Section of the Custis Trail between a bridge over Lee Highway and the curve past an underpass of I-66 in the Lyon Village shopping center in Arlington, VA.
Originally referred to as "S Curve of Death" and sometimes called the "Custis Corkscrew," the name "Corkscrew of Death" has the most common usage in the forum community.
It is noted as a dangerous part of the trail and has been the site of multiple crashes because of the following:
- blind entry onto the trail from North Irving Street
- 2 consecutive downhill hairpin turns
- blind curve just east of the underpass of I-66
- no bailout area (the trail is walled in by fences, concrete walls, and chain-link fencing)
- leaves/debris on the trail
- slick surfaces from any wet or icy weather
Reference[]
A corkscrew is a tool for pulling corks out of bottles/containers. While the Corkscrew of Death is not in a true corkscrew (helix) shape, the downward/upward curve between each end does somewhat resemble a corkscrew. The "Death" part is hyperbole.
Location[]
Corkscrew of Death can be found here: https://goo.gl/maps/iNYx13uc9uy
Forum Introduction[]
- (first use of "Corkscrew of Death") My Morning Commute http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?p=37685#post37685
- (first use of "S Curve of Death") e-Bikes - Let's talk http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?p=4925#post4925
- (first use of "Custis Corkscrew") Missed connection http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?p=66405#post66405
Links[]
- "Corkscrew" - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corkscrew