Our Favorite Bike Routes

I’m a big fan of the Sligo Creek Trail. I especially love riding on the Sligo Creek Parkway when Montgomery County DOT closes it down to four-wheel vehicles on the weekends as part of the Open Parkways program. I love this route because I can ride from my house to Takoma Park, have a bite to eat, and take my bike on Metro to go back home. Combining biking with transit is the ultimate life hack!

Sofie Rhoads

I’m quite fond of the newish bike lane along Park Place NW. It’s protected, with a nice view of the Old Soldiers Home golf course off to the east. It also connects to the cycle track on Irving Street, which is the best east-west bike connection in the northern part of the city.

Sam McCormally

The Irving Street cycle track is also my favorite! The project created a much-needed crosstown connection between Columbia Heights and Brookland, where short/protected trips were not previously possible.

Nadiya Kutishcheva

I am grateful for the Mount Vernon Trail along with the Fifteenth Street NW cycle track. The route provides me with a fully protected, low-stress, and beautifully scenic way to get to work in downtown DC from my home in Alexandria, Virginia. My commute is a veritable Washington B-Roll. It takes me along the Potomac River past National Airport, the Pentagon, the Jefferson Memorial and the Tidal Basin, the Washington Monument, the White House, and many museums and federal agencies.

Ehab Ebeid

My favorite bike route is the Capital Crescent Trail. I love biking alongside the Potomac River and it’s so peaceful and shady underneath the tree canopies. You can also reward yourself with a treat on either end in Bethesda or Georgetown!

Laura Duke

I made up my favorite route! The Mostly Off-Street NE Loop is a 16-mile loop through Northeast DC that connects two of the great off-street paths in the area: the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) and the Anacostia River Trail. The ride starts at Lincoln Park in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, picks up the MBT at Union Station, then jogs across Brookland to Mt. Rainier and Brentwood to pick up the Anacostia River Trail. The ride continues along the river, where it includes scenic views of wetlands and prairies. Then it goes across John Philip Sousa Bridge and follows the protected bike lane up Kentucky Avenue back to the starting point at Lincoln Park. Watch for birds and boats along the water! I like this route because the road sections are quiet and use bike lanes on the few busier streets.

Russell Pildes

This isn’t a bike route per se, but I love being able to bike to the local shopping center just over a mile from my house to run errands, go out to dinner, or see a movie. With traffic lights and the often-lengthy search for parking, biking is probably faster anyway. And if it is ever pouring rain when I’m ready to leave, I can hop on a bus back home instead. Hooray for transit-oriented development!

Elaine Ferrell

It sounds ominous but Forbidden Drive is my favorite route in Philly! Its gentle undulations create a rolling escape to nature within the city, providing an opportunity to check in with nature and connecting riders with countless other trails.

Kyle Hearing

With spectacular views of nature and Pittsburgh’s industrial heritage, the Great Allegheny Passage was my sanctuary during the height of the pandemic. It was also where I learned to bike long distances as a young Scout. There is even a spot for water breaks right under the roller coasters at the local amusement park, Kennywood. But nothing beats my 15-minute bike ride to work, thanks to DC bike lanes!

Charlie Echard

My favorite bike route is just outside the DC area: the Greenbrier River Trail in Marlinton, West Virginia. I love it for its serene beauty and solitude given its remoteness. In fact, part of the trail lies within the National Radio Quiet Zone, so cell phones do not work.

David Miller