Nick Carraway

OK, everyone out in NOVA/DC/MD land: Anyone doing this ride? Anyone done it in past years and have comments/opinions on it?

Thanks much.

va_cyclist

Is there a website with info on this?

Nick Carraway

https://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1211389

Or, you can go to the Reston Bike Club's site:

https://www.restonbikeclub.org/

cc_rider

Planning to be there. It's one of my regular events.

Ridden the metric century the last two years. Was planning to try the 100 miles, but I've had a 3 week cycling layoff and won't be ready this time. 100km again.

Based on my past experience, it's a fun ride. Great support. Mix of suburban (Reston, Herndon, Leesburg) and rural with a little bit of W&OD trail. The half metric is flat and easy. The metric and century get pretty hill, especially past Leesburg. Both go up Hog Back Mountain and the century also goes up Bald Mountain.

Start as you are signed in and ready. Suggest as early a start as possible (7:00 am to 7:30) because it can get HOT and the hills of Loudon can be brutal. Several heat strokes last year. If the longer ride is too much, it is handy to have the W&OD to bail out early.

KevinF

I did it probably about 9 or 10 years ago (back when I actually lived in NOVA). Assuming the route is basically the same (from the links provided it sounds like it is), then it's a nice enough ride. I remember a bunch of miles on the W&OD trail to get you in and out of the Reston area. So the beginning / ending parts of the ride are flat, although needless to say, the W&OD is going to be interesting in the mid afternoon as you're getting back.

Once you get into the Lovettsville / Purceillville / Round Hill area, terrain can range from rolling to downright hilly. The further west you go, the hillier it's going to get. That said, those towns are a good ways from Reston, so they can't keep you out in the hills for very long before you have to start coming back.

KevinF

Whereabouts are Hogback and Bald mountains? I'd probably recognize them immediately if I started riding up them, but their names don't ring any bells.

tribe3

Interesting! It could be my first group ride. I will go with the metric though since my longest ride yet was 35 miles and my usual ride is 25.

Thanks for the heads-up

Pablo

cc_rider

Hog Back is just west of Leesburg, Woodburn Road between Dry Mill and Harmony Church. It's a "healthy" climb.
I've never been up Bald Mt, but I think it's somewhere on the ridge between Lucketts and Waterford.