Circumstances conspired such that I could take a little longer to get into work this morning (sounds mysterious, right?) and I decided that I would take the most asinine, roundabout indirect route possible without actually having to double back or put my bike on the front of a bus. I call this route the Brimanzo 25 and whereas the Almanzo is harrowing and difficult and sounds like a truly soul-wrenching experiencing, the Brimanzo was most me just riding on various mixed-use paths and was just kind of a recreational ride in place of my normal commute.
I rode down George Mason to Four Mile Run, Four Mile Run to the Mount Vernon Trail, over the 14th Street Bridge, down the Mall, up the Metropolitan Branch Trail and across the Capital Crescent Trail to Massachusetts, which took me right to work.
The mile between 13 and 14 on the Mount Vernon Trail feels like the longest mile in the world.
Of all the places I rode, I really love the Met Branch trail the most. Even the on-road parts. Had I been tasered, it'd probably be a different story. It's just quiet and nice back there and the sigagne for the entire length of the route (all the way to Silver Spring) is absolutely fantastic. Only once did it let me down and that was in Takoma, where Cedar and Eastern split.
Have you ever seen anyone other than a middle-aged white guy on a recumbent bicycle?
The Silver Spring Transit Center is not yet done. I was able to find the start of the Capital Crescent, but it will be much nicer with the Purple Line. Also, are they not allowed to swap out the Georgetown Branch Trail signs for Capital Crescent Trail signs? They could even say Interim Capital Crescent Trail the way the signs work on the MBT. I knew that Georgetown Branch and Capital Crescent are synonymous, but does everyone? It just seems stupid.
Very few people out on the trails. I was pretty much the only bicyclist for most of the ride. Some walkers and joggers, but sparser than on a weekend. Way pleasant.
I think that the stop signs on the CCT at the intersection with Dorset Road are total BS. Why not stop the car traffic? why not just put up flashing yellow lights in every direction? I just think that stop signs facing trail users seems hostile and unsympathetic. Just like painting DANGEROUS INTERSECTION on the trail pavement. If you know it's so f-ing dangerous, how about you take some steps to make it less so? Laziness.
It's nice to take a couple of rides lately and ride on the off-street trails, which I think are a fantastic resource for local bicyclists and a nice demonstration of this region's commitment to active transportation. That said, I find trail riding to be boring. Trees.Check. Backs of industrial buildings. Got it. Backyards. Ok. I just feel a bit ghettoized and much prefer riding on streets, which are direct and have things to look at and places to stop if you want a coffee or whatever. So, I'll get back to that.
I totally agree about the stop signs on the CCT at Dorset. It's a lot harder for bikes to stop and get going again, and most motorists are fairly cautious here and allow trail users to cross, anyway. There are a few aggressive drivers who don't even slow down when approaching this crossing, in spite of the bumps and warning signs. They are the ones that stop signs are really needed for.
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