This time of year, Northern Virginia’s trails are abuzz with cyclists zipping by on sleek road bikes, mountain bikes, single-speed cruisers, tandem bicycles, and even tricycles. Whatever you ride, get your bike tuned up and maybe take a refresher course, if you need one. It’s time to dust off your wheels and join them.
Just remember that when you’re biking, even on designated trails, it’s essential to be prepared and behave in a way that keeps the trail safe for you and for others. That means watching your speed, maintaining awareness of your surroundings, and being respectful of other people on the trail.
“The key issue is sharing the space with others. And as a cyclist, we encounter all the different users: the pedestrians, the runners, rollerbladers, the dog walkers, the parents with strollers,” says Bruce Wright, president of the Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling. “And so, we all have to be mindful of their right to be on the trail and for us to be safe.”
Trail etiquette
- Keep your speed under control. Wright calls speed the “No. 1 issue” on cycling trails.
- Pass on the left and always announce your move first, with a bell or an audible “On your left!” Share the trail — cyclists must yield to both pedestrians and equestrians.
- Virginia permits e-bikes on trails, but they must go at a responsible speed.
Where to take a refresher course
- Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling
- Washington Area Bicyclist Association
- Private Instructors
Riding on the road
- Obey all traffic laws, including stop signs and stop lights.
- Ride with the flow of traffic, as far to the right is practical.
- Tip: If the lane is too narrow to share, don’t go too far to the side, Wright says, because cars might try to pass in the same lane without sufficient space. Ride farther out in the lane, and motorists are required to either change lanes or wait until they can pass with at least 3 feet of space.
- Map out a bike-friendly route with websites like Google Maps or Komoot.
Try these rails
- W&OD Trail: 45 miles. Paved trail. Runs east to west from Purcellville to Shirlington with several access points along the way.
- Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail: 40-plus miles. Unpaved trail. Runs north to south through Fairfax County. Intersects with several other trails, including the W&OD.
- Mount Vernon Trail: 18 miles. Paved trail. Runs from George Washington’s Mount Vernon to Theodore Roosevelt Island near Arlington.
- 1-66 Parallel Trail: 18 miles. Paved trail. Runs parallel to I-66.
Feature image courtesy stock.adobe.com
This story originally ran in our May issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
