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@vern 145812 wrote:

From those in the know I’d like to hear about the feasibility of going north on Arlington Ridge Road and then cutting east on 23rd to get to Crystal City. Is there any reason why this wouldn’t be a decent workaround?

That’s a helluva hill. Arlington Ridge Road really is on a ridgeline, so any way you approach it there’s a climb. And traffic is pretty steady during rush hours.

We also discussed Army Navy Drive as a workaround. It’s better, not as hilly and mostly bike lanes. Traffic interactions are minimal, but you either have to turn right on 23rd to Arlington Ridge (again, quite a climb) or deal with navigating Pentagon City.

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@chris_s 145806 wrote:

The underpass beneath Mt Vernon Ave will remain open the entire time.

Oh, that’s good news! And looking at the map more closely, I see what you describe.

As with any construction project, I’m sure we’ll adapt. Perhaps in ways that they don’t intend, but we’ll adapt.

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@dbb 145785 wrote:

It sucks pretty bad. A bunch of abandoned driveway entrances (there apparently was housing there) and irregular surfaces. I will probably set my rear blinkeys to stun and take the lane. Probably not for the faint of heart.

I did this on my way to Crystal City Coffee Club this morning, just to test your theory. In the midst of rush hour about a hundred cars (I could be exaggerating) passed me, but I made it to Eads alive, and only one honk from a Prius-driving cabbie who still managed to give me enough space.

The sidewalk is pretty gnarly, at least until you get past all of the abandoned driveway entrances. Plus it’s narrow with not a lot of passing space if that’s where the joggers wind up.

The best choice IMO is to take the recommended detour on the Four Mile Run Park Trail. Except, as was much discussed, it sucks to have to cross Mt. Vernon Ave at the intersection with S Glebe. Can they not leave the trail open through the underpass to avoid that mess?

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Right turn on red means the driver has to yield. If they collide with someone, in the crosswalk or otherwise, they didn’t yield the right of way.

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@Tania 145582 wrote:

By the cemetery immediately before a rest stop? Yeah.

Suffering up that hill last year was exactly what prompted converting my old road bike to a 52/42/30 triple with 13-29 in the rear. Sadly I didn’t make it back this year to tackle it again with the new setup. (And some adjustment is still required, it keeps dropping the chain.)

No judgment here.

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@MFC 145453 wrote:

Donation to WABA in response to their “we are $60,000 in the hole” email.

Alternate idea…

Donate to someone on team WABA for the 2016 NYC-to-DC Climate Ride. A portion of their fundraising will go towards filling the gap.

Several members of team National Geographic are including WABA as one of their beneficiaries as well.

Deadline is this Friday, September 9th. (We ride September 17-21.)

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It’s happened three weeks in a row. Today, despite the rain, there was an all-star showing. Let’s officially call it a Thing and put it on the sticky so more will join the fun!

Lattes and cold brew on DRAFT, espresso drinks, juice bar. Hot breakfast bar and pastries. Nuun tablets in a bin by the register. Outdoor seating. Easy route into DC via Long Bridge Drive past the Pentagon. Good company and commuting caravans. What’s not to like?

Credit to ArlingtonRider for making it happen, and Judd for the acronym.

WTFCC (Whole Thursday Foods Coffee Club)
Whole Foods Pentagon City
520 12th St. South, Suite 100
Arlington, VA 22202
(Corner of Eads and 12th)
Thursdays 7:00-8:00 ish

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My Salsa Vaya (the “travel” version) is just Vaya. Of course it means “Let’s go!” and that seems to match her personality, always coaxing me out on adventures, ready for anything. And yeah, somehow I know it’s a she, and I do talk about her as though she’s a sentient being.

The other bike (a Univega Modo Volare) somehow always gets referred to as just The Road Bike. Modo Volare translates to “way to fly,” with Campy parts and an Italian heritage. I dunno, even after 15+ years and a whole lotta miles it’s hard to believe we’ve never bonded enough to give it a name.

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@elbows 145074 wrote:

1) Refer me to a place near Arlington (or Greenbelt) that rent tents

Not sure if they rent equipment, but I’d call Casual Adventure to see if they can help.

@elbows 145074 wrote:

2) Let me know if there are places near Arlington that have the sharing thing going. I’ve heard of neighborgoods.net but it doesn’t seem like that is here yet.
(I’m in a few freecycle-type groups but this is a little different.)

Try Peerby. I’ve belonged to Peerby in Arlington for about a year, and have seen all kinds of useful borrowing.

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@huskerdont 144864 wrote:

Thought I might be able to hit 40 mph down the hill on Glebe

My recent PR was 41.6 mph on Macarthur between Falls Rd and Old Angler’s.

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@dkel 144851 wrote:

N+1, brah.

For dcv, single speed only!

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I’ve had a few memorable, overtly pleasant interactions with other cyclists. But I can count more times when I’ve gotten so irritated that I had to take a timeout in the middle of a commute. A lap around Hains Point, or a few minutes on a park bench. (A stop at the bar for extreme cases.)

Relative speed is only one factor, it’s just plain courtesy that seems to be missing. As cyclists we can communicate, audibly and otherwise, but many just don’t, or don’t do so early enough and effectively. I’m not what anyone calls fast, and intentionally not on MUPs, but to get passed over & over & over again in the rudest and riskiest possible ways just kills the joy.

I was verbally complimented once by a cyclist behind me, when I hand signaled before slowing and turning off the W&OD. Like Tania, she sounded surprised. It’s just not that hard to ride predictably and with regard to the well-being of other trail users.

Wish I knew the answer to the million dollar question. Zen candies?

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@ursus 144828 wrote:

It’s off topic, but reading this post it sounds like Brandymore Castle is still there. I have probably riden on that section of the W&OD a coupole of thousand times (twice today) but have never gotten off the trail. I haven’t read the marker by the trail a decade or two, but I thought that it said it was the former site of BC. Is it actually somewhere in the nearby woods?

If I understand what the sign says, the hill was called Brandymore Castle because it “looks like” a fortress. Not because there was ever an actual structure there.

If you peer uphill at the pile of rocks, it does somewhat resemble the spires of a small castle. I assume that’s what they meant.

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@Tania 144811 wrote:

I bike through that dirt section ALL the time

I should’ve said, please don’t invite the speeding jerks to take the dirt detour. The real question is how to make Tania’s trail etiquette more universal.

I don’t live there anymore, but many residents of those neighborhoods walk to EFC metro and often use the woodsy paths. Some of them are mighty narrow and couldn’t handle much bike traffic in addition to pedestrians. (And anyone who could actually pedal up to the “castle” earns kudos.)

The new ART 54 bus just replaced Metrobus 1E as transport to a metro station. Maybe it will get more ridership, we’ll see. Point being, there are lots of people walking in that dangerous section.

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@rcannon100 144781 wrote:

There is always the CX track through the woods to avoid that corner.

More commonly, that dirt path is where pedestrians take refuge from the speeding jackhole cyclists. Please don’t encourage riding there.

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