Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-09
A RUN TO FAIRFAX
An All-Day Bicycle Trip That Will
Strengthen the Muscles.
THREE RIDABLE' ROUTES
Character of the Roads and the
Hills to Be Climbed.
A ROUTE TO BE AVOIDED

A trip by wheel to Fairfax is a very pleas
ant all-day spin. although the distance is
but seventeen miles. and the rider who
makes it will be we'll repaid. The scenery
is particularly pleasing. In fact, the views
along part. of the route are as beautiful as
the very best can be found in the old Do
minion state. The riding is fair-only fair,
or, like all Virginia roads, these are of dirt,
clay and gravel. Still, one is able invar
iably to pick out ridable paths during near
ly the entire route.
The main disadvantage to many local
wheelmen lies in the fact that the Fairfax
run is regarded as Jonah run, from the
fact that most club runs to the place are
either prevented by rain or else the riders
get caught in storm before the trip is
over. This is such notorious fact in one
club in the city that it is standing coke
about bringing rain In time of 'lrouth
by calling a run to Fairfax.
The County Seat.
Fairfax is a small place lying almost que
west of this city, and its superiority to me
other villages in the immediate vicinity
lies in the fact that it is the county seat of
Fairfax county. named after the celebrated
Lord Fairfax, who was such prominent
figure in colonial days 1t is typical coun-
try village. and the town streets are no bet
ter than the roads leading into it. The pop
ulation is limited. and as the buildings of
Importance the native will show the visitol
the county court house and the Jail
1t has no railroad communication and the
nearest station, Vienna, is nearly three
miles distant. while Falls Church is about
nine miles to the east. These are the two
nearest stations.
The ride to the place is hilly. but none of
the hills are too steep to be ridden In
some places it is a good deal like see-sawing
up and down hill The return, however
is mostly down grade. This is especially no.
ticeable when the Falls Church route is
taken, when the return ride can be made
in about one-half the time taken up in the
west-bound ride.
The Three Routes.
There are three ways which have been
used by local wheelmen in making the
trip, and there are perhaps as many more
which it would not be advisable to take.
OF the three Travelled routes one is by way
of the Long bridge, while the other two
lead from the Aqueduct bridge. There is
also route via Chain bridge and Lewis
ton, but for reasons best known to them
selves, wheeimen in general take particu-
lar pains to avoid this. The readers of
this, who have never ridden by this route,
will do well to follow their example.
The Shortest Route.
The shortest route is between sixteen and
seventeen miles from the Treasury De-
partment. 1t is known the lower or
river route, coming into the Arlington
National road near the entrance to the
Free bridge. By intervals, the dis ance is
approximately as follows: Treasury De-
partment to Aqueduct bridge, two miles;
to Cherrydale, two miles: to Halls Corn
ers two miles; to Falls Church, two miles;
to Mills Cross Roads, four miles: to Fair
fax. five miles; total, seventeen miles.
The Condition of the Roads.
The condition Of the roads, OWING to the
sameness of the material, can be briefly
stated: Fair in good weather, worse in
dry weather. and bad in wet weather. The
route is a hard one. so far AS hills are
concerned, as far as Falls Church Be-
tween Falls Church and Fairfax there are
few hills one or two OF which are rather
steep. A pleasant variation to this route
is to ride alongside the cinder track of
the railroad, past Dunn LorinS station to
Vienna station, and thence almost due
south to Fairfax. This deviation adds five
more miles to the total. After leaving the
Aqueduct bridge the rider turns to the
right and takes the first ride, the electric
cars running on the road for short Dis
lance
Via BallstOn Cross Roads.
A second route is via Ballston Cross
Roads, the distance being almost the same
distance is about as follows: Treasury to
Aqueduct bridge, two miles; to Ballston
three miles; to Torristown, one mile; to
Annandale, five and half miles; to Fair
fax, seven miles; total, eighteen and a
half miles.
To get the Balston road turn to the
right Is made at the second intersection on
the Arlington road a short distance from
the Free bridge. The entrance to this road
is promising. after
reaching the brow of the first hill the road
will be found in fair condition. 1t is billy,
though, and there are two especially bad
climbs before Ballston is reached. The con-
ditiCn of the roads is very similar to those
described in the first route. At Annandale
the Alexandria and Leesburg pike is taken,
leading straight into Fairfax. This is the
longest straight road in this vicinity, and is
generally in fair condition, and always rida-
BILE.
Via Long Bridge.
The third ridable route is via the Long
bridge the distance by intervals being ap-
proximately as follows: From treasury to
Long bridge, one mile; to Arlington, one
and one-half miles; to Arlington station.
three and one-half miles; to Bailey's cross
roads, one mile; to Annandale, four and a
half miles; to Fairfax, seven miles. Total,
eighteen miles. This route Is the wet
weather route from the fact that it is bet
ter riding than any of the other ways in a
rain, and the local wheelmen generally
take 1t for home when caught in rain.
The route up to Bailey's cross roads Is a
mixture of sand and clay, with the appear
ance of gravel now and then. Up to the
Alexandra and Leesburg pike the riding is
hilly. The worst part of the ride, SO far as
the hills are concerned, Is from jackson
City to Arlington station, and after that it
Is comparati lively level. Some riders, on the
return trip, take this route and continue
down the pike to Alexandria. and then ride
home by the road which borders the railroad
track From Alexandra to Fairfax 1t is
fourteen miles, and from Alexandria to
Washington about eight miles, making
twenty-five miles for the return.
For those who desire the route via Chain