View Full Version : Custis Trail Conditions
Wiggly Amp
01-30-2011, 01:15 PM
I don't supose anyone has attempted to cycle the Custis trail since Wednesday's Thundersnow? I have a buddy who says he's been on part of it but despite knowing he has spiked tyres on his mountain bike, I doubt his credibility.....
Thanks,
Wiggly Amp
I rode the W&OD between Falls Church and Vienna today. It is normally in worse shape than the Custis. The W&OD was ridable, but it was not an easy going. With studs and a good freeze it will be much better. There's really one line that can be ridden and it is pretty easy to wash out if you get too close to the edge.
wbgookin
01-30-2011, 06:46 PM
I ran it this afternoon from Glebe to the Mt Vernon trail, and the whole way was a mix of lumpy packed down ice, slush, and crusty snow (there was some "fresh" snow off to the sides in a lot of places too). Yes, there were spots of asphalt showing, but in Rosslyn I saw several bicyclists on road bikes turn back around because it was too bad to ride. Sorry I can't be of more help, I'm not a bicyclist. But it seemed pretty bad to me for riding.
wbgookin
01-30-2011, 06:48 PM
OK, I just saw the picture posted in the W&OD thread today, and it was a lot like that. So if, like in that thread, you think it's ridable, maybe you're set. LOL But the road bike guys thought it was a no-go. Why the heck did I post again? :)
Wiggly Amp
01-30-2011, 09:13 PM
Dirt, Sir, you're clearly made of steel! No doubt you'll be out on the W&OD tomorrow at 20-someting degrees in your shorts and T-shirt.... And thanks for the photo on the W&OD thread - very useful. I'll necessarily be keeping my road bike in the shed for a few days longer. Which means I'll be running tomorrow again instead.
CCrew
01-31-2011, 12:45 AM
OK, I just saw the picture posted in the W&OD thread today, and it was a lot like that. So if, like in that thread, you think it's ridable, maybe you're set. LOL But the road bike guys thought it was a no-go. Why the heck did I post again? :)
Rode it tonight based on Dirt's recommendation. Remind me never to listen to him again :)
It's rideable with a MTB and studs. It kicked my butt without the studs, and when the front goes out from under you it goes out FAST. Nothing bruised but my pride. I made it but I bailed to the streets as much as possible.
I rode it this morning and the overnight freeze were a big help. Studs are DEFINITELY suggested. It is rough going. It is like riding a very rough, rocky mountain bike trail. If it thaws, it will be a serious workout, but since it is supposed to stay cold and even snow more today, it should be fun.
Rode it tonight based on Dirt's recommendation. Remind me never to listen to him again :)
It's rideable with a MTB and studs. It kicked my butt without the studs, and when the front goes out from under you it goes out FAST. Nothing bruised but my pride. I made it but I bailed to the streets as much as possible.
Sorry about that. After riding it this morning, I thought I hit the description pretty well. I think Custis was a little more slushy than W&OD was, but it wasn't that much different. None of these rides are easy.
CCrew
01-31-2011, 12:09 PM
Sorry about that. After riding it this morning, I thought I hit the description pretty well. I think Custis was a little more slushy than W&OD was, but it wasn't that much different. None of these rides are easy.
Naa, no harm, you called it pretty much on the money. Hence the smiley!
Steve O
01-31-2011, 02:12 PM
The trail has not been touched by a plow or by any chemicals. It is almost entirely packed, glaciated ice--lumpy from the pedestrians. Someone with a mountain bike and studded tires could probably ride on it slowly, but you won't make great time. Downhills might be dangerous, because it would difficult to stop.
IMO this is unacceptable from a County that claims to want to become a LAB Gold bicycling community--five day after the snow some sort of truck/tractor has been on my residential street three times, but not a single time on the #1 bike commuting route in the area.
Steve O
01-31-2011, 02:13 PM
The trail has not been touched by a plow or by any chemicals. It is almost entirely packed, glaciated ice--lumpy from the pedestrians. Someone with a mountain bike and studded tires could probably ride on it slowly, but you won't make great time. Downhills might be dangerous, because it would difficult to stop.
IMO this is unacceptable from a County that claims to want to become a LAB Gold bicycling community--five day after the snow some sort of truck/tractor has been on my residential street three times, but not a single time on the #1 bike commuting route in the area.
You're right. The surface was really bumpy. Mountain bike helped on that. I was super impressed with the studded tires on the ice though. I didn't really slow much because of the ice except for the custis bridge near glebe road. That is absolutely sheer ice. My commute only took me about 10 minutes longer (for the 14 mile route) in the ice.
Things will slow down a ton when things start to thaw.
I'll also add that they did start to plow a little at the west end of the Custis... near the I-66 underpass. It didn't help a lot, but it was nice to know they're trying. :D
Encountered a section of trail that was so slippery that a guy and his dog could not stand up on it. Both were sitting and scooting along. He was laughing (the guy, not the dog) at the situation.
Studded tires didn't bat an eyelash. Average speed on this morning's ride in? 12mph for 13.2 miles... about 10 of which were on ice.
I would not suggest riding the W&OD or Custis without studded tires and an adventurous spirit.
Mark Blacknell
02-01-2011, 12:51 PM
I loaded up my adventurous spirit and studded tires and went to test Dirt's recommendation this afternoon. Amazingly, he's right!
Interestingly, it appears that a plow has made its way along the Custis from Key Bridge to (at least) Quincy. Unfortunately, I don't think it had any positive effect at all (tho' I suppose the iced tire ruts did give me an easier place to ride a couple of times). Can anyone help me pinpoint when it was done? Definitely after last Thurs.
There were clear sections between Lynn Street and the top of the hill on Monday before 0700. There's still plenty of ice in there too. There was a fair amount of thaw on Sunday when I was out on the W&OD. The plowing done at the opposite end of Custis was done during the day on Monday.
I saw a plow in Ste Anne's parking lot when I rode past at 0615 this morning. I believe the driver was just working on emitting all the CO2 that I was saving by riding my bike. ;)
StopMeansStop
02-01-2011, 05:51 PM
Custis trail was pretty gnarly Sunday. I can't imagine its gotten any better.
@Mark: The plowing at the east end of the Custis trail helped quite a bit. The good line to ride is the same, but scraping off the crusty snow all around made it so that the penalty for getting off line was much less. That plowing was done during the day today for sure. It wasn't like that before 0700.
@SMS: I would beg to differ. If you have the right tires, conditions have been MUCH better since Sunday. Sunday was thawing and everything was slushy. That is really hard to ride in regardless of tires. Nothing works well in slush. Monday and Tuesday had the trails frozen pretty hard. This afternoon started softening up a bit, but it wasn't bad at all to ride. I'm not saying it was lovely like a warm summer morning... it was just all ridable with good winter tires (read studded). Definitely took a lot more effort to achieve any kind of momentum. That's what winter is fore.
Tomorrow night is going to SUCK! Rain all morning and temps in the high 40s. The areas in the shade are going to be very difficult to ride.
Happy riding, folks.
Pete
brendan
02-01-2011, 08:13 PM
@Mark: The plowing at the east end of the Custis trail helped quite a bit. The good line to ride is the same, but scraping off the crusty snow all around made it so that the penalty for getting off line was much less. That plowing was done during the day today for sure. It wasn't like that before 0700.
...
Tomorrow night is going to SUCK! Rain all morning and temps in the high 40s. The areas in the shade are going to be very difficult to ride.
I rode from clarendon to columbia heights and back last night and, not thinking straight, took my usual course where I hop onto custis near Veitch and take that down to the key bridge. I found alternating cleared and "ice-rink at a steep angle" sections. Yikes. The walled off sections were the worst (neither plowed nor sunlight melted), and it seemed some of the cleared portions had to have been cleared by shovels or other tech, not sunlight. In any case, even on Nokian studded tires, I took the iced downhill sections at a walking pace - didn't want to end up sliding across an intersection against the light. I took surface roads back up from the bridge to clarendon on the way home.
So...glad to hear they did some trail plowing today.
Brendan
This morning wasn't as bad as I thought for most of the ride. The section east of Lyon Village to Lee Hwy was BRUTAL. There's an inch or two of slush on top of ice. I rode across it, but it wasn't pretty. It took all the power I've got to keep rolling. This evening is likely going to be WORSE!
brendan
02-02-2011, 09:37 AM
Dirt - temperatures in the mid 50s this afternoon, perhaps some helpful melt will occur? Good luck!
The melting is a good start. Trying to ride during the melt is difficult. Luckily I have shopping to do in Clarendon tonight, so I won't hit the really bad parts of the trail until I get to the far side of Falls Church.
Happy riding, folks. :D
Melt started to help, but there are many sections of trail that are still icy across the whole trail, with no passable line. There are large ice patches on the far side of turns with little warning. I was out late tonight and the temps are dropping fast. Everything is freezing up.
The 50 degree temps today might make you think that riding tomorrow will be safe and easy on the Custis or W&OD. It will not be. 60-70% of the trail is clear. That 30-40% is gonna be nasty as heck in the morning.
Love,
Pete
Wiggly Amp
02-03-2011, 05:14 AM
Thanks Dirt - another invaluable post
As expected, lots of clear trail but still quite a bit of serious ice and many sections that do not have a clear path through.
consularrider
02-03-2011, 07:49 PM
The hill from milepost 3 to the Veitch St access trail is still a sheet of ice and I couldn't get traction going up it, even with studded tires. The stretch from Lyon Village to milepost 3 has lots of ice, but there is a narrow, mostly clear track. Lots of other icy patches from around St Annes past the Washington Blvd underpass. Also the Fairfax Dr access has some bad ice.
DaveK
02-04-2011, 11:45 AM
From rosslyn to Veitch st the trail is mostly dry and clear, with the exception of a couple of icy patches where you'll have to get off and walk. They're small though.
Anyone have an update after the rain and warm weather this weekend? Is Custis now mostly clear for tomorrow morning's commute, or still icy?
MJR77
02-07-2011, 06:10 AM
Anyone have an update after the rain and warm weather this weekend? Is Custis now mostly clear for tomorrow morning's commute, or still icy?
Custis was generally OK Sunday morning, and W&OD was good from the beginning out to Lee Hwy/EFC, then sketchy in sections thereafter. Hopefully the warm weather the remainder of yesterday brought additional melting.
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