Missed connection

The Vienna Community Center is a great place to launch in either direction on the W&O or through the residential neighborhoods. It has plenty of parking, water fountains with cold water, and real bathrooms. There are vending machines down a short flight of stairs to the right of the entrance. There is shade and benches and a gazebo, the scenery isn't bad.

Spokes is right down the street and so is Whole Foods. The Vienna Inn, source of cheap hot dogs and beer is very close. Or so I've heard. ;-)

That being said, the trail right next to the building is tricky. To be safe, it is necessary to practically crawl through the area. I don't want to knock a kid down. At least not one unrelated to me by DNA. I hate scrubbing the asphalt stains out of my jersey and the blood off my knees. Someone told me all the scratches and dings on Spartacus give him character. I think he was just being nice, thanks Dirt. So yes, it is important to note that area and protect yourself and folks who are completely unaware of our presence. They are focused on entering and exiting the building and not on the path.

Best wishes,
Ann

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Originally Posted by acc

The Vienna Inn, source of cheap hot dogs and beer is very close. Or so I've heard. ;-)

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Beer, hot dogs with chili & cheese, and cheese fries... mmmm. Vienna Inn rocks!

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Originally Posted by acc

Spokes is right down the street and so is Whole Foods.

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The Whole Foods is a good lunchtime destination from Arlington if you can take a long lunch. About a ten-mile ride each way from where I used to live near Arlington Hospital; stop at the Whole Foods right by the W&OD Trail, pick up a sandwich and a drink, have a little picnic, and ride back.

@SteveTheTech:

Actually, the cyclist that tried to pass you was right, you should have signaled so that people behind you would know what you were trying to do. Your voice projected toward those ten feet in front frequently can not be heard by those ten feet behind. That's not to say the other cyclist was right in anything else. You can not rely on trail markings to indicate a no passing zone like you would have on a highway. From what I have seen in riding on most of the trails in this area there is little consistency in how a trail is striped, if it is at all.

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Originally Posted by acc

That being said, the trail right next to the building is tricky. To be safe, it is necessary to practically crawl through the area. I don't want to knock a kid down. At least not one unrelated to me by DNA. I hate scrubbing the asphalt stains out of my jersey and the blood off my knees. Someone told me all the scratches and dings on Spartacus give him character. I think he was just being nice, thanks Dirt. So yes, it is important to note that area and protect yourself and folks who are completely unaware of our presence. They are focused on entering and exiting the building and not on the path.

Best wishes,
Ann

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Yes. I always take that section super slow, as I understand why it is natural for folks entering/exiting the community center and/or play/fields area to assume that getting to/from the parking lot is just crossing a sidewalk and not a paceline path...but I do also ring my bell obnoxiously when there's a crowd of kids just hanging out blocking the trail. </grandpa simpson>

There was one trip out there where kids were hiding in the bushes throwing tennis balls across the paths of passing cyclists. That's really outside of the norm for the area, though.

Brendan

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Originally Posted by acc

The Vienna Community Center is a great place to launch in either direction on the W&O or through the residential neighborhoods. It has plenty of parking, water fountains with cold water, and real bathrooms....

That being said, the trail right next to the building is tricky. To be safe, it is necessary to practically crawl through the area...

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The VCC is indeed one of the best places to park, but it will only take 1 cyclist running over an important child for drastic actions to be taken. I know when we arrived there first we had no idea that the trail was right there.

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Originally Posted by consularrider

@SteveTheTech:

Actually, the cyclist that tried to pass you was right, you should have signaled so that people behind you would know what you were trying to do...

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Thanks, I really did not know that. I try to be as educated as possible in the rules of the road. I'm a huge fan of keeping the rubber side down.


Any part of the Vienna section can be a bit frustrating for those on road bikes, but safety has to come first.

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Originally Posted by PotomacCyclist

I don't know. It's not important.

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I agree, I was just having fun.

I did manage to find this picture a couple weeks ago.

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/1...ryoftransp.jpg

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

It's a recent picture and it's not Photoshopped, although it kind of looks like it is.

Clearly, a violation of helmet safety.

Wednesday: I was stopped at an intersection on Wilson Blvd. You were salmoning up the street to my right. Just before my light turned green, you turned in front of me and proceeded to salmon between the two lanes of traffic as it began to go through the light.

Just wanted to check to see if you're still alive.