Suggested DC bike routes can be found at http://bikewashington.org/commute/downtown/index.htm. You’ll see a nice safe route along the reflecting pool and mall, as noted by another member.
The official DC bike map is here.
While nothing replaces firsthand scouting of a route for final assessment, a excellent next step is the mapping tool BikeToaster, which will plot routes automatically, and allows you to insert intermediate course points so that you can ‘steer’ the automation process between the two end-to-end track points. Make sure to go to the Auto Routing box and select “OSM” and click on “Bike” so that it takes advantage of bike routes.
Besides a map-based view of your trip, it gives an graphic showing altitude changes, and a readout of;
– Distance
– Estimated Time
– Ascent
– Descent
– Start Elevation
– Finish Elevation
– Minimum Elevation
– Maximum Elevation
You can download to
– File: mbcrs gpx tcx
– Garmin GPS: gpx tcx
And view in Google Earth (kml)
Another helpful site is http://ridewithgps.com/. It’s similar, and make sure to select “Cycling” in the right hand menu area.
