Selecting a bike route Question
This may seem like a simple question but are there any suggestions on how to select a good bike route. I live in northern VA which is pretty congested with traffic. I have a few local roads where I can train on but if I wanted to go on a longer ride are there certain types of roads I should be looking for on the map to assume they are good to ride my bike on? Any rules of thumb to go by..Country roads? County roads?
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the way i choose my bike route was to have an area that I can do without stopping. just my opinion but stopping is a bad thing because your body is starting a recovery as soon as you stop. My route, I will stop only a few times, its about a 4 mile square and I do all right turns, in a semi-rural area about 6 miles away. many times I drive the bike there in my van, so i do not cross some very busy areas.
i do the non-stop, again to practice so that when i race it will be a near race condition. road conditions are a real issue, I also use continenial 400 grandpre tires which are highly puncture resistant to minize tire flats.
sorry i cannot offer any words on your area though. hope this helps.
Nate, route priorities are, in order:
For example, the safest, closed road, straight up a mountain route isn't good if you have to drive 60' to get to it. Might be good for a once in a while weekend but likely not as reguarlar ride.
Likewise, hilly right out your door but on an 8 lane expressway isn't good because it isn't safe.
Nate- Potomac Peddlers is a great bike club in your area that posts cue sheets for many of their rides. Check out their site here:
http://www.bikepptc.org/
I know most of the Montgomer/Howard/Frederick county routes- all perfect for long rides training for an IM. Becky & Kate also live up in NOVA and can probably give you some ideas of good routes a little closer to "home"
Nate,
I also live in Nova. Do you have access to the W&OD trail at all? That can get you out west towards some quieter roads.
Ian