🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Jun30.052633.4113@linus.mitre.org> bchivers@mitre.org writes:
 > 
 > I have a friend from out of town visiting this weekend and I thought
 > it would be nice to rent her a bike Sunday and go for a ride.  Can
 > anyone recommend a good outfit to rent from?  I was thinking about
 > riding the Mt Vernon trail....
 > ______________________________________________________________________
 > 
 > Brent Chivers		McLean, VA		bchivers@mitre.org	

Thanks for the e-mail from:

John Kelso		kelso@eng.umd.edu
George Komatsoulis	george@seqvax.bio.caltech.edu
James T. Kuehn		kuehn@planet.super.org
Robert Lee		robert@lpf.umd.edu
John Unger		junger@rsg1.er.usgs.gov

RENTAL PLACES
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My wife and I rented bikes in Alexandria during a trip there about 2 weeks
ago. We rented from the Bike Exchange in Alexandria (check the Yellow pages).
They gave us Schwinn "mountain bikes". Not great but par for the course with
renters and at least they were clean and well maintained. They have about 2
helmets, so if you can scrounge one elsewhere that would be a plus.

P.S. rates were $15 for 1/2 day (4hrs.) $25 for a full day.
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A good place to rent from is Big Wheel Bicycles in Old Towne Alexandria.
I bought my bike there and so did about 5 of my friends.  They have VERY
knowledgable people working there.  Ask for Bennett, he's the manager
and I only trust him to tune my bike.
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Most shops rent bikes - it pays to call a dozen of them to see what
they have.  My experience has been that shops tend to rent bikes that
are way too large for their riders.  Tell them the height and gender
of the proposed rider and then MAKE SURE THAT THE BIKE FITS.
It may take several stops to find just the right one.
Make sure they pump up the tires -- shops actually forget to do this!
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Brent -- you can try Bicycle Outfitters in Leesburg, VA. They are
right off the W&OD bike path. They rent cross/hybrids and mt bikes.
(703)777-6126. Have fun!! [$5/hour or $20/day]
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SUGGESTED ROUTES
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The Mount Vernon trail is fun, we rode on it from the shop to Mount Vernon
(about 15 mi.  round trip) and back, with a stop at Fort Hunt. Note that
you will need a lock if you want to see Mount Vernon itself, as you can't
take the bike onto the grounds proper. In any case, the ride itself is
gorgeous, and, traffic on the segment of the GW parkway (which the trail
parallels) is mild south of Alex. even on a weekday. Have fun>
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The trail along the GW Parkway into and past
Old Towne is a very nice and easy ride.
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I wouldn't take a novice rider on the Mt. Vernon trail.  If the
weather is nice, the trail is filled with pedestrians, strollers,
kids weaving on bicycles, rollerbladers, etc.  There are some sharp
corners and steep sections.  All in all, a very dangerous trail
(and I consider myself fairly competent in riding 5000+ miles/year).

If you are looking for a paved trail, the W&OD is far better and safer.
It is just as scenic (once you get west of Reston).  It's nearly flat.
Parking is easy in Reston or at the Vienna Community Center.

The towpath is also good, but requires an ATB or moderately-wide-tired
bike.  It is either muddy or has dry ruts at regular intervals, 
depending on the weather the previous week.  It can be crowded
between Georgetown and Great Falls but very pleasant beyond that.

Another responder suggested the path along MacArthur Blvd.
This path has glass, broken pavement, and parked cars on it;
it also crosses MacArthur (fast and dense traffic) several
times in the course of a mile.  Not my idea of much fun.
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You might try renting a bike and riding along the C&O canal.
Very pretty, and much more conducive to a social ride.
The Mt. Vernon trail can seem like a race track at times...

A nice place to go is Swain's Lock, just off River Road,
west of Potomac.  Closer in is Fletcher's Boathouse, off
Canal Road, between Chain Bridge and Georgetown.  The path
near Fletcher's is smoother, but will be much more crowded.

If you bike between Angler's Inn and Great Falls, be sure to take
the detour.  It's not any longer, but you don't have to carry your
bikes over the washed-out section of the canal just below Great Falls.

[I was out there the June 21st.  I don't know what the detour's
like, but going straight through you will have to carry your
bike a bit and you won't be able to avoid getting a foot wet.]
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I neglected to mention the Four Mile Run bike trail through
Arlington, which connects to the bike trail that follows Rt 66.
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I'm partial to the W&OD trail in Virginia.  As compared to the Mt. Vernon
trail, it's less congested and doesn't cross as much traffic.  I usually
pick up the trail in Reston (right off the Dulles Toll Road - Wiehle Av.
exit) and head west from there.  I haven't gotten to the good stuff
(Leesburg and beyond), but from Reston to Ashburn, the trail is pretty
level (good for beginners like me) and pleasant.
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[There's so much detail here because I asked several follow-
up questions.  This is where I've decided we'll go. 8-)]

I think that you and your friend will like riding on the W&OD
bike path in western Loudoun county - lot less congested and
it goes thru lovely countryside.

I commute twice a week from Purcellville -> Reston and back and find
the western part of the trail virtually deserted compared to this end.
There are more people on it on weekends, but it's still not as bad as
the sections closer to DC. If you go east from Leesburg you'll find the
terrain relatively flat; if you go west, you'll do a gradual climb for a
few miles (nothing serious, remember this was a railroad right-of-way...)
and them more or less level to the western end at Purcellville.
It's about 11 miles from Leesburg to the western end of the trail.


There are three small restaurants in "downtown" Purcellville; just turn
left on the street where the trail ends and go about 100 yds. You'll pass
a sandwich place/deli before you get to the main drag (business route 7).

Either the "White Palace" or "Georges" are good places, but don't
expect anything like health food or yuppie atmosphere - these are
country-type restaurants with relatively inexpensive, good food.

There are at least three official picnic spots that I can remember
between Leesburg and PV: one about mile 36.5; another about mile 41.5;
and one more near the end of the path about mile 44.5.  Of course,
you can just pull over and stop anywhere, too.

Watch out for cows on the trail!!!!
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-- 
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Brent Chivers		McLean, VA		bchivers@mitre.org