Bike rides around Old Town Alexandria,VA

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2011-10-08 5:20 PM

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Subject: Bike rides around Old Town Alexandria,VA

Just moved to the area and trying to find some weekly group rides in the local area.  I don't really want to use the trail (WO&D, Cresent, etc.) because of the just the volume of people on it.  I looked at things in Maryland over the Woodrow Willson but wasn't sure how "bike friendly" that area is.  

 

I'd really like to be able to bike out of Old Town instead of driving.  

 

Thanks

2011-10-08 9:04 PM
in reply to: #3716401

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Subject: RE: Bike rides around Old Town Alexandria,VA
When I lived in the area, I would ride up the Mt. Vernon trail, over the Potomac via the pedestrian bridge, and do loops around Haines Point. A good ride from 'home'. Trail could be crowded sometimes, but I just considered that my warmup before my loops at HP.
2011-10-09 10:20 AM
in reply to: #3716619

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Subject: RE: Bike rides around Old Town Alexandria,VA

Comet - 2011-10-08 10:04 PM When I lived in the area, I would ride up the Mt. Vernon trail, over the Potomac via the pedestrian bridge, and do loops around Haines Point. A good ride from 'home'. Trail could be crowded sometimes, but I just considered that my warmup before my loops at HP.

 

Yeah I've done loops around Haines Point, gets a little boring after a while.  Wondering if anyone has ridden over by Indian Head Highway. 

2011-10-12 9:56 AM
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Subject: RE: Bike rides around Old Town Alexandria,VA

Never tried ridding around Indian Head Hwy, but I can tell you that the W&OD isn't too bad once you get past the Vienna area (MM 12) and is actually very nice once you get past Herndon/Reston (MM20 or so).  From there it gets super quiet and the traffic volume is very light. 

I normally pick up the trail in Vienna and do some easy warm up spinning for the first few miles and by the time I'm ready to hammer the trail traffic is very light all the way out to Purcellville.  Leesburg area gets a bit tough, but other than that its a pretty nice ride.

2011-10-14 8:26 AM
in reply to: #3716401

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Subject: RE: Bike rides around Old Town Alexandria,VA

You can get some really nice rides in North Arlington/Fairfax and beyond if you bail off the W&OD onto Sycamore by the E. Falls Church Metro (going westbound on W&OD Trail, after the cement wall hugging I-66 and the short/steep hill and sharp left, make immediate right over small wooden bridge, you'll run into the Metro):

Go North on Sycamore to Willimasburg Blvd.  From there, you can go Right on Williamsburg to Glebe Rd. and do some serious hill work at Military / Lorcum (41st St. also has a nice hill).

If you go Left on Williamsburg, after the long downhill make a Right on Westmoreland, a nice rolling, open road.  Ride up Westmoreland, Right onto Chain Bridge Rd into Downtown McLean, Left onto Old Dominion.  From there it's a really nice wooded ride on rolling terrain w/ minimal traffic on a 2-lane road to the entrance of Great Falls Park.  If you take a Left onto Georgetown Pike, you probably can continue on to West Virginia.  Smile

2011-10-14 8:39 AM
in reply to: #3716401

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Subject: RE: Bike rides around Old Town Alexandria,VA
Ummm I cannot recommend riding on Old Dominion and Georgetown Pike in the McLean/Great Falls area! That's 2 lanes with no shoulder and so pretty good blind spots and I'm not sure when you don't find much traffic on those roads??  I've been working that area for almost 14 years and can't tell you how many vehicles go off those roads into the woods (or how many fatal crashes there have been...).

2011-10-14 9:17 AM
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Subject: RE: Bike rides around Old Town Alexandria,VA

Skippy74 - 2011-10-14 9:39 AM Ummm I cannot recommend riding on Old Dominion and Georgetown Pike in the McLean/Great Falls area! That's 2 lanes with no shoulder and so pretty good blind spots and I'm not sure when you don't find much traffic on those roads??  I've been working that area for almost 14 years and can't tell you how many vehicles go off those roads into the woods (or how many fatal crashes there have been...).

 

I've done that route a bunch of times on Saturday mornings, never had a problem.  Can't speak for other times, tho.  Weekdays might be another thing altogether.

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