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Originally Posted by jemoryl
That is comforting to hear. Right now I need to ride west from home for 7-10 miles before hitting some decent roads (out towards the Great Swamp, mostly Morris Co.). Actually, there is some great riding in NJ if you get to places like Warren, Sussex or Hunterdon Counties. But after my recent visit to DC/MoCo I feared the worst, driving around Silver Spring, Bethesda and Rockville: horrible traffic, speed bumps, etc. Good to know there are routes out to better riding (took me a while after moving to NJ to figure out the best escape routes).
I stayed with friends near the National Zoo and noticed the trail in Rock Creek Park. Is that mostly paved?
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Yes, definitely don’t want to ride around those areas you mentioned as they are busy.
Rock Creek Park is currently closed for renovations, but probably will be done in another year or two, should fix all the potholes and things. You can do some nice back and forths on Beach Drive on the weekends once it’s done.
All the roads others have mentioned here are tried and true. I also agree that if you are able to choose, look into areas on the Rockville end of the metro red line versus Silver Spring. It is just as convenient getting into DC (and arguably more so into VA if you work there), and imo a nicer area overall with easier access to cycling routes than silver spring (you can go west, north, or south as you would be right in the middle).
There is also an extensive network of trails in the whole DMV area that interconnect and you can ride for a few miles or a few hundred miles. Overall a lovely area to ride around. I haven’t found a better maintained infrastructure for cycling in a northeast metro area with courteous drivers than here (if there is, let me know!).