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I believe that most or all of the weekend trains on the Penn Line have a dedicated bike car as the northernmost railcar on the train. In other words, half of the seats have been removed for bike racks, as shown in the (old) picture below:

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For other trains, as chris_s’ link indicates, the bike rack/bike area will depend on the train. Here’s the vertical rack used on some MARC trains:

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@JorgeGortex 211635 wrote:

This is really cool! A buddy had suggested doing a 50 miler for his birthday coming up in two weeks and this could be a good adventure. Once at Benning Road you could motor along the Anacostia trail, over the new bridge, and work our way back into Arlington. And you felt, except for the noted spots, that this was a pretty safe route in all regards? Any othe tips for riding it?

JG

The route uses a lot of bike lanes, trails, and back roads, and I’ve found it all pretty manageable even when riding solo. The hairiest area is between miles 6.7 and 12.0, where you’ll just need to be assertive and take the lane. And yes, once you’re at Benning Road you can take either side of the Anacostia trail system and work your way back to Arlington. You’ll also be pretty close to the Minnesota Ave. metro station if you want to metro back to Arlington from there.

One other thing to note is that the tracks at Penn Station are one level below the station, so you’ll need to carry your bike up the stairs to exit the station. With a fully loaded bike, I usually have to make two trips up and down the stairs — one trip to carry the bike up, and one trip to carry the panniers up.

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I’ve only ever ridden DC -> Baltimore, not vice versa, but https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37966497 is the reverse of the route I did last month, which I thought worked pretty well. Just pay attention to the few places on the cuesheet (at miles 3.0, 4.3, and 10.1) where there are some tricky spots — e.g., I suggest staying on the sidewalk for a block or two, or using a cut-through by a train station.

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@SarahBee 211362 wrote:

Another thought- we could all go Hello Kitty themed. Fun and good remembrance for a valued friend.

I love this! Are we all going as Hello Kitty, or are we doing Hello Kitty and friends? If it’s the latter, I’m claiming dibs on Keroppi, so that I can use my green turtle/frog costume for the fourth year running.

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Thanks for organizing, Sarah! That was tons of fun.

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I’m in! Possibly with guest.

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I’ve biked to DCA for personal travel at least 4 times, all pre-CaBi station installation. I used my beater bike, because a friend had a bike stolen there and the racks aren’t covered. For weekend trips, I carried everything in a backpack. For longer trips (4-5 days), I strapped a small duffel to my back rack:

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Most of my riding to or from the airport has been in the dark, either because of an early departure or late return. I agree with wheels&wings that the entry and exit feel spooky. It would help if the lighting in the tunnel were better.

[komorebi]

FABB will be hosting a memorial ride in honor of Fatima Del Carmen Alvarez Romero this Sunday, June 13 at 10 a.m. See details at https://fabb-bikes.org/memorial-ride-this-sunday/.

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It was great to see so many Forum friends at today’s ride, including bikesnick, Fast Friendly Guy, ltierstein, and Serdar! And a gigantic thank you to all-star volunteers smb9600 and CaseyKane50, who kept everyone safe on the 9:30 a.m. ride:

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If you’d like to do a self-guided version, there’s a ride guide here.

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Thanks for the awesome shirt, tomacsh! I’ll wear it to the Freezing Saddles HH with pride.

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@drevil 210103 wrote:

3/19/21 – “Freezing Saddles” 5-letter word (or longer) subanagram

3/19/2021 — “Freezing Saddles” subanagram. Here’s my bike at King Street Gardens Park. While I was taking this photo, a bus driver pulled up and we had a lovely chat about biking. He just purchased his first set of clip-in shoes and cleats, and he’s looking forward to trying them out for the second-time ever tomorrow. Thanks for an opportunity to spread bike joy, drevil!

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@drevil 210103 wrote:

So who’s coming out to FSLNHPP? JoM and I will definitely try to make it, so say hi and intro yourself if we’ve never met before. Let’s just stay properly socially distanced

I’m planning to be there, to say hi and thank you!

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@drevil 210056 wrote:

3/18/21 – Blue US Postal Service Collection Box (or if not in the U.S., the equivalent) with your bike leaning against it

3/18/2021 — USPS collection box with bike and bonus cherry blossoms:

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@drevil 209972 wrote:

3/17/21 – Rainbow, Leprechaun, or 4-Leaf Clover

3/17/2021 — rainbow, leprechaun, or four-leaf clover. This house on Oak Street in Alexandria had the trifecta. Happy St. Paddy’s Day, everyone!

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@drevil 209914 wrote:

3/16/21 – Panda or Danger Panda

3/16/2021 — (safety) panda. At the Panda Tea House in National Harbor. I’ll have to go back and try the bubble tea sometime when they’re open.

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@drevil 209861 wrote:

Hi everyone! First off, I just want to say thanks so much to all of you that have been playing the photo scavenger hunt. I love, love, love the creativity and thought people have put into their photo captures. I learned a lot of things, including new destinations and options for eating.

Thank you for all the time, effort, and creativity that you and Jo put into this scavenger hunt! Its popularity is a testament to how successful you’ve been in coming up with clues that were fun, manageable, and worked for people no matter where they were riding. I’ve been doing Freezing Saddles for so many years that things were starting to feel rote, but this game livened things up for me and made me look at old routes with fresh eyes. I’m still seeing bells, purple doors, and birdhouses that I’ve ridden past dozens of times before and never noticed. (The yellow Mercedes remains elusive, however. )

Unsolicited rec, in case you’re looking for a patch company: I worked with Falls Creek Outfitters to get some custom patches made in 2019, and they were great to work with. Mary also uses them for her coffeeneuring patches.

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