Any good bike paths around town?

Submitted by No_Variety_4997 t3_ygpkpi in rva

I got a bike a few weeks ago and have been riding around town a lot and using it to commute.

Always have my flashing lights and helmet on but I've had some CLOSE calls riding around town.

Drivers don't seem to recognize bikers or give bikers space at all.

Most close calls are for drivers turning right on red that don't see/don't care about the biker, or also people pulling out of alleyways in the fan/musuem district at 10+ mph blindly without even checking.

I've had to slam on my brakes way too many times, and I make myself as visible as possible with lights and bright colored clothes and only ride in daytime.

I've ridden the capital trail a handful of times and really looking for other bike only routes within say an hour of downtown rva.

I like doing long rides, 2-4+ hour rides so I'm totally willing to drive outside of town to find some good gravel or bike only paths.

Any recommendations?

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dalbach77 t1_iu9rqhg wrote

Check out the High Bridge trail in the Farmville area.

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needsexyboots t1_iu9ujp0 wrote

I’m terrified of heights but still really love this trail

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DefaultSubsAreTerrib t1_iua9ypb wrote

Congrats on getting a bike. You will grow more confident with experience and will eventually learn to anticipate when a driver is about to do some risky shit. Til then, stick to roads with protected bike lanes like Franklin or Brook, and try to join in group rides as another poster had suggested

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quicheanus t1_iu9xto3 wrote

might i recommend riding groups to feel safer. a lot of them will have a system where more experienced riders will ride up ahead and stop traffic to let the group pass through. yeah, drivers hate it but at least when us riders band together, we're safer. screw cars (except when I need to use one ;) )

Check out Broad Street Bullies, they meet at 7 at the carytown kroger and bike about 7 miles give or take around the cities.

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Also DFL (dead fucking last) is a more casual ride at 8:30 on wednesdays, meet at the bumpy tree by the playground at federal park in carytown

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iMelancholyKid t1_iubyvvi wrote

Broad street bullies is actually changing there schedule to Sundays at 1pm Carytown Krogers starting tomorrow for the next season

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sbc17vcu t1_iub59w1 wrote

Not 100% what you are looking for but my family goes to Bryan park to ride bikes. It’s so nice right now with all the big trees in their color. You can do a million loops I’m sure that would get old but it’s something other than the cap trail.

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Jacks_Cold_Sweat t1_iub66lx wrote

If you’re comfortable enough with it, there are some great gravel “roads” around Belle Isle and below Buttermilk trail. You can also connect to the floodwall path then to ancarrows landing/poop loop. Poop loop is technically a mountain bike trail but it’s easy enough that anyone can ride almost any bike on it.

Once you get used to riding looser surfaces like gravel, it opens a ton of options to ride bikes away from cars in the city. Have fun!

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iMelancholyKid t1_iubxg3v wrote

don't rely on the rules of the road, signs, lights or drivers actually paying attention to protect you. Look out for yourself and be hyper vigilant eveytime.

Assume every car as possible sus and assume the worst everytime.

It seems messed up thinking 100ways to die on a bike but it's the reality of things. Soon you'll be able to predict car movements based on how they are acting or not acting in a normal situation.

I suggest joining bicycle groups to get comfortable riding your bike and the local roads. You'll gain experience faster.

Start understanding flows of traffic at different times and the % increase of risk on every road. Your choice to bust em or avoid them.

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