashion Boulevard, which will take you right to LL Bean.

If you come by the Vienna pit stop, say hello! I’ll be there for the duration.

Liz

[eminva]

If you are looking for flat (relatively speaking) and traffic free, the W&OD west is probably your best bet. It shouldn’t be too bad on a weekday afternoon — there will be joggers and dog walkers here and there, but if he’s new then you are not looking to go fast, I’m guessing.

There are some roads you can ride around between Vienna and the W&OD that are not too busy, but they tend to be quite hilly. There is also a low traffic route down to Fairfax City that acc taught me: http://app.strava.com/activities/34604957

Liz

[eminva]

@DismalScientist 51698 wrote:

Liz, you are being called out.:p

Okay, sorry I missed this — been travelling a lot lately.

If this one is mine, txgoonie is welcome to the segment! I will be coming back from travel tomorrow and will have to miss the happy hour, so I am in no position to respond to the challenge.

I don’t remember the circumstances under which I got it, but it’s my normal practice to stop at stop signs no matter what so there’s that.

I’ll go out on the circa 1973 internal hub three speed later today and try to get a North Georgia segment to make up for it.

Have fun at the happy hour, everyone! Have one for me.

Liz

[eminva]

@dcv 51743 wrote:

I think he’d be fixed.

According to Bike Snob, Paul would have ridden a fixie. He was a messenger, always delivering letters.

Liz

[eminva]

@ShawnoftheDread 51325 wrote:

Before picking a new bike, I always ask myself: WWJR (what would Jesus ride)?

Did you all not read Bikesnob’s second book? He had a whole section on What Would Jesus Ride.

Liz

[eminva]

@ShawnoftheDread 51489 wrote:

Just abscond with his rack and put it on your BRAND NEW mountain bike. Or stop at Bikenetic on the way home today and get a shiny new rack.

Hmmm . . . hadn’t thought of that . . . excellent idea. Thanks.

Liz

[eminva]

Thank you very much for all your helpful suggestions!

It is with no small amount of regret that I have since learned my wheel won’t be fixed until Saturday, so if I do this, it would have to be on my husband’s mountain bike (the only other bike in the house with a rack, and I have to bring a ton of stuff). Not relishing the prospect of a 50+ mile round trip on the bike affectionately called “the blue beast.”

So thanks either way and sorry for putting you to the trouble — if not this time, there will be another.

Liz

P.S. In answer to some questions, I was not planning to go to the CCT on the other side — I’m told I have to get to Macarthur and then Seven Locks. My colleague gave me directions for how to do that.

[eminva]

@Vicegrip 51431 wrote:

My kids school requires paperwork to be filled out and route approved before they can ride to school. Is this common?

I was asked to submit the route to the principal and the school officer beforehand. No paperwork, though. At our school, there are NO designated walkers; everyone is bussed, so they were a bit nervous.

Are you in Fairfax? If so, do you know Jeff Anderson of Safe Routes to School Fairfax? He might be interested to know this. Can you tell me the school, or send it via private message? Thanks.

Liz

[eminva]

@dcv 51385 wrote:

More like my wishlist helmet & goggles. Starting to look on the interwebs for this setup, I should be easier to spot on the trails.

Well, that will be the end of your kid ever wanting to ride with you. 😮

Liz

[eminva]

@dcv 51421 wrote:

That is so cool, where did he lock the bike?

Ugh, yeah, well we complied more with the letter than the spirit of the occasion. The principal requested a bike rack from the county (at my request) but it wasn’t ready in time. He could have locked it to a railing, plenty of those around, but (a) we learned last week that he has an orchestra concert this evening so he can’t ride home due to time constraints and (b) we realized this morning that his backpack weighs 24 pounds and he can’t ride with that. So my husband drove by the school on his way somewhere else and dropped off the backpack and picked up the bike. Oh well. It’s a start, maybe someday we will figure out how to surmount all these obstacles.

Liz

[eminva]

Rode with my kid from Vienna to Luther Jackson Middle School (for those of you not familiar, go ahead, google map it).

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2814[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]2815[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]2816[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]2817[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]2818[/ATTACH]

Liz

[eminva]

@Dickie 51241 wrote:

I’m so bummed, I would have certainly joined in, especially being in my “work hood”. Unfortunately I am driving to Toronto that day and had planned on leaving at dawn… what time were you planning on riding?

Sorry I didn’t see this, but thanks! Hope you got off to Toronto safely.

We did ride this morning — will post photos a bit later. Rule 5, my kid.

Liz

[eminva]

@acc 51293 wrote:

I have my recital that night, so the drinking will have to wait.

Well that’s worth celebrating! Though I reluctantly concede it may be better to do so afterwards than before.

Any others who want to come help me at Vienna are welcome. Feel free to join anytime between 6:30 and 8:30 a.m. I’m on my own as my usual FABB colleague, Hunter, can’t make it this year. Especially welcome are those who can give directions to the far ends of the earth such as Fairfax City. I hope that woman I misdirected last year isn’t still wandering around.

Come say hi if you can’t stop to help!

Liz

[eminva]

Tim, I am curious: Is there a height limit for passengers? I could see her getting cramped in there if she’s going to be tall like her dad.

(And I ask this as the mother of a guy on a trajectory to be Tim or Dirt stature, and who outgrew the jogging stroller long before it was fully depreciated).

Liz

[eminva]

I keep telling you, acc, come work Vienna with me and there will be bloody marys.

Liz

[Author]

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