Ride Help

[HillSlugger]

Hi,

I'm feeling the need for a no pressure, get-back-in-touch-with-why-I-love-to-ride ride. My first though is to do the C&O canal, but I expect that it will be raining on Thursday when I want to ride and I don't want to be destroying the trail. I am willing to get wet and I am willing to get dirty. Does anyone have any ride suggestions for me? Capital Crescent? W&OD? I've never done either so don't even know where to park, etc. Help!

[ny biker]

How far do you want to go? How far are you willing to drive for a starting point?

The Crescent trail is pretty short, but it links up with other trails at the Georgetown end (Custis and Mount Vernon) and also links with the Rock Creek Trail in Maryland.

This site might help you:

http://bikewashington.org/trails/index.htm

For the WOD in particular, there is also: http://www.wodfriends.org/

The eastern part of the WOD has more at-grade crossings and tends to be more crowded (although during a weekday in the rain crowds should not be a problem). I drive out to Reston Town Center and ride west from there when I want longer stretches without having to stop. There's lots of parking in Reston.

[HillSlugger]

I guess I'd like to drive less than an hour.

Are there any nature preserves with good biking trails closer than Blackwater?

[7rider]

You're thinking off road, and not on road?

[HillSlugger]

I guess I'm thinking off-road/trail because if seems "safer" if I'm riding in the rain and it puts me into a different environment where I may not feel the need to hammer. Biking through nature (if possible) vs biking on a road, different from what I've been doing.

[owlice]

I like this trail a lot: http://www.bikewashington.org/trails/ncr/ncr.htm

It's a better surface than the C&O.

How far do you want to bike? Depending on the length of ride you are looking for, I may have other suggestions.