Into the Breach: Bike Commuting to Washington DC

Time is not my friend.

To achieve my training goals I need to ride 200+ miles per week. If I average 17 mph for that total, I need to find nearly 12 hours of riding (NOT sitting at stop lights, waiting for ride partners, or dealing with mechanical issues) each week.

Where will I get the time?

I'm Insane

What if I ride into Washington?

That's insanity!*



Or, is it?

*That was a shameless excuse for embedding an Oingo Boingo tune...I'm feeling the vibe today!

A Plan Forms

Kiril, the Mad Ukrainian, is a cyclist I know from the Tuesday night Race Pace group ride. He recently moved to Columbia and took a job in Silver Spring. He scoped, scouted, and secured a route from Burtonsville into Silver Spring, and he swore that it was doable and (relatively) safe.

I planned to ride my 29er, not my road bike. I didn't want to risk destroying my precious BMC on a commute. Another bonus is that it weighs roughly 437 pounds more than the BMC, so it would provide additional resistance. Make. Me. Strong. Like. Bull.

The ride starts at the Burtonsville Park & Ride, so we avoid Route 29. (I rode the stretch from my house to Burtonsville once, and I'll never do it again. There's something, er, unsettling about being passed by trucks going 75 mph at 0530. I was really, really hoping that they had had just enough coffee to be awake but not enough to be jittery. Pucker factor = 10+. Not again.)

I just had to figure out how to get from Silver Spring to Washington. It looked pretty clear on the map (go through Rock Creek Park), but then I read a little about it. Here's an example of the love shared with cyclists by automobile drivers in the park:

I live at 27th and Military [Saint Johns College HS] it is the top entrance to the park within the District. I commute thru [sic] the park to downtown daily, Mon - Fri bikers are rude and inconsiderate to be on the roadway, and alot [sic] of us harried commuters let them know it! It is a WORK - COMMUTER route, we the taxpayers have spent millions on bike paths that run from Maryland all the way to East Potomac Park but the "purists" would rather clog up the roadway at 10mph, cyclists should realize that they too, are required to obey ALL traffic laws, impedeing [sic] traffic is a violation!

I personally cannot stand these arrogant people who think that because they ride bikes they are special, and above the law, well you are not!

Now that I have vented this out this morning, I must add, on weekends, and, holidays, I let the little egos ride the open road and feel like the big kids. Without a horn honk or a mean word.

All-righty then!

Looks like I would do what I do best: make it up as I go along.

Set a Course for Adventure...

My first trip downtown was beautiful (except for the aforementioned jag down 29....yyeech!): a chill in the air, but no bite to it; little traffic, and what was there was not aggressive; and I saw several deer along Sligo Creek Parkway.

Nice!

When I got into Silver Spring a roadie came up to me at a stoplight. Orbea Orca. Matching purple tires. Sweet.

Since I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do at this point, I asked her if she was heading into Rock Creek Park, and if so, would she mind if I followed her. The map confused the hell out of me, and I always trust in local knowledge.

She was amenable, and off we went, dodging through the movable labyrinth of downtown Silver Spring, with buses, cars, trucks, pedestrians, and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri.

We survived and chatted. It turns out that she is Washington DC cycling royalty. Evelyn is a major force with Artemis Racing. She was commuting to her day job at the Washington Hospital Center and was more than happy to ride the park with me. She was on a recovery day, so my 29er pace was welcome!

With Evelyn as my guide, the big, bad wolves of Rock Creek never appeared. Happily, I saw deer, not angry headlights. And it's all downhill! This commute was turning out to be OK after all!

Ok, it's not all downhill. The climb out of the park is a burner. Then it is rollers down to 14th Street and its bike lane.

The transition from parkland to urban riding was easy, and I found myself time trialling (well, as much as I can on a 29er) down to Rhode Island Avenue and the Y, where a much-needed shower awaited.

Er, Maybe I Should Have Chosen a Different Day

Genius-boy (me) chose to start commuting on the first 100-degree day of the year.



When I rolled out from the office at a little after 1500, the tarmac was baking, the air was heavy, and I was wearing black. I had soaked my jersey in cold water before leaving, to mitigate some of the heat, and I would be starting the ride through Rock Creek park, so there would be plenty of shade. I was cautious, but not overly concerned.

The ride home is a wholly different creature from the morning ride, but it is entirely doable.

Two water bottles, two hours, and once low-speed close call later, I was home. Navigating downtown Silver Spring is a bitch. There's no other word for it. It's attitudinal, moody, passive-aggressive, and unpleasant to be around. But once through it, all is well. Mercifully, Randolph Road has a sidewalk that is as wide as a road lane, and New Hampshire has a bike lane that is sufficient for the quick run up its flank.

That commute is 50 miles round trip. It helps me achieve my goals.

Insane? Yes. But well worth it.