Road Biking

[Mark The Homer]

Spring is almost here. What's your favorite trails, and why?

I have two favorite runs:

1) I leave my house and head out Brookeville Rd to Zion, head north to Sunset, turn right, make next left, then left again onto Damascus Rd. That's a wonderful road, flat, with suprisingly little traffic. And it's a beautiful ride too because it's all large acreage homes and farms. If I'm ambitious, I'll turn right on Hipsley Mill and cross into Howard County. I'll eventually come back via Howard Chapel Rd.

2) The C&O Canal and towpath. I'm lucky because I have an old bike and I don't care if too much if dirt gets into it. I'll start at Swain's Lock which is north of Great Falls. Half the reason I start there is to avoid the $5 fee at Great Falls. Run past Great Falls. Great Falls is beautiful. If you've never been there, it's a must see, even if you have to walk. On a bike, there's one part of the canal tow path that got washed out by storms (hurrican Agnes, I think), so you have to carry you're bike over some rocks for a hundred yards+, but it's worth it. Unbelievable ride. Keep going - through Carderock (there's a drinking fountain there if you need it). Take the towpath all the way into Georgetown. If you are ambitious, you can Take M St to PA Ave to the White House.

Does anybody have anything that'll beat these two rides?

[MikeInJc aka M.I.A.]

The C&O Canal and towpath. I'm lucky because I have an old bike and I don't care if too much if dirt gets into it. I'll start at Swain's Lock which is north of Great Falls. Half the reason I start there is to avoid the $5 fee at Great Falls. Run past Great Falls. Great Falls is beautiful. If you've never been there, it's a must see, even if you have to walk. On a bike, there's one part of the canal tow path that got washed out by storms (hurrican Agnes, I think), so you have to carry you're bike over some rocks for a hundred yards+, but it's worth it. Unbelievable ride. Keep going - through Carderock (there's a drinking fountain there if you need it). Take the towpath all the way into Georgetown. If you are ambitious, you can Take M St to PA Ave to the White House.

Does anybody have anything that'll beat these two rides?

Do you turn around at the white house and ride back??? If so that is quite a long ride.

I like to hit the Mount Vernon trail, but I might go with some other trails listed here: www.waba.org

[Mark The Homer]

Do you turn around at the white house and ride back??? If so that is quite a long ride.

I like to hit the Mount Vernon trail, but I might go with some other trails listed here: www.waba.org

Yeah, I have to turn around at the White house if I want to get back to my truck. It is kind of long, but it's not that bad because the entire ride is relatively flat. Hefting the bike over those rocks is the hardest part.

Tell me about the Mt Vernon path. What makes it good. Scenery? Is the path paved and smooth? How long is it? Is it crowded with foot traffic?

[MikeInJc aka M.I.A.]

Tell me about the Mt Vernon path. What makes it good. Scenery? Is the path paved and smooth? How long is it? Is it crowded with foot traffic?

It is paved and the scenary is nice. It runs along the Potomac River from Theodore Roosevelt Island to the George Washington Estate in Mount Vernon. It keeps right along the GW parkway pretty much the entire way. I believe it's about 18 miles each way.

At the beginning you have the view of the city with a view of monuments from across the river. Then you'll head past the Reagon Airport, through Old Towne Alexandria, and go through the more wooded part along the GW parkway to the Mount Vernon Park/Circle.

I've never done the whole thing. I've always turned off in old towne and headed back to my place which is 6 miles from old towne. Although I have ridden the GW parkway on my motorcycle from Route 1 to 395 and that was a pleasant ride, especially the southern part of the route.

Here's more on the Mount Vernon trail: http://www.nps.gov/archive/gwmp/mvtmap.html

[Mark The Homer]

Cool. I'll have to try that sometime.

[daddys little skins fan]

hey dad, wanna get me a bike that's breaks aren't being kept intact with a c-clamp? then i'll join you on these trails. :-) haha

[Raub]

Doh

I ride a lot when the weather's nice. Up here (central PA) you can't find a stretch of road longer than a 1/4 mile that is flat, so it makes for some brutal riding. Most of the time I'll ride 10-15 miles at a 16-18mph pace.

[Mark The Homer]

hey dad, wanna get me a bike that's breaks aren't being kept intact with a c-clamp? then i'll join you on these trails. :-) haha

Haha.

breaks ... honey, that's what happens when you drop a vase onto concrete.

You promise to ride with me once a week this summer, AND, you promise to take care of it, and I'll buy you a bike.

[Reic]

I do downhill biking, any one of those trails beat your "trails"

[crank]

I use to ride and where and everywhere. When I was looking for a name there was a crankset sitting on my desk so there it is.

Keep the rubber side down!

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

I'd love to bike the canal with my fishing rod handy. Hopefully when I get in my 40's and 50's, that will be the norm. As for right now, I like to go down baltimore road and take the bike path to Lake Frank/Needwood.

[Koolblue13]

I hate sharing the road with you people and your silly costumes. Get a mountain bike and go to the park. We have a multi million dollar tow path made for bike riders and they still stay on the road, with no shoulder, slowing down traffic. It makes me nuts.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

I hate sharing the road with you people and your silly costumes. Get a mountain bike and go to the park. We have a multi million dollar tow path made for bike riders and they still stay on the road, with no shoulder, slowing down traffic. It makes me nuts.

+1. And they always give you a look as you go by like, "I'm an ******* and you have to deal with it! ha!"

I'd love to one day just lay a spike strip down in front of them so they have to walk their asses home.

[Koolblue13]

I hit one with my mirror once. I smiled. I wanted to put a rubber stamp with a bike on it on the side of my truck. I've been in a lot of fights with these people.

[MSB 21]

I hit one with my mirror once. I smiled. I wanted to put a rubber stamp with a bike on it on the side of my truck. I've been in a lot of fights with these people.

Ya, I agree.

If you want to Share The Road at least Obey the Laws.

Stop Signs would be a good start.

No pun intended.

I about clipped one of these Spandex wearin' jokers the other day at a four way stop. After making a complete and legal stop he kept on coming as if he totally had the Right Of Way.

Nice verbal confrontation on that one.