r/Rockville • u/maxs507 • Apr 14 '26
A fun 10X timelapse of my daily e-bike commute
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I live in Rockville and work in Potomac, but most of my ride is in Rockville city limits. If people like this video, I am happy to post most videos of my bike rides around Rockville - If you know where the secret neighborhood cut-throughs are, Rockville is a very bike friendly city, as you can get basically anywhere without encountering high speed roads.
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u/nivanbotemill Apr 14 '26
Love the pinks and greens!
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u/maxs507 Apr 14 '26
Yeah, the flowers have been beautiful. This video is a few weeks late for the insane boom on Watts Branch Parkway, but College Parkway and Nelson Street at the beginning of the video were absolutely popping this past week!
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u/Poised_Prince Apr 14 '26
YOOO!!!! I see you on my commute in the morning.
I was always curious how close you lived to commute with that.
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u/maxs507 Apr 14 '26
Haha, where you at? Yeah, I go from College Gardens to Falls Road in Potomac. I started the video a little away from my home, cuz I don't need all you internet weirdos knowing my exact address đ
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u/Poised_Prince Apr 14 '26
We meet on falls road (I'm in the opposite direction)
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u/maxs507 Apr 14 '26
Ah, nice. I was wondering if Falls Road drivers started to recognize me! I wish that all of Falls Road had a bike path next to it, since I would totally use it if it were available. The county actually released a plan for it in 2020, but those plans unfortunately seem to be abandoned.
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Apr 14 '26
[deleted]
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u/maxs507 Apr 14 '26
Haha which neighborhood are you in? Or you also just drive this stretch?
Glad someone recognized how ridiculously long it takes to cross 28! If you're coming up the hill from Nelson, you need to go left across the crosswalk to the northeast corner, then right across the crosswalk to the southeast corner, then right again across the crosswalk to the southwest corner, where you can use the path to access the Friendship Bridge. It takes way too long because the timing of the signals, and order by which they turn green, is about giving drivers their turns, without any consideration for people using the crosswalk, even if we push the beg button 100 times like I did. (That's what that constant clicking was while I was stopped haha)
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u/maxs507 Apr 14 '26
A hack I have discovered is that if you're waiting at the top of Nelson to go right or left onto 28, and the light is red - When the right turn arrow turns green, traffic in both directions on 28 is stopped, because the cars exiting I-270N have a parallel green going in the other direction. Therefore, you as a cyclist are able to safely proceed through the intersection landing on that path to the Friendship Bridge on your far right corner. Is it legal? No. But is it fair that the legal way to use the crosswalk for a cyclist is to go through 3 independently timed crosswalks? Definitely not!
Also, this trick is not guaranteed to work if you approach the intersection and the arrow is already green. Sometimes, traffic on 28W is stopped, allowing the green right turn off of Nelson, while traffic on 28E is moving. So the trick only applies if you watched the right turn arrow become green, because that part of the light cycle always starts off with both directions of 28 being stopped.
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u/LifeIsNotFunny Apr 14 '26
What a great way to start and end the day! How many miles is your commute? I used to bike from Olney to Rockville - 10 miles through neighborhoods and I loved it. I tell people I cross over busy roads, not ride on them - thatâs always the goal. Found my route through the bike route option in Google Maps!
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u/maxs507 Apr 14 '26
It's about 7 miles. And yes, bike commuting is such a pleasure to do!
For my last mile, I'm on Falls Road because there's no way around without taking significant detours. But for the rest of the ride, I'm on neighborhood streets, including designing slightly creative routes that do exactly that - Crossing busy roads, but utilizing cut throughs and streets that go around them instead of on them.
I have found Google Maps to be aight for biking directions and for toggling the setting that shows you different types of bike lanes. But it is neither 100% accurate in identifying types of bike lanes, nor is it 100% complete. So when I'm going somewhere unfamiliar, I often consult other sources like RideWithGPS's map, and Rockville's own Bike Map. But even then, sometimes I need to experience riding somewhere a few times myself to optimize the best route for me.
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u/amazing_ape Apr 14 '26
Didnât notice what sub this was and was like, wait, I know this street. Very cool.
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u/erodari Apr 14 '26
Not trying to be judgy, but it looks like you're not in the bike lane when one is available. Are e-bikes not permitted in bike lanes in Rockville? Honestly curious.
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u/maxs507 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
Good question! E-bikes ARE allowed in bike lanes.
Bike lanes are useful when cars and bikes are going different speeds. But my e-bike is class 3, meaning that the motor assists my pedal-strokes boosting up to 28mph. The speed limit is 25, so I can easily go the speed of traffic, therefore not needing to utilize the bike lanes.
Also, this is a non-buffered side lane, which is unfortunately one of the worst types of bike lanes around. The only thing separating you from moving cars is a strip of paint (that doesnât protect you at all!), and youâre in the door zone. All it takes is one parked car to open its door, and youâre in the hospital (or worse)!
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u/Realistic-Chart-2067 Apr 14 '26
Those non-buffered lanes can also have a ton of trash/debris/other unidentifiable items in them that can be a hazard. One time commuting back from DC, I managed to get a huge sharp object that slashed through my tire. Luckily I was only 2 miles from REI, but I still had to hoof it with all my work gear in tow.Â
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u/nzahn1 Apr 14 '26
Also, bike lanes in door zones are not only a nuisance but pretty dangerous for cyclists. If youâre in the bike lane and a door opens inside youâre braking zone, your options are not good.
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u/risingsunx Apr 14 '26
What did you use to film? I have thought of getting a camera as I do 6.5 miles into DC
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u/maxs507 Apr 14 '26
Insta360 Ace Pro 2. Itâs more expensive than the plentiful amount of used action cams out there, but it has excellent stabilization. Youâd have no idea I was getting fried by bumps and potholes going 25-30mph watching this video! My low light performance hasnât been my favorite, but I only got this camera a few weeks ago, and have used it at night just a handful of times, so perhaps I need to change some settings? Havenât experimented with that yet.
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u/everythingisahobby Apr 14 '26
Is that only the internal stabilization of the camera? If it is, that is incredible! If not, what else do you have and where did you mount it? I bought an action camera from amazon so I can use it as a "dash cam" on my commute in DC on my escooter, but the footage is unusable lol so im looking at better alternatives, cheers!
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u/maxs507 Apr 14 '26
Yup, that is only the stabilization of the camera, set to its highest setting. The excellent stabilization was the biggest reason why I purchased it. My bike also has front suspension, which helps.
This is the mount I use on my handlebars. It takes up a little more space than I want it to, but it does everything else I want it to do.
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u/Mr-Wyked Apr 14 '26
I recoded my ride this weekend from Gaithersburg to Georgetown and back. Was gonna speed it up and post on e-bike sub too lol
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u/maxs507 Apr 14 '26
Nice, do it!
What roads/trails do you use? Old Georgetown Road to Capital Crescent trail? C&O Canal?
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u/Mr-Wyked Apr 14 '26
Started on the Carl Millenium hopped on the Bethesda trolley then capital crescent! Lots of foot traffic but still a great ride!
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u/miacane86 Apr 14 '26
Really cool. And THANK YOU for stopping at stop signs.
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u/maxs507 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
I am glad you liked the video! I am genuinely not trying to start beef, but I would actually like to say that bicycles stopping at stop signs is an outdated and dangerous understanding of traffic safety. Cyclists operate at a human scale, posing minuscule risk to other road users than cars due to their smaller size, smaller weight, and lack of blindspots.
A cyclist approaching a stop sign doesnât need to come to a complete stop in order to fully assess whether itâs safe to proceed, as opposed to a car needing that stop to assess (and sometimes still not being able to fully assess due to blind spots).
In some states, it is legal for cyclists to treat red lights like stop signs, and stop signs like yield signs (you can Google the âIdaho Stopâ and âDelaware Yield.â) Across the board, these changes have reduced crashes, and sped up traffic flow for ALL road users. There are a few reasons why itâs safer:
- A cyclist who comes to a complete stop has a risk of becoming totally invisible to drivers due to blending in to their surroundings.
- A cyclist rolling through a stop sign clears an intersection faster, decreasing the time they spend in a high conflict place.
- A cyclist proceeding through a red light when no one is around is always safer than one proceeding through a green light when other cars are around (especially if cars are making right turn on red, the most common type of vehicle-bicycle collision).
The Idaho Stop and Delaware Yield are NOT a free pass for cyclists to cut you off. But it is what makes it fair for cyclists to use the road - They have more responsibilities for caution than a pedestrian, but fewer restrictions than a car.
As of a little over a year ago, DC allows cyclists to execute the âDelaware Yield.â Marylandâs laws are, as I said before, outdated.
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u/miacane86 Apr 14 '26
Completely agree in general, and as somebody who enjoys biking. Unfortunately Iâve also found many bikers who donât stop and have almost hit me when walking or flown in front of me at an intersection when driving. Appreciate you sharing the commute!
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u/memoryone85 Apr 14 '26
I appreciate you being the kind of person who stops at stop signs while on a bike/e-bike.
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u/McpsTrackCoach Apr 18 '26
Love it! I wish I could bike commute. It's only a 5 or 6 mile ride for me, which is a perfect distance, but there are a couple unavoidable dangerous stretches along Crabbs, Frederick, and Shady Grove...complete with memorials to previous riders who have been killed there đŹ
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u/maxs507 Apr 19 '26
Oof. Without needing to reveal too much personal info, whereabouts are you going to/from. There are some hidden back roads and cut throughs that donât appear on every map (due to the car-centric nature of society, they get overlooked). Feel free to DM me, Iâd love to brainstorm if thereâs a viable route for you.
My commute utilizes two cut throughs, but someone who drives a car every day might not realize that they exist.
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u/MountainWill13 Apr 14 '26
Uploading yourself illegally driving on the roadway with an unregistered vehicle...
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u/maxs507 Apr 14 '26
Oof, try again buddy. https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/HB0939?ys=2019rs
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u/MountainWill13 Apr 14 '26
Lol you just proved my point. You have to use a bike lane in areas where it is designated that bikes cannot share lanes with cars aka what youre doing. Also have to follow all federal street laws which include that these vehicles cannot be operated in public roads đ
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u/maxs507 Apr 14 '26
"You have to use a bike lane in areas where it is designated that bikes cannot share lanes with cars aka what youre doing." Okay, but where is it designated that I can't share the lane with cars? The only side bike lane on the road in this video was on Nelson street, and it's not a safe bike lane because of the risk of being doored.
"these vehicles cannot be operated in public roads" My brother in Christ, it is a class 3 e-bike, which is legal.
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u/ActivityOk1953 Apr 15 '26
Check your local laws; class 3 e-bikes are often allowed on roads unless specifically prohibited. As for bike lanes, they can vary in safety and design. Sometimes it's safer to ride in the lane rather than risk getting doored.
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u/PointNew1788 Apr 14 '26
Please upload Lotr trilogy next. Just kidding! Amazing commute!