biking in DC recommendations?

[tulip]

Hrm. I lived within 20 miles of DC most of my life. The furthest I've lived is maybe 100 miles away... Driving in DC typically gives me hives.

I'm pretty sure I've seen less of DC than the average tourist.

I've never even been up the Washington monument.

That's awesome you loved the trail, Aieia... It really is a pretty one

Well I've never been up the Washington Monument, nor in the Capitol. I'm talking about the 'real' city--the parts where people actually live. And I'm not talking about Georgetown or Dupont Circle, either, although people do actually live there. I'm talking about NE DC. And SE--there are some amazing houses and neighborhoods in Anacostia. And far NW is very, very nice, too. SW is interesting and quite manageable since it's the smallest quadrant.

I understand that construction is coming along nicely on the Metropolitan Branch Trail in NE DC. It runs from Catholic University in Brookland all the way to Union Station along the Metro tracks. Well, right now it kinda stops at M Street, but they will eventually build a bridge to Union Station. I took that route (dirt and gravel) before it was under construction and it cut off 10 minutes from my 1.25 hour commute down to Alexandria. I can only imagine how cool it would be to take it now! There's also some amazing grafitti along the trail--really amazing. DC TEers should check it out on their next DC get together! Maybe I'll come up for that, even!

Go exploring! A wonderful ride ever year is the 50 States Ride that hits all 50 State Avenues in the District. It takes all day, and is just great. It's held in September.

[ny biker]

Best time to go inside the Washington Monument is January-February. There are no lines that time of year. The view is impressive.

I did the 50 States ride the first year WABA ran it. It was in June that year and very hot. Some people warned me that I would be in some bad neighborhoods in NE. But I found the people were extremely nice there. Polite kids who were very curious about our bikes, and really nice helpful people working at the convenience stores. And some kids selling freshly baked cookies.

[tulip]

...Some people warned me that I would be in some bad neighborhoods in NE...

My experience is that the people with the warnings have never ventured past their comfort zone. Too bad; they are missing out on a vibrant and wonderful city.

They moved the 50 States ride to September because it was just too hot earlier in the summer. When I did it 3 years ago, it was in August and way too hot for an all day ride.

[aicabsolut]

When I ride my bike, I try to get out of the District as quickly as possible. During rush hour, I take the CCT. Otherwise, I typically head out MacArthur Blvd. Most of my riding around the city, I avoid places I hate to drive. I generally go to Hains, though I will tool around the Capitol or cut in front of the White House on the way home after traffic dies down.

[tulip]

Aicabsolut, I'm not a racer anymore, so I prefer to just explore on my bike and not worry about training. But there are some great opportunities for climbing, fartlek, and just bike-exploring all throughout DC and not just in NW. Traffic in NW is worse than other parts of the city, particularly if you get off the main drags. Don't get me wrong, MacArthur is a nice ride on the weekends, but it's hardly all of DC.

But I get it that some folks just don't like to explore cities. I do; I guess that's why I did the whole architecture-urban design-city planning thing for my schoolin' and my workin' (and my playin').

[pfunk12]

Tulip - I think it's great that you explored DC by bike. I wish I could do it but I always feel like I have a target on my back during my commute in the city. I'm usually a nervous wreck because so many motorists are speeding, not paying attention, in a hurry, etc. and they could care less if they run me off the road. I'm very confident of my ability to ride in traffic (not so much when I first started commuting) and I'm always very aware of my surroundings (I try to predict what could happen). But...I always breathe a sigh of relief when I hit the Cap Crescent Trail. Just last week when I was leaving my building and a co-worker yelled, "Be safe!", I crossed the street when I got the green light and a car came within inches of hitting me. I came to the conclusion a few weeks ago that a good commute for me is one where I don't have an altercation or near altercation with a motorist. Maybe some day, I'll get the courage to explore the city!

[tulip]

pfunk, let me know if you want some routes to explore. I'll start you off easy . The trick is to get OFF of the main roads and don't go the way you would if you were to drive. There are many, many wonderfully quiet roads all throughout the District that are great for cycling.

If I still lived there, I'd take you out exploring myself! I am going to come up to ride the Metropolitan Branch Trail in the spring, though. So if y'all are game, we can meet up.

[aicabsolut]

Aicabsolut, I'm not a racer anymore, so I prefer to just explore on my bike and not worry about training. But there are some great opportunities for climbing, fartlek, and just bike-exploring all throughout DC and not just in NW. Traffic in NW is worse than other parts of the city, particularly if you get off the main drags. Don't get me wrong, MacArthur is a nice ride on the weekends, but it's hardly all of DC.

But I get it that some folks just don't like to explore cities. I do; I guess that's why I did the whole architecture-urban design-city planning thing for my schoolin' and my workin' (and my playin').

Yeah...coming from about as far SW as NW gets...I really can't go anywhere deeper into the city without going through worse traffic before things start to get better. I keep thinking that it would be nice to go out near RFK sometimes, but yeah.. I never make it.