Bicycle Trail Rant

[.RJ]

In my efforts to get back in shape (well a shape other than round) I've dusted off the bicycles, andrew gave me a hand to get them in working order (mad prawpz) and off I go. Most of my time is spent on the w&od trail ( <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://wodfriends.org/">http://wodfriends.org/</a><!-- m --> - for the non-nova people... 45 mile paved trail from arlington to purcellville) but there are several other trails around arlington as well.

At any rate... I had decided that riding on the paved trails rather than the dirt or the street would be less hazardous to my health. My logic was infallible.... right? After 600+ miles on the road bike in the past 2 months I'm questioning that logic, and my sanity.

Today was a pretty typical ride - drive to a park on the trail, head towards arlington, break off on a trail that heads along 66 and down to the potomac, down another trail that goes along the river, cross the bridge into DC, stop and laugh at all the jackasses sitting in a parking lot, turn around and head back. Total distance, 22 miles. Seems like a nice way to spend the afternoon... except for...

• *The group of girls running along the trail 4 wide, that dont move until I shout at them to get the F@#%!@ out of the way (hint: these trails are 2 people/bicycles wide in each direction)

• *The little kid pedaling down the trail on his trike, who decides it would be a good idea to make a u-turn right in front of me. I go off in the dirt, keep the bike up and move on... no sense yelling because his parents were nowhere in sight

• *Some guy mosey-ing down the trail with his little kid, down the middle of the damn trail. I yell "passing, left" and the guy moves to the left, and i go off in the dirt and I came real close to spitting myself off the bike. I yelled back "watch the f@%T! out". Probably undeserved for him, but I was fed up

This about sums it all up:



Unfortunately today was a pretty typical ride in terms of near misses. I really think people in cars are more attentive than people walking along the trails, even though I've been hit in vienna riding in traffic once, about 3 years ago. I really enjoy getting my exercise on, and being outside on 2 wheels, but i'm starting to get fed up with this shit. I ride a lot out west of herndon after work, whenever I have to drive in to work I take the bike with me and go to the trail out there and its much less busy on the trail and more enjoyable. I'd do it every day, but, I cant keep my bike at work. Just one of the assinine property management rules at my office, subject of another rant.

My huge gripes about the trail system in this area are:

• *The trail is for people moving in both directions. Dont park your fat ass in the left side of the trail while talking on your cell phone

• *In America, we drive/walk/bicycle on the right side of the road. Foreigners are the biggest offender here

• *The trail is for pedestrian traffic. Its not a place to stop in the middle of the trail and chat, congregate, or stop in the middle of a bridge and talk

• *The trail is not a playground for your children. There are plenty of playgrounds along the trail for your kids to wander around in

• *When you are in a group of cyclists passing joggers/walkers/other cyclists, do it single file, instead of forcing people going the other direction off the trail

• *When some guy yells "passing, left" really loudly, he's probably coming at you at 20... sometimes 25 or 30 mph... get out of the way!