30-Mile Greater Ashburn Bike Tour

Disclaimer: This recap of our 30-Mile Greater Ashburn Bike Tour contains affiliate links…

Choosing Pavement over Gravel

As the weekend approached, my husband Bill and I began discussing our cycling options. He was organizing a 44-mile gravel ride and even though it wasn’t all gravel, it was a little too much for this girl who’s really getting spoiled riding mostly on paved roads. At about the same time, friends from my newly formed women’s cycling club started a text conversation about planning a ride for Saturday. Once again, Amy suggested a route to which Mary and I gave a thumbs up. 

We agreed to meet at 8 AM at the Broadlands Village Center near the Wendy’s and at 63° with a bright blue sky, it was a perfect day for a bike ride. I liked this week’s route better than last week’s even though we were on some of the same roads. Our ride took us through the country club where one of my best friends lives and I kept a watchful eye out for her out walking as we rode through. We road past a hospital, multiple medical buildings, a few shopping centers, and several planned communities, but this route kept us a little more on the outskirts of Ashburn. The traffic seemed a little lighter and that’s always a good thing!

We finished our ride with huge smiles on our faces, grateful for finding new cycling friends. We averaged 15.2 MPH and most importantly, we all felt great at the finish. Back at the parking lot, we hung out and took pictures and my bike was involved in her first accident. Read on for details…

And back to Bill’s gravel ride, they had to carry their bikes through thigh-high water in a creek at one point, so I’m glad I skipped the ride. 😉

Ride Overview

• • Ride Name: 30-Mile Greater Ashburn Bike Tour
• • Location: Loudoun County, Virginia
• • Start/Finish: Broadlands Wendy’s, 43195 Broadlands Center Plaza, Ashburn, VA
• • Course Type: loop
• • Course Surface: paved
• • Bike: Specialized Roubaix Comp
• • Distance: 30 miles (34 miles including riding to and from the start)
• • Time: 2:14:47
• • Average Speed: 15.2 MPH
• • Elevation Gain: 1,119 feet
• • Elevation Range:  135 to 440 feet
• • Temperature Range: 64° to 90° (Garmin was confused, the high of the day was 81°)
• • Ride with GPS: Link to turn-by-turn navigation cue sheet
• • Course Map:

Fun Pictures From Along the Way

With my GoPro (affiliate link) attached to the front of my bike, I was able to capture pictures along the course…

Riding through the country club…

Exiting the country club…

We saw lots of other cyclists…

This course was heavy on 4-way stop intersections…

We rode on wide open roads…

It’s a tour, not a race and there’s no shame in stopping to rest when you need to refuel!

Mary snapped this picture of me just after I texted my husband to see how his ride was going. We just happened to both be stopped at the same time.

And of course we needed a selfie to document our ride!

Nearing the finish…

After the ride we set our bikes set up for a picture and out of nowhere a puff of wind appeared and blew Lily (my bike over. She got her first scratches and her chain derailed from the front gear…

I texted my husband, “Lily was in her first accident, but I wasn’t on her. Mary put her chain back on and she’s working just fine.” Thank you, Mary!

Garmin Stats

Post-ride Garmin (affiliate link) picture…

Garmin map and graphs…

The high of the day was 81° so I have no idea where 90° came from…

Final Thoughts on the Ride

As I mentioned, I enjoyed this route much more than the course we rode the previous week. I was familiar with most of the roads and that helped in anticipating upcoming turns. I am still getting used to riding on the wider suburban roads and know that experience will bring confidence.

The weather couldn’t have been more perfect and that always makes any outdoor event better. This particular route has very little shade so cooler temps and low humidity were key in making it such an enjoyable ride.

Questions:

• • Would you have chosen gravel or pavement?
• • Do you know how to put the chain back on the gear? ~ I’ve seen it done many times, but haven’t done if myself.
• • How’s was the Labor Day weekend weather in your neck of the woods?

Disclaimer:  This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on the blue product link and then make a purchase, I will receive a small commission for referring you. You will pay no more or less for the product; however, Amazon will show their gratitude for my referral by paying me.