FABB Blog

 

Rescheduled Fall Tour of Reston on Sat. Oct. 13

We've rescheduled the rained out Reston ride to Saturday, Oct. 13. Ride with FABB to check out new bike lanes striped in Reston this summer. We will ride at a slow pace and stop occasionally to discuss the development of bike facilities in the county. We'll also point out some Reston points of interest. After the ride join the grand opening celebration of The Bike Lane's new Reston location and the ribbon-cutting on the new trail connection from their parking lot to the W&OD Trail.

Ride starts at 12pm. The route is approximately 15 miles and the ride will take about 2 hours. Meet at The Bike Lane. Helmets are required and riders will be asked to sign a liability waiver before the ride. Register on Eventbrite.

See a map of the proposed route.

Labels: bike lanes, fabb social ride, reston, restriping

posted by Bruce Wright at 8:24 AM permalink

 

2018 Braddock District Ride on Sunday

Join FABB for a family friendly beginner ride on the day after Bike Your Park Day that has: - 5 mile starter loop - 7 mile advanced starter loop - 16.3 mile medium loop. Jorge Torrico of FABB will lead this ride that starts at Cherry Run Elementary School at 9am this Sunday, September 30.

Labels: Braddock District, fabb social ride

posted by Bruce Wright at 5:31 PM permalink

 

Fall FABB Rides

New bike lanes on North Shore Dr in Reston

Reston Ride on Thurs. Sept. 27 - Ride with FABB to check out new bike lanes striped in Reston this summer. We will ride at a slow pace and stop occasionally to discuss the development of bike facilities in the Reston area. We'll also discuss some Reston points of interest. After the ride you're welcome to sample some of the new beverages being brewed at The Bike Lane. The Bike Lane will contribute to FABB for each beer sold that night.

Ride starts at 5pm. The route is approximately 12 miles (shortened due to sunset at 7pm) and the ride will take about 1.5 hours. Meet at The Bike Lane, 11150 Sunset Hills Road, Reston. Helmets are required and riders will be asked to sign a liability waiver before the ride. Register on Eventbrite.

See a map of the proposed route.

Labels: fabb social ride, mt vernon district, reston, tour de mount vernon

posted by Bruce Wright at 8:12 AM permalink

 

FABB Lee District Ride this Sunday Oct 15

Join FABB for the Lee District Ride on Sunday, October 15. We will explore new, existing, and some of the soon-to-be bicycle facilities in Lee District as well as see how to ride to the Springfield Metro and to-be-built Cinderbed Bikeway. See the ride route on Google Maps or Strava. (Final segment of route here, Strava doesn’t have current connection on maps)

The ride is a 13 mile loop that will showcase the Kingstowne Village Parkway road diet, new buffered bike lanes on Telegraph Road, and the just completed bike lanes on Rose Hill Drive. A comfortable 8 mph pace is planned, with water available at the several commercial areas along the route. The ride will take approximately 3 hours (there is a hill or two!) and we will have a snack pit stop along the way.

Parking and start/end point are at the Rose Hill Shopping Center, 6116 Rose Hill Dr, Alexandria, VA 22310. The ride departs at 9am.

All riders must wear a helmet. You will be asked to sign a liability waiver before the ride. Alexis Glenn is the ride leader.

Register on Eventbrite.

Labels: fabb social ride, lee district

posted by Bruce Wright at 8:20 AM permalink

 

Braddock District Social Ride on Saturday

Bike Your Park Day is Saturday September 30. Why not join FABB for a Braddock District Ride that visits several local parks? This is an introductory ride to existing and recent bike infrastructure. The ride is a 16 mile loop, to showcase the Fairfax County Parkway trail, the Cross County Trail, Lake Accotink Park, the new Liberty Bell Pohick Stream Valley Trail and Shiplett Boulevard bike lanes.

A comfortable 8 mph pace is planned, with water available at the halfway point in Lake Accotink. The ride will take approximately 2.5 hours. Parking and the ride's start point will be at Cherry Run Elementary School, 9732 Ironmaster Dr, Burke. We wll meet at 9 am and the ride will start soon thereafter. Register for the ride on Eventbrite here.

This is the Relive depiction of what the ride should look like and this is the Strava route.

Labels: Braddock District, fabb social ride

posted by Bruce Wright at 4:51 PM permalink

 

Monthly Meeting Set for Vienna

Just a reminder that FABB will be holding its monthly meeting this month at the Patrick Henry Library, 101 Maple Avenue East,  Vienna. The meeting will start at 7:30 pm and will feature an update on recent FABB advocacy efforts with a focus on the I-66 trail.  There also will be a discussion about upcoming social rides and the National Youth Bike Summit next month in Washington, DC.  Please plan on joining us and bring a friend! As FABB is taking on more advocacy efforts, we need help with getting our word out and getting people engaged in making bicycling better in Fairfax County. 

See you there!

Labels: FABB, fabb social ride, monthly meeting

posted by Steve Ward at 5:30 AM permalink

 

FABB’s Fairfax-Vienna Social Ride, 13 May

Labels: city of fairfax, cross county trail, fabb social ride, george mason university, vienna

posted by Steve Ward at 8:00 AM permalink

 

FABB Rides to Springfest April 29

Join FABB for two social rides to Sully Historic Site for SpringFest Fairfax on Saturday, April 29. "SpringFest is a day of environmental and wellness workshops, interaction with environmental groups, and opportunities to learn how to keep Fairfax County Clean, Green and Healthy–all while having a great time!"

Labels: fabb social ride, springfest, sully historic site

posted by Bruce Wright at 9:11 AM permalink

 

FABB Social Ride Oct. 9 - NoVi Trail Network

Join FABB for a casual bike ride on Sunday, October 9 starting at 2 p.m. We will visit two county, two regional, and one national park, all within a short distance of Tysons. The ride begins at Meadowlark Gardens Botanical Park and will travel along the NoVi (Northern Vienna) Trail Network, including the newly completed portion on Beulah Road.  Register on Eventbrite.

The Beulah trail is part of a bike-friendly route to Wolf Trap National Park's The Barns of Wolf Trap and the Filene Center. We will return to the W&OD Trail and ride to the Meadowlark Connector Trail which leads back to Meadowlark Gardens.

Some portions of the route are very steep and may require some riders to walk a short distance. The majority of the ride will be on trails but there are a couple of short road segments. Total distance is approximately 7-8 miles. The ride begins at 2 p.m. and will take about 2 hours, with stops along the way to discuss how the trail system was created.

Joining us will be Jenifer Joy Madden, Vice Chair of the Fairfax County Transportation Advisory Commission and the NoVi Trail Network’s chief advocate.The ride concludes back at Meadowlark for refreshments where Jenifer will tell us a bit about her new book, How To Be a Durable Human, which tells the NoVi story and includes tips for making your own community more bike- and walk-friendly.

All riders must have a helmet and sign a ride waiver. The ride is free and you can register using the FABB Social Ride Eventbrite page.

Labels: beulah road, fabb social ride, jenifer madden, meadowlark gardens botanical park

posted by Bruce Wright at 4:03 PM permalink

 

Getting around Tysons by bike

When most people think about going to Tysons they think about navigating Routes 7 and 123 which are congested major state highways. Or they think about the Dulles Toll Road or the Beltway which are limited access highways. What many don't realize is that there are relatively bike-friendly routes into Tysons, and with over 2 miles of new bike lanes inside Tysons, biking to and through the area is improving.

FABB sponsored the FABB Social Ride - Tysons New Bike Lanes on Sunday morning to check out the new bike lanes and use two major bike access routes into Tysons. We mostly followed neighborhood streets leading into and out of Tysons. See the Tysons ride cue sheet and the route map on the right.

We left from the Vienna Town Green and headed east on the W&OD Trail for a short distance to a trail that leads to Branch Rd in Vienna. We then followed Echols St to Wolftrap Rd all the way to bike lanes (or the paved side path) on Gallows Rd. We turned right on Gallows Branch Rd that turns into Kidwell Dr and the bridge over Route 123, then right on the Tysons Corner Center ring road where there are bike lanes leading to a paved trail that extends to paved shoulders on the Westpark Dr bridge over Route 123. There is a short section on Westpark that will soon have sharrows leading to the new bike lanes on Westpark just past Jones Branch Dr.

Photo: Tom Wyland

We then made a loop, turning right on Westbranch to view the first extensive buffered bike lane in Fairfax County, then continued right on Jones Branch, which will have bike lanes after being repaved next year. There is a climbing lane on the uphill section of Jones Branch past the Hilton leading back to Westpark.

We stopped at Park Run Dr to view the new bike lanes and then continued on the Westpark bike lanes to new bike lanes on Greensboro Dr where set stopped for a discussion of the challenges faced implementing the project. The recently adopted Bicycle Master Plan is playing a key role. We were very fortunate to have key staff from VDOT and FCDOT to provide background information. Greg Billing, WABA's new Executive Director also joined the ride.

Photo: Tom Wyland

The Greensboro bike lanes continued to Spring Hill Rd where we turned left to head to the Spring Hill Metro station. The signal at Route 7 is definitely not bike-friendly and does not allow enough time for cyclists to get through the intersection before it changes to red. Some of the group crossed in the crosswalk. The intersection is so wide that it took two cycles of the ped light to get across.

From there we took the Route 7 side path to Westwood Center Dr past the new urban Walmart complex and made our way to Ashgrove Lane to left on Northern Neck Dr which leads to the Ashgrove Trail, a major entry point to the Tysons area from north Vienna neighborhoods. There are three options from the trail; head west on Montmorency Dr toward Wolf Trap and eventually to the W&OD Trail,  head south on Ashgrove Lane to get to Courthouse Rd, or head east toward Westbriar Elementary School and roads that lead to downtown Vienna.

After the ride several of us stopped for lunch and beverages at The Caboose, the very popular new brewpub located adjacent to the W&OD Trail. Most of the customers arrived by bike. It was a fitting end to a very successful FABB Social Ride.

Labels: fabb social ride, tysons bike lanes, tysons bike tour

posted by Bruce Wright at 10:06 AM permalink

 

FABB Social Ride Oct. 25 - Tysons' New Bike Lanes

Discussing the Greensboro Dr road diet on Tysons pre ride

Yes, Tysons now has over two miles of new bike lanes that were created when several roads were repaved this summer. FABB has advocated for ensuring that as Tysons redevelops from a car-centered suburban office park to a transit-oriented community that bike access plays an important role.

Join FABB in celebrating the new bike lanes by signing up for our Tysons Social Ride on Sunday, October 25, leaving at 10:30 a.m. We will gather at the Vienna Town Green located at the intersection of Route 123 (Maple Ave) and the W&OD Trail. The ride is just over 11 miles. To join the ride please register on Eventbrite.

Greensboro Dr with new bike lanes

Tysons is not flat so be prepared to do some moderate climbing. We will ride at a slow pace, regrouping as needed along the way. A few stops are planned to discuss the changes happening in Tysons. After the ride you can also join us for a light lunch at The Caboose.

To join the ride, register on Eventbrite by Friday, October 23. All riders will need to sign a waiver. Helmets are required.

Labels: fabb social ride, greensboro dr, Tysons

posted by Bruce Wright at 11:38 AM permalink

 

FABB/WABA Suburban Holiday Shopping Ride a success

Thanks to Pete Beers for organizing the first FABB/WABA Suburban Holiday Shopping Ride. Pete met the group of riders (there were 11 who joined at some point) in Vienna, cycled to Tysons where they shopped for a couple of hours. They then rode to the Mosaic District for more shopping, then back to Vienna.

In the photo on the right, note the shopper bike racks installed at the Mall. Not many people know they are there since most people think you're crazy to ride in Tysons. Pete showed the group that it is possible to ride there safely and avoid the hassles of driving and parking.

Read Pete's report on the ride on this blog I Love My Commute. Here's an excerpt:

Labels: fabb social ride, Tysons

posted by Bruce Wright at 2:05 PM permalink

 

FABB/WABA Holiday Shopping Ride -- Sunday, December 15th. 10:30am

Pete's cargo bike on FABB social ride

Holiday shopping by bicycle?  That's just crazy talk…. or is it?  The folks at Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling in conjunction with Washington Area Bicyclist Association would like to invite you for a seasonal shopping ride to show you how easy it can be.  We'll start at the Vienna Train Station on the W&OD Trail and ride to Tyson's Corner for 2 hours of shopping.  This is a great place to get lunch while you're there!  From there we'll head south to the Mosaic District for another hour of gift shopping in their wonderful stores.  After that we'll load up and ride back to Vienna Station.  12.5 miles in all.

"What if I purchase more than I can carry on my bike?" you ask?  NO PROBLEM!  Pete will be riding his cargo bike with cargo trailer attached to carry anything you've purchased that won't fit on your bike.

You'll have experienced ride marshals to help guide the ride and someone at each stop that will help lock the bikes and keep an eye on them while you're shopping.

To make it more fun, Tyson's Corner Shopping Center and the Freshbikes shop in Mosaic District have chipped in VIP Shopping and Dining discounts and a shopping/gift bag for each rider.

• When:  Sunday, December 15th at 10:30am
• Where: Vienna Train Station along the Washington and Old Dominion Trail.  Near the intersections of Ayr Hill Ave. NE and Dominion Rd. NE in Vienna, Virginia
• Distance:  The ride is 13 miles in all and will include some Multi-Use trail as well as public roads.  
• What to bring:  A helmet is required for this ride! You'll need a bike, a bike lock and clothes/shoes that are suitable for riding and shopping.  Please have a mobile phone so that you can be contacted to regroup to continue the ride.  All riders will be asked to sign the ride waiver.

Many thanks to the Tyson's Corner Center and Freshbikes for making this ride possible! And thanks to Pete Beers for organizing the ride.

Please RSVP to Pete at Pete.Beers@gmail.com or on the Facebook Invitation.

Labels: cargo bike, fabb social ride, mosaic district, pete beers, Tysons, vienna

posted by Bruce Wright at 4:34 PM permalink

 

FABB McLean Social Ride is this Saturday

There are plenty of slots left for the FABB McLean Social Ride this Saturday. The ride begins at 10 am. We will start our ride at the McLean Library. It will be a slow 10-12 mph ride with rolling terrain through the neighborhoods in McLean. Some locations and homes that will be passed on the ride, include McLean Central Park, Dick Cheney, Hickory Hill - Kennedy estate, Judge Bork, Rob Ryan - local weather man, CIA HQ, Clemyjontri Park - children's park, Claude Moore 1771 era Farm, Justice Antonin Scalia, Salona house and fields, part of 1719 land grant, Langley Fork and other historical sites and the McLean business District.

What to Bring:

• Your bicycle,
• Helmet (required no exceptions),
• Lock to secure your bike when parked,
• WABA membership number*
• Water and a snack, sunscreen,
• Cash for (optional) lunch or snack

* The ride is for adult WABA Members. Children 14-18 may participate if they are accompanied by an adult WABA member

Labels: fabb social ride, mclean

posted by Bruce Wright at 1:25 PM permalink

 

McLean Social Ride on Saturday August 24

Participants on the first McLean Social Ride

Dennis Frew of FABB will lead a FABB Social Ride on Saturday August 24. The ride will leave from McLean Library, 1244 Oak Ridge Ave, McLean, VA 22101. Read about Dennis' previous McLean ride that drew 20 participants.

From the Eventbrite registration page: "We will start our ride at the McLean Library. It will be a slow 10-12 mph ride with rolling terrain through the neighborhoods in McLean. Some locations and homes that will be passed on the ride, include McLean Central Park, Dick Cheney, Hickory Hill - Kennedy estate, Judge Bork, Rob Ryan - local weather man, CIA HQ, Clemyjontri Park - children's park, Claude Moore 1771 era Farm, Justice Antonin Scalia, Salona house and fields, part of 1719 land grant, Langley Fork and other historical sites and the McLean business District."

The ride is open to all WABA members and guests, with a limit of 20 participants.

Labels: fabb social ride, mclean

posted by Bruce Wright at 9:29 PM permalink

 

FABB Social ride wrap-up

We were lucky the predicted rain held off yesterday for the FABB Social Ride in the Vienna/Merrifield area. Fourteen of us gathered at the Mosaic District in front of Angelika Theater where families were watching cartoons on the outdoor theater screen and playing in the fountain. Thanks to Pete of Fresh Bikes for bringing a bike stand, pump, and tools to offer help to any cyclists in need. It was impressive that he hauled all the gear on his cargo bike.

Shortly after 10 the group headed south on Eskridge Rd toward the Cross  County Trail. The trail had been flooded earlier in the week but by Saturday the water had receded. The trail alternates between potholed paved sections and gravel. Given there are so few options for traveling between Gallows and Pickett Roads south of Lee Highway there's a strong argument for paving that entire section of the CCT.

At Pickett Road we saw the location of a new tunnel under Pickett that will provide a great connection across this busy road. Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority recently received a grant to help fund this connection. From there were headed north to the Vienna Metro station, then to Tapawingo Rd which is a connection to the W&OD Trail.

We turned onto Cottage St. and rode to Gallows Road and south past Dunn Loring Metro station to reach Lost Dog Cafe where most of us stopped for a good lunch.

We'd like to hold a few more Social Rides in the next couple of months. Thanks to everyone who came out to join the ride.

Labels: cross county trail, fabb social ride, merrifield, town of vienna

posted by Bruce Wright at 7:58 AM permalink

 

FABB Social Ride this Saturday - Merrifield/Vienna tour - Note 10am start time

Join FABB for a casual tour of the Merrifield-Vienna area. The tour will start at the Mosaic District in front of Angelika Theater. We will ride south to the Cross County Trail to the City of Fairfax Connector Trail to the Vienna Metro station, Town of Vienna, and Dunn Loring Metro station. We will ride at a slow pace as a group on local streets and trails. A section of the Cross County Trail is unpaved. The tour is approximately 12 miles. There is an optional stop at Lost Dog Cafe for an early lunch. Free registration is required.

Date: 7/13/2013 at 10 am. In the case of rain we will notify registered riders via email and a message on the FABB home page.

About the Ride:

• Riders will depart at 10am from Angelica Theater in the Mosaic District. The ride is a combination of neighborhood streets, and multi-use trails. A section of the Cross County Trail is unpaved. 
• The ride is a loop of about 12 miles 
• This is a no-drop social ride at a 10-12 mph pace. There will be stops along the way. 
• The ride is for adult WABA Members. Children 14-18 may participate if they are accompanied by an adult WABA member. 
• FABB will provide Ride Marshals for the ride 

What to Bring:

• Your bike 
• Helmet (required no exceptions) 
• Lock to secure your bike at the cafe 
• WABA membership number 
• Water and a snack, sunscreen 
• Cash for purchasing an optional lunch at Lost Dog Cafe near Dunn Loring Metro station 

How to Get There?

Labels: dunn loring, fabb social ride, merrifield, mosaic district, vienna, vienna metro

posted by Bruce Wright at 7:37 PM permalink

 

Cold but fun FABB Social Ride in Reston

We had a good turnout for the Reston tour today, one of a series of FABB social rides. It was in the low 40's when we started at the Reston Town Center but the sun was out and it got much warmer during the ride.

We checked out the new Wiehle Ave Metro station under construction, pondering how users will be able to access the station from the south side and where bicyclists will park their bikes on that side. On the north side there will be 240 spaces, many of them in a secure bike room that includes a Fix-it station, that is part of the Comstock development Reston Station. We discussed the Monkey House scare in which imported monkeys living in lab near Newton Square in Reston were thought to have contracted the Eblola virus. The best-selling book The Hot Zone is a fascinating account of that episode.

Bowman Distillery next to the W&OD Trail

We stopped at Old Reston Ave and discussed the early attempt to establish the town of Wiehle. The site is where the Bowman Distillery was located. The whiskey Virginia Gentleman was made there up until 1986. The photo on the right shows W&OD Trail users passing the distillery.

We then rode to historic Lake Anne Village Center and eventually made our way back to the Reston Town Center. Afterwards a few of us had lunch at Vapiano. Check out the Reston Museum Virtual Tour page for links to other interesting historic photos.

We hope to hold more rides next year. For more information about our rides, including cue sheets for previous rides, visit the FABB Social Rides page.

Labels: fabb social ride, reston

posted by Bruce Wright at 3:53 PM permalink

 

FABB ride in Reston on Saturday

FABB Social Ride

It will be a cold start to our FABB Social Ride, a tour of Reston, on Saturday morning, but it should be a beautiful day. The high temperature is predicted to be 50 degrees. There is still room for a few more participants on this free 14 mile ride. We'll ride along the bike lanes on Lawyers Road and Soapstone Drive that were created by reducing 4 lanes to 2 lanes with bike lanes. We'll also check out the new Wiehle Ave Metro station and discuss the planned bike room with parking for over 200 bicycles.

Then we'll ride a short stretch of the W&OD Trail to the Bowman Mansion, site of the original first settlement in the Reston area. Then it's on to historic Lake Anne Village Center, Browns Chapel, then back to the Reston Town Center where the ride starts and ends. There is an option for a shorter, 10-mile ride.

Free online registration.

Labels: fabb social ride, reston

posted by Bruce Wright at 1:39 PM permalink

 

FABB Social Ride in Reston on Saturday, Nov. 17

• Your bicycle,
• Helmet (required no exceptions),
• Lock to secure your bike when parked,
• WABA membership number*
• Water and a snack, sunscreen,
• Cash for (optional) lunch or snack

Labels: fabb social ride, reston

posted by Bruce Wright at 8:10 PM permalink