[Rootchopper]

I have always hoped that the Mount Vernon trail would be plowed. I was told once that this is not doable since so many of its wooden bridges are too flimsy to support the plow. Looks like I was misinformed.

[Rootchopper]

Just curious, did a strap break? Car Talk had a call on this. You need to have some weight in the carrier for it not to go airborne. If you can’t think of anything else to put up there, a couple of cases of water (or other liquid refreshment) should do the trick.

[Rootchopper]

I don’t use a chain cleaning device. I tried and ended up with the mess you described. Just take an clean rag and put some citrus degreaser on it. Then run the chain through it. Repeat until clean. Or clean enough. Lean you bike up against an exterior wall as you do this. I sit in one of those plastic lawn chairs while I’m working. I have a bad back and this is perfectly comfortable. Once you get the gunk off the chain, run it through a clean and dry part of the rag. Then put a wax-based lube on your chain. (Pedro’s Ice Wax or White Lightning work just fine. And they make MUCH less mess.) Run the chain through your rag once to remove excess lube. Let it dry overnight.

Don’t obsess about getting the chain spotless. If you want a nice new-looking chain, buy a nice new chain.

You’ll probably need to apply wax lube a little more frequently. And be sure to do the cleaning once a month so wax doesn’t build up.

[Rootchopper]

Ninjas have been driving me crazy this past week so thanks so much for doing this. I commute on the Mount Vernon Trail and I find that backllighting can be worse that no lighting at all. People think they are visible but they become awash in the light from approaching cars’ headlights. I have had at least a half dozen close calls since standard time started. I ride slowly 10-12 mph in the evening. Bike pass me all the time going much faster. It’s only a matter of time before I come upon one of them on the ground with a ninja in their spokes.

Thanks again.

[Rootchopper]

As a Rosslyn to Mount Vernon commuter I can only say that you can’t give away enough reflective material and lights. After I picked up my Bike Arlington reflective leg band last night I made my way home along the trail. I was fortunate not to hit 3 pedestrians in ninja mode.

Thanks for doing this. One bit of constructive criticism. you all set up at the corner of Lynn and Lee. That was great for maximizing the number of people you could interact with, but there was very little room for people to get out of the street and onto the trail. Can you please move the tables back away from the corner in the future? Thanks.

[Rootchopper]

I rode a section of the trail from Tulane Drive to Old Town at 8 a.m. All clear.

[Rootchopper]

Once while touring through Ohio I was caught in a massive thunderstorm. I should have headed for cover but the intense tailwind and the cool rainwater was too good to turn down. I later learned that there was a tornado warning posted. Oops.

One of the coldest days of my life happened on Bike Virginia 1991. The second day was a cold rain that nobody had prepared for. We FROZE! Waits at the porta-potties at the morning rest stop took forever because it was warm and dry in there and nobody wanted to come out! The second stop was at a huge outdoor fireplace with a roaring fire blazing away. Ahhhh.

[Rootchopper]

I’ve done it 3 times and I am now officially retired. It’s challenging because the route is really hilly. Also, you make scores (maybe even hundreds) of stops at stop signs, traffic lights, etc. You come bombing down a hill and have to stop for a red light, then start climbing the next one.

Don’t let that discourage you though. Even if you don’t know anyone else doing the ride you will before it’s over. I’ve met some pretty nice folks on my 50-States rides and we share some good “war” stories.

And you will get to know DC in a way that few others do. I highly recommend it.

[Rootchopper]

I had a similar experience over 30 years ago on the Charles River bike trail in Cambridge MA. I was riding along at a stupidly fast speed when a toddler darted across the path in front of me. I hit the brakes hard, leaned to my right, and went straight over the handlebars. My feet were stuck in the pedals so my bike came right over on top of me. My chest hit the ground first. My lean fortunately was far enough to put me on the grass along side the trail. I slid on my chest right between two tree roots. I stopped with my face a couple of inches from the tree trunk. I missed the toddler entirely. Her oblivious mother didn’t bother to ask if I was alright. Admittedly I was going too fast but she was letting her kid walk freely on a busy trail with no concern about her crossing the trail, let alone falling in the river. Many, many trail users simply don’t know how dangerous these trails are so cyclists need to be extremely careful. I learned my lesson. BTW, a few years ago I saw a little boy walk in front of a cyclist on the trail down near Mount Vernon. He bounced off the front tire like a beach ball. He got up and walked over to his dad who watched it happen from a bench on the side of the trail.

[Rootchopper]

I’ve been bike commuting to L’Enfant Plaza from Virgina for years and I almost always take the Case Bridge to L’Enfant Promenade. Coming off the 14th Street bridge I take a left at the Jefferson Memorial and backtrack to Ohio Drive. Left on Ohio, left on Buckeye, left to go south on I395. At the on ramp, get on the sidewalk at the curb cut on the right side and ride over the Case Bridge alongside I-395. The views of the Washington Channel are nice. This route dumps you out at Benjamin Banneker Circle at the end of L’Enfant Promenade where you can take a right and glide down to Maine Ave. I much prefer this to riding on Maine Avenue directly from the Tidal Basin area because it avoids some pretty messy traffic merging and squeezing into narrow lanes on Maine. It’s also better than Independence because it avoids lights, tourists, buses, etc.

[Rootchopper]

You ride from Belvoir (Walker Gate) to Mount Vernon on the Mount Vernon Highway. Take the Mount Vernon Trail about 7.5 miles to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Take the path along the north side of the bridge to Maryland and keep going until you see the trail split for National Harbor. Take a left and follow the trail about a mile up a long hill to Oxon Hill Road. Take a left on OHR (not fun in traffic)> After about 1/2 mile turn left after the underpass to go to Oxon Hill Farm. There’s a trail there that goes back down to the river and eventually into DC. From the end of the trail you can get to Bolling AFB. All in all this is (I’m guessing) about 20 miles.

[Rootchopper]

Skyline Drive is incredibly hilly but it’s also a beautiful ride. As an alternative you could wend your way up the Shenandoah Valley all thr way to the C&O Canal (see below).

I have used an alternative route from Front Royal to Purcelville that included some riding on VA 55 and did not involve Hume Road. Hume Road is very pretty so go with that.

If it’s August and it hasn’t been raining you should consider the C&O Canal towpath. You can pick it up near Leesburg at Whites Ferry. This would give you some time on the less congested part of the W&OD.

Another alternative is to check out the Adventure Cycling Association’s Transam Route from the Blue Ridge Parkway to Ashland. And then the ACA’s Atlantic Coast Route north to DC.

Good luck.

[Rootchopper]

Once again from my viewpoint on the GWP I spotted a cyclist (same one as yesterday in fact) gingerly descending a small decline just south of the flyover bridges. He was slipping and sliding with one leg off the pedal for balance. Not much fun I’m afraid.

[Rootchopper]

I didn’t ride the trail today but from the GWP I observed a northbound cyclist dismounting his mountain bike near the north end of the northernmost flyover bridge at DCA. Also approaching the southern end of the other flyover bridge I spotted a cyclist crawling along trying to navigate the icy patches.

[Rootchopper]

It’s possible that the sign went up as extra protection for the kids walking to St. Mary’s School which is a half block further down S. Royal. But the vast majority of SMS students appear to arrive by car and there is a police officer at the S. Royal intersection nearest the school.

I was told a while back that occasionally Old Town residents bitch about cyclists much like they bitch about people playing in the parks and making noise. They also bitch about the planes overhead and the power plant. All these things have been in evidence long before most of them moved to Old Town, but they bitch anyway. So the city makes a token effort to be responsive to them. How this can make for a Bicycle Friendly City award is beyond me.

A similar sign appeared a few evenings later on the GW Parkway just south of Old Town. It said “SNOW CONDITIONS”. The skies were crystal clear at the time. Snow didn’t start falling for 22 hours.

And they say they don’t have enough money for snow removal on the trails.

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