Is it worth it to ship a bike to DC?

[betahprod]

I am moving to DC for 3 months for an internship. Anyone out there know some good short touring routes? Is it worth it to ship a bike down there? I was considering riding from DC to New York or vice versa.

I'll be flying JetBlue so it's about $50 bucks for the bike shipping!

Thanks for your advice!

[smontanaro]

Ship via Bike Flights. Should be cheaper, and insured.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

[cadence90]

Yes, definitely check out BikeFlights round-trip. They are very good.

But even if that $50 you quoted is one-way, then $100/90 days = $1.11/day.
.

[kmac]

i split my time between denver and dc. i would say that dc's riding, while very different than what's available in denver, is pretty amazing. the city itself has tons of bike lanes/infrastructure, and an incredible trail network. starting/ending rides along the national mall never seems to get old.

the washington area bicycle association is a great advocacy group, and has lots of maps online here: http://www.waba.org/resources/maps-and-documents/

if you'll be living right downtown (i'm in the nw when i live there), make sure to investigate:
- the arlington loop (includes the mt vernon/w&od/custis trails) for a quick spin (https://www.strava.com/activities/1352440292)
- the mt vernon trail itself (especially south of alexandria) is incredibly beautiful
- the c&o if you're up for some gravel (goes all the way to pittsburgh, not that i've ever made it quite that far https://www.strava.com/activities/608213109)
- the anacostia river trails (the new kenilworth section is absolutely beautiful and has quickly become one of my favorites - https://www.strava.com/activities/872314928)
- there are some great hills available in the se/anacostia section of dc (mlk blvd, alabama ave, etc). they're often neglected by many cyclists, but they are totally worth the trip. crossing back over the woodrow wilson bridge from md to va and hitting the mt vernon trail back to dc is one of my favorite quick loops (https://www.strava.com/activities/1031777802)
- macarthur blvd for easy access to the great riding in potomac, md - https://www.strava.com/activities/667899099
- rock creek park (the main thoroughfare "beach drive" is closed to automobile traffic on weekends, and is absolutely beautiful riding -
https://www.strava.com/activities/620364243)

oh -- and i guess to answer your question -- you should DEFINITELY find a way to ride dc!

[zap]

Three months in D.C., yes take your bike.

If you want to ride out in Maryland or Virginia, check out Potomac Pedalers. Also, the club may have a midweek evening ride out of D.C. when you are there.

[Spaghetti Legs]

Shipping a complete bike SF to DC via bike flights would probably work out about $50 ish each way. Last couple of frames I shipped to Cali from Virginia were $40-45.

I think it would be worth it to have a bike for 3 months. You could also keep an eye out on CL for a bike, buy a decent one for a few hundred and then sell it before you go.

[saab2000]

$50 on JetBlue is not bad at all. Bike Flights or ShipBikes won't be any cheaper.

Yes, it's a decent riding area, especially if you get out into the rural Maryland areas that really aren't all that far away.

I'd definitely bring a bike. And if you have fatish tires you can try the unpaved, but hard packed gravel, trail along the C&O canal. It goes many miles.

[AngryScientist]

3 months without a bike - ??

crazy talk.

yes, bring a bike!

[ultraman6970]

Rent one. Plenty of rent bikes in the area.

[robin3mj]

Bring a cross bike and do the C&O Canal one (3-day?) weekend.

[hokoman]

if you live in SF, then shipping will not be cheaper via bikeflights than paying $50.

[makoti]

Rent one. Plenty of rent bikes in the area.

For 3 months?! Ship it. Lots of riding here. Will you have a car to get to further out rides?

[cnighbor1]

Trump for me
Thanks
wow per other posts Wash. DC and that whole area is loaded with bike paths going every where
enjoy your time there charles

[.RJ]

yes yes yes TONS of great riding around the area - if you're in DC proper (is DC ever really proper?) then there's lots of group rides saturday/sunday heading up rock creek park and out into montgomery county.

[palincss]

Three months in D.C., yes take your bike.

If you want to ride out in Maryland or Virginia, check out Potomac Pedalers.


And depending on where you are in the District, you may find Southern Maryland to be closer to you, and there's great riding there as well. For Southern Maryland rides, check out the Oxon Hill bike club - ohbike.org

[572cv]

What kind of riding do you do? My daughter is down in DC for grad school and found a great training ride group.... she still races crits when she can. She says there are lots of different riding opportunities there.

[bikinchris]

If the airline crushes your bike, you are SOL. Unless you happen to be an attorney and can file a court claim on your own (I know a guy who did that) the airline is going to throw up their hands and say "So sue me?"
I you ship by Bike Flights, you can insure the bike and then if the shipper breaks your bike, you can get SOME satisfaction out of it.

[zennmotion]

For 3 months, it's worth having your own bike, as you will ride a lot more than if you're paying each day/week for a rental- you can get some short rides in before/after work that you wouldn't find it worth paying for a rental. The riding in/around the city is decent with a good MUP network, you can go quite far in several directions. If your living space is too tight for a bike, one idea would be to get a membership to Bikestation, which is indoor secure bike parking next to Union Station, with a locker room and repair facility (theres a couple in the bay area as well, same outfit)- you could safely leave your bike there, 24hr access. I'm living between both DC and Bay Area, and while DC/MD/VA isn't the riding destination that SF area is, there's some great riding especially if you are able to get out of the city 30mins-1hr drive. Loudoun and Fauquier counties in VA have endless networks of gravel roads horse farms and Blue Ridge views. Shenandoah park/skyline drive (look up the "skymass" ride is pretty spectacular. MD has lots of nice rural roads, rolling hills and even some hard climbing if you want. As mentioned before, look up the Potomac Pedalers rides, and their website has links to lots of cue sheets, rated for difficulty hills and length.

[bikinchris]

Delaware has nice roads if you don't mind flat.

[ripvanrando]

You could buy a beater at the coop and you might get lucky and it would have schrader valves. Then sell it on craiglist for a small profit.

I think this OP's mere question is grounds for an immediate and permanent ban. ;)

(ship it right to your hotel via bikeflights.....some of the best riding in the country is not far from DC proper)

[weisan]

that depends on how much you spend on coffee a week...:D

[saab2000]

(ship it right to your hotel via bikeflights.....some of the best riding in the country is not far from DC proper)

Define "Best Riding in the Country". If you're talking Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline drive, I agree. If you're talking "Rideable from DC" I'm curious what you mean.

I've spent a lot of time there and thought the Virginia side of the area is nothing but a suburban cycling hell. I'd take the W&OD out towards Leesburg but the roads are not super cycling friendly until you're much further out. I found the Maryland side of the area to be much nicer for road riding, though getting out there was sometimes stressful with traffic. It's a large, busy metro area though it is well connected by a trail network.

[.RJ]

I dont know about best, but it is good. Getting out into the potomac, MD area and further west is awesome and if you dont mind a short drive the roads out past loudon county are great, especially if you're into gravel.

[zennmotion]

Define "Best Riding in the Country". If you're talking Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline drive, I agree. If you're talking "Rideable from DC" I'm curious what you mean.

I've spent a lot of time there and thought the Virginia side of the area is nothing but a suburban cycling hell. I'd take the W&OD out towards Leesburg but the roads are not super cycling friendly until you're much further out. I found the Maryland side of the area to be much nicer for road riding, though getting out there was sometimes stressful with traffic. It's a large, busy metro area though it is well connected by a trail network.

You don't need to go as far as Leesburg, this is my favorite frequent gravel ride from Haymarket, about 50 mins from the US capitol bldg. Closer of course, if you're already in the VA burbs. At least half is smooth and unpaved, very little traffic on any of it, endless stone fences, horse farms, rolling hills. There's lots of variations of this ride but it's a good length for me, minimizes the drive time to "the good roads" and it's just challenging enough to be fun without spending the rest of the day in a nap.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/20341781

[flydhest]

DC Native here. Transplanted to NY. Plenty of good riding in DC. Where will you be living? Agree with Saab that the Northern Virginia suburbs are a bit rough. The more west and north of DC while you are in VA the better. The “standard” 40 mike loop of MacArthur BlVd to Potomac to Tuckerman to Beach Drive in the District is hard to beat in the area. Not heaven on earth, but for a major metropolitan area...pretty good.

[saab2000]

DC Native here. Transplanted to NY. Plenty of good riding in DC. Where will you be living? Agree with Saab that the Northern Virginia suburbs are a bit rough. The more west and north of DC while you are in VA the better. The “standard” 40 mike loop of MacArthur BlVd to Potomac to Tuckerman to Beach Drive in the District is hard to beat in the area. Not heaven on earth, but for a major metropolitan area...pretty good.

Yes. It's OK but hardly "Best Riding in the Country". Traffic on MacArthur can be hostile and the rest is just suburbia. Once into the Maryland countryside it's pretty good, but I'm still hesitant to use the phrase, "Best in the Country". That's just laughable to anyone who has ridden in better places, of which there are countless.

[zennmotion]

Yes. It's OK but hardly "Best Riding in the Country". Traffic on MacArthur can be hostile and the rest is just suburbia. Once into the Maryland countryside it's pretty good, but I'm still hesitant to use the phrase, "Best in the Country". That's just laughable to anyone who has ridden in better places, of which there are countless.

You can skip MacArthur Blvd completely by just going out the C&O canal gravel towpath from Georgetown past suburbia to the "Agriculture Preserve" area of Montgomery County north of Potomac. The towpath itself is quite pleasant and doable with skinny road tires when it's dry and it's really quite nice out in the ag preserve area, low traffic, scenic farmland that's protected from development. If the OP or anybody wants, I can point to or put together some routes, or check the cue sheet library at Potomac Pedalers website.

[tuxbailey]

A lot of good riding here.

This site is kind of old, existed before all the GPS route sites but it still have a lot of good suggestions.

http://bikewashington.org/

[btanner]

Another excellent resource for rides and riding in DC is DC Randonneurs: http://dcrand.org/dcr/

They're a great organization.

[echappist]

Define "Best Riding in the Country". If you're talking Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline drive, I agree. If you're talking "Rideable from DC" I'm curious what you mean.

I've spent a lot of time there and thought the Virginia side of the area is nothing but a suburban cycling hell. I'd take the W&OD out towards Leesburg but the roads are not super cycling friendly until you're much further out. I found the Maryland side of the area to be much nicer for road riding, though getting out there was sometimes stressful with traffic. It's a large, busy metro area though it is well connected by a trail network.

One thing that MD doesn't have are roads with sufficient shoulders. Riding on two-lane roads where people drive 45-50 mph is a bit scary.

You can skip MacArthur Blvd completely by just going out the C&O canal gravel towpath from Georgetown past suburbia to the "Agriculture Preserve" area of Montgomery County north of Potomac. The towpath itself is quite pleasant and doable with skinny road tires when it's dry and it's really quite nice out in the ag preserve area, low traffic, scenic farmland that's protected from development. If the OP or anybody wants, I can point to or put together some routes, or check the cue sheet library at Potomac Pedalers website.

agreed on NoVA being no good for most riding. I lived there for four years and never once rode 5 miles away from Pentagon City.

One place people haven't mentioned in Hains Point, which is a 3-mile loop. It's easy to overlook, especially if you had Central Park in your backyard, but I've come to the conclusion that Hains is better as it's effectively free of dumb tourists (at least for the time the OP will be there) and as it's about as safe a place to bike as possible. The cars actually drive less than 30mph here. One shows up the hours when one would ride in CP, and Hains is effectively cyclists' domain.

[zap]

DC Native here. Transplanted to NY. Plenty of good riding in DC. Where will you be living? Agree with Saab that the Northern Virginia suburbs are a bit rough. The more west and north of DC while you are in VA the better. The “standard” 40 mike loop of MacArthur BlVd to Potomac to Tuckerman to Beach Drive in the District is hard to beat in the area. Not heaven on earth, but for a major metropolitan area...pretty good.

Was up in metro D.C. last month and did a ride with a buddy from our old Potomac neighborhood.

Come to think of it, the OP should get in touch with Chuck at The Bike Rack. https://thebikerackdc.com/

C&O towpath is a good option but maybe not on weekends.

[betahprod]

Yes, definitely check out BikeFlights round-trip. They are very good.

But even if that $50 you quoted is one-way, then $100/90 days = $1.11/day.
.

Didn't consider it that way, but maybe I'll save a few bucks by commuting. I wonder if it's safe to lock up a bike in DC tho?

[betahprod]

i split my time between denver and dc. i would say that dc's riding, while very different than what's available in denver, is pretty amazing. the city itself has tons of bike lanes/infrastructure, and an incredible trail network. starting/ending rides along the national mall never seems to get old.

the washington area bicycle association is a great advocacy group, and has lots of maps online here: http://www.waba.org/resources/maps-and-documents/

if you'll be living right downtown (i'm in the nw when i live there), make sure to investigate:
- the arlington loop (includes the mt vernon/w&od/custis trails) for a quick spin (https://www.strava.com/activities/1352440292)
- the mt vernon trail itself (especially south of alexandria) is incredibly beautiful
- the c&o if you're up for some gravel (goes all the way to pittsburgh, not that i've ever made it quite that far https://www.strava.com/activities/608213109)
- the anacostia river trails (the new kenilworth section is absolutely beautiful and has quickly become one of my favorites - https://www.strava.com/activities/872314928)
- there are some great hills available in the se/anacostia section of dc (mlk blvd, alabama ave, etc). they're often neglected by many cyclists, but they are totally worth the trip. crossing back over the woodrow wilson bridge from md to va and hitting the mt vernon trail back to dc is one of my favorite quick loops (https://www.strava.com/activities/1031777802)
- macarthur blvd for easy access to the great riding in potomac, md - https://www.strava.com/activities/667899099
- rock creek park (the main thoroughfare "beach drive" is closed to automobile traffic on weekends, and is absolutely beautiful riding -
https://www.strava.com/activities/620364243)

oh -- and i guess to answer your question -- you should DEFINITELY find a way to ride dc!

Thanks for all the resources :bike: now I definitely have to!!

[betahprod]

For 3 months?! Ship it. Lots of riding here. Will you have a car to get to further out rides?

Not likely bringing a car. Maybe I can purchase one out there. Heard it's a bit cheaper on the East Coast!

[betahprod]

For 3 months, it's worth having your own bike, as you will ride a lot more than if you're paying each day/week for a rental- you can get some short rides in before/after work that you wouldn't find it worth paying for a rental. The riding in/around the city is decent with a good MUP network, you can go quite far in several directions. If your living space is too tight for a bike, one idea would be to get a membership to Bikestation, which is indoor secure bike parking next to Union Station, with a locker room and repair facility (theres a couple in the bay area as well, same outfit)- you could safely leave your bike there, 24hr access. I'm living between both DC and Bay Area, and while DC/MD/VA isn't the riding destination that SF area is, there's some great riding especially if you are able to get out of the city 30mins-1hr drive. Loudoun and Fauquier counties in VA have endless networks of gravel roads horse farms and Blue Ridge views. Shenandoah park/skyline drive (look up the "skymass" ride is pretty spectacular. MD has lots of nice rural roads, rolling hills and even some hard climbing if you want. As mentioned before, look up the Potomac Pedalers rides, and their website has links to lots of cue sheets, rated for difficulty hills and length.


Thanks, I'll definitely look into the Potomac Pedalers and check out the routes they offer!

[betahprod]

DC Native here. Transplanted to NY. Plenty of good riding in DC. Where will you be living? Agree with Saab that the Northern Virginia suburbs are a bit rough. The more west and north of DC while you are in VA the better. The “standard” 40 mike loop of MacArthur BlVd to Potomac to Tuckerman to Beach Drive in the District is hard to beat in the area. Not heaven on earth, but for a major metropolitan area...pretty good.

I'm living right next to the White House, so I assume it's DC proper. I actually brought my bike to Suburban Tokyo and hated the stop and go. The bike tours were long and few between my stay in Japan, but I thought it was worth it. I didn't end up riding as much as I wanted to since the best roads were 30 miles out one-way. But, I'll look into your 40 mile loop suggestion! Sounds like fun.

[zap]

Not likely bringing a car. Maybe I can purchase one out there. Heard it's a bit cheaper on the East Coast!

In my experience, used vehicle prices in D.C. are high. Better deals in NY or Atlanta.

[zennmotion]

I'm living right next to the White House, so I assume it's DC proper. I actually brought my bike to Suburban Tokyo and hated the stop and go. The bike tours were long and few between my stay in Japan, but I thought it was worth it. I didn't end up riding as much as I wanted to since the best roads were 30 miles out one-way. But, I'll look into your 40 mile loop suggestion! Sounds like fun.

I don't know what housing would be "right next to the white house" since my old office is 1 block away, unless you're talking about Blair House, which is reputed to be bugged so watch your language... Look, DC proper is a major metropolitan city so you have to get out a bit to see road apples and butterflies, but DC does have a good network of MUPs and dedicated bike lanes, you can easily find good network maps through google, WABA etc. Yes, you should lock your bike and consider carefully where to leave it for extended periods, just like other cities. But, the bay area is much worse for bike theft as a general rule (and the statistics support this, I've looked since I'm now living between both areas). It's easy to ride out of town from the White House area- I used to commute it every day both into VA (Falls Church) and earlier from MD (Takoma). Take your bike

[betahprod]

I don't know what housing would be "right next to the white house" since my old office is 1 block away, unless you're talking about Blair House, which is reputed to be bugged so watch your language... Look, DC proper is a major metropolitan city so you have to get out a bit to see road apples and butterflies, but DC does have a good network of MUPs and dedicated bike lanes, you can easily find good network maps through google, WABA etc. Yes, you should lock your bike and consider carefully where to leave it for extended periods, just like other cities. But, the bay area is much worse for bike theft as a general rule (and the statistics support this, I've looked since I'm now living between both areas). It's easy to ride out of town from the White House area- I used to commute it every day both into VA (Falls Church) and earlier from MD (Takoma). Take your bike

My apartment will be right next to the General Winfield Scott Statue. & I will bring my bike along!

[flydhest]

My apartment will be right next to the General Winfield Scott Statue. & I will bring my bike along!



Scott Circle. In the heart of it.

Roll north and west on Mass. go around DuPont circle. Be cautious, but I love watching tourists and minivans from the suburbs fail to navigate the circle. Go west on P, across the bridge to Georgetown, right on Wisconsin, left on Reservoir, follow it to MacArthur. Easy escape route. Go all the way to the end (hint, there is a one mile hill at the end) follow around to the right and you are on Falls Road. Follow falls to Tuckerman. Turn right. Follow till ... well, here you prolly want a local because you go through the mini drive to the right past the high rise apartment buildings and hang a quick left to hit 355 and into the Park going the wrong way against traffic. OK. Google maps could work, but make a friend. Then, once you are on Beach Drive, follow it into the District. Turn left at Park Road. Follow to Mt Pleasant Street which will take you to 16th Street and then coast Home.

Best pizza and beer list combined in DC is near you st 20th and P. Pizzeria Paradiso.

[makoti]

Didn't consider it that way, but maybe I'll save a few bucks by commuting. I wonder if it's safe to lock up a bike in DC tho?

Not one you want back.