[vvill]

Someone would have to pay me a lot of money to even consider attempting that.

I wonder what their average mph was.

[vvill]

@Greenbelt 12424 wrote:

Isn’t it great how car parking is often more subsidized than walking or biking? Our office is gradually going toward an evenhanded policy — no forms of commuting are subsidized more than others, which will be great when it finally happens.

Yeah it’s crazy. I think the IRS limits parking to $240/month but transit such as metro is around half of that! I don’t know if cycling even rates.

Have the bike here today though. Only a few hours until my last commute home for 2011.

[vvill]

I’d guess around 650 mi max. According to my (very) approximate GPS records, I have 215 commuter miles in Sept, 195 in Oct, and 114 in Aug, Nov and Dec combined. I spent much of August out with a broken arm, November out with ‘flu and most of December out of town. I didn’t start commuting really regularly until somewhere in June or July when I got my first road bike.

I hope to commute a lot more in 2012, once spring arrives. Not because of the weather but because I have pre-tax paycheck deductions I set up over a year ago for parking that are use-or-lose. I kept putting off using up the credit (by cycling in) and now I have to drive and park something like 50 days to use it up In lieu of commuting I’m putting my bike on my car and taking lunch rides. I got to experience the thrill of being silently passed by the Hains Pt lunchtime group today for the first time!

However, I am planning to ride in tomorrow (yay!) as traffic should be light and I can work in some Arlington hills on the way home.

[vvill]

If I had the green light to get a new one right now I’d get one of the Garmin Edge models. I currently have basic wired Cateye computers with cadence, supplemented with a car GPS in my pocket set up in “bike mode” (can’t really tell if this does anything – it’s still not terribly accurate). The car GPS battery also only lasts a few hours. I had a USB backup battery that let me actually log my first century using the car GPS but I’ve since misplaced the battery.

Before that I owned wired Cateye and Sigma Sport computers without cadence. I used to think those were fancy!

[vvill]

I’ve heard great things about those. Maybe by February I’ll miss my road bike enough to try them.

[vvill]

@Dirt 11544 wrote:

On days where the trail is dry there’s no problem with riding the C&O on roadie tires. I do it often. If it is muddy, you’ll want to take a different route home.

I’ve done it on 700 x 25s maybe 5-10 times but I’m always worried I’ll get a puncture so I’ve stopped for now.

@DismalScientist 11561 wrote:

I think it is about 50 feet to the NW. Maybe here: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=glebe+and+canal&hl=en&ll=38.930354,-77.111815&spn=0.000556,0.000862&sll=38.891919,-77.194731&sspn=0.008902,0.013797&vpsrc=6&hnear=Chesapeake+and+Ohio+Canal+National+Historical+Park,+1850+Dual+Hwy+%23100,+Hagerstown,+Maryland+21740-6620&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=38.930305,-77.11178&panoid=5qeUCGJu_Hl9Us0vrHASyA&cbp=12,69.8,,0,30.26

Caution: the path is really rough!

Yeah that’s the one. It’s not *too* bad walking down/up as long as you have decent shoes, but crossing Clara Barton with no signal can be tricky, especially when you have to hop over the barrier with your bike. One time I ran into a weird random dude just hanging around the path, and he was trying to give me directions and then also asked me why I didn’t just ride down the path, since I had a bike.

[vvill]

@Greenbelt 11533 wrote:

Calm, frosty on the grass (and wood bridges), mist rising over the rivers and lake. Light Friday traffic. Only one aggressive/inept/dangerous driver (a school bus, PG county bus number 3041, route 325, by the way, who failed to stop or even yield at a stop sign on Ridge Road at Crescent Road in Greenbelt — right in front of the police station of all things!).

Another day, another (near) perfect commute!

Does this mean it’s studded tire time? I think it was 28F when I left home.

[vvill]

@americancyclo 11536 wrote:

In case you weren’t aware, the 41st st that Pete is talking about as an alternative is REALLY STEEP but short. And Fun. I’ve only ridden it once, but I thought it was really fun, and could spice up a morning commute for sure. I’ve ridden on Old Dominion on the weekends, and the drivers were tolerant, but it’s a high speed road with not much shoulder. I’ve also seen a driver run a jogger off the road along there.

The other option is Custis through Rosslyn to the W&OD and then up westmoreland like Pete mentioned. It looks about 1.5 to 2 miles longer, but it is an alternative.

Loooooooooooooove 41st St!!

Yeah if you need help with a commute from Rosslyn to McLean, I can give some ideas on that too, that’s part of my usual commute. I would actually prefer crossing the Chain Bridge, but I hate that towpath and I only have either a 30lb+ MTB or a road bike with 700 x 23s. Actually Rosslyn to McLean also gives me lots of options to mix up the route too and add in miles if I like.

[vvill]

@tipitai 11518 wrote:

Hi Commuters,

I just recently started commuting to McLean and would like to take CCT up to Chain Bridge and then up Chain Bridge Road. Do any of you have experience doing this? Would you recommend against this particular route? I am specifically concerned about traffic and safety conditions on 123… Is it rideable, or should I go out of my way to avoid it?

Thanks for your help

I probably wouldn’t recommend riding 123 regularly. It is quite wide and has good visibility but the drivers go pretty fast and I’ve never seen a lot of cycle traffic there.

@Dirt 11527 wrote:

Dos: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/838821

That is the one I haven’t ridden this entire route, but it has got to be better than 123.

Yep, this is what I’d take. It’s very similar to one of my favourite commute options. Chesterbrook Road doesn’t have a huge shoulder (when it does) and does seem to get gravel/other buildup in some sections there (I’ve flatted there a couple times) but it’s not really that bad, esp since you are riding on the towpath I assume you have wider tires. Traffic is fairly light on it. Kirby Rd is one lane and does get a bit congested right there with the intersections but it’s nothing compared to DC traffic. Drivers have always been courteous to me around here. The one section of Old Chesterbrook that could be dicey in the wet/dark is the crossing over the stream. It’s steep and twisty, many drivers take that section too fast, and the sidewalk is horrible so sometimes joggers etc will use the road.

Depending on what part of McLean you’re going to, it could be worth using the Longfellow/Tennyson backroads off of Old Chesterbrook. That’s a common shortcut for motorists to get into the shops of McLean without having to go on Westmoreland+Chain Bridge or Old Dominion. Like everything around here, it’s hilly.

Interestingly the Bike to Work Day McLean group route starts from the intersection of Kirby/Old Dominion, and the leader usually takes Kirby to Chesterbrook to N Albemarle to 120/N Glebe.

[vvill]

I just got some 32 and 35 tires for my hybrid (not sure which will fit, and still need to buy the tubes), but looks like fun. +1 new place to explore in 2012

[vvill]

I can’t really because a) I’ve only begun commuting really regularly this year b) the difference between 0 and 1 or 1 and 2 is not really that statistically significant.

I’m really happy though when I see someone on my commute north of the Custis (on the Custis itself there’s plenty). There was someone in a bright yellow jacket going up N Kensington St the other day a couple hundred yards in front of me and I really wanted to say hi to them.

[vvill]

Ride up. Relax. Roll on. BikeArlington.com

Bike your world. Bike Arlington.

Bike It, Like It, Love It. BikeArlington.com

Get Up, Stand Up. Stand Up, Ride Your Bike. Bike Arlington

[vvill]

Really sorry to hear about this horrible story. The non-response of the police is sad. I hope there’s someone here that can give you some good advice – that driver needs to be prosecuted.

Best of luck in your recovery.

[vvill]

I’d say between the area of the Custis I hop on at, and the end of my commute on 19th/K St NW there’s on average 2 cyclists that blow by me on a red each morning. Either one of the Lee Hwy pedestrian lights or one of the many red lights in DC (I will go on red lights in DC but I guess I’m more cautious than most).

[vvill]

Yeah I’d say it’s out more often than it’s working. It was out today and yesterday when I came through.

[Author]

Replies