Disclaimer: This recap of our 44-Mile Loudoun Meander contains affiliate links…
First Ride with a New Group
The thing I’m learning about cycling is that in our area every weekend there are dozens of rides to choose from depending on the distance, speed, and type of ride that tickles my fancy. I recently joined the Prince William Cycling Club after my friend Amy mentioned that she planned to go with on their Saturday ride around Loudoun County. Their club alone has a variety of rides each week from which to choose.
This particular ride was enticing to me because it was in western Loudoun, away from the parkways and boulevards that have recently made up my weekend riding routes. Advertised as a no drop ride for intermediates with an average speed of 13-15 MPH this sounded like a nice and relaxing ride.
It was 45° and nippy when we rolled from the Maverick Bikes & Café parking lot shortly after 8:30 AM. As our ride progressed, the temperature climbed into the low 60’s giving us the perfect cool and crisp fall day. Our relaxing loop around Loudoun County started on the W&OD Trail taking us to the trail’s terminus in Purcellville for our first stop. Once back on the saddle, we turned onto small town streets and country roads riding past wineries, beautiful fields, stables, and even an alpaca farm.
Ride Overview
- • Ride Name: 44-Mile Loudoun Meander
- • Location: Loudoun County, Virginia
- • Start/Finish: Maverick Bikes & Café, Leesburg, VA
- • Course Type: loop
- • Course Surface: paved
- • Bike: Specialized Roubaix Comp
- • Distance: 44 miles
- • Time: 3:04:34
- • Average Speed: 14.3 MPH
- • Elevation Gain: 2,218 feet
- • Elevation Range: 285 to 598 feet
- • Temperature Range: 45° to 63°
- • 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 shot video along the way. The following photos are a combination of still frames taken from the video and pictures I took with my phone while stopped.
Almost ready to roll…
Friends Amy and Lauren holding up my bike…
Rolling along the W&OD Trail in Leesburg…
Riding on one of my favorite sections of the trail…
First stop in Purcellville…
Photo credit: Orange Pinarello
Cyclists blocking a view of the LOVE sign…
Photo credit: Orange Pinarello
Out in the country…
This bee bounced off my GoPro rather than stinging me!
Topping a small climb…
Corn fields and white fences…
A lovely old stacked rock fence with a more effective wooden fence to keep farm animals from escaping…
Our leader had arranged for someone to be waiting for us with water refills at our second stop…
Rolling out of our second stop…
Hardly a car to be found…
An impromptu stop while waiting for us slower folks…
Rolling along familiar territory as we rolled back toward Purcellville…
Back on the W&OD Trail for a bit…
Opting to bypass part of the trail by taking Dry Mill Road back into Leesburg…
We rolled back into the parking lot just shy of 44 miles so I did a couple a loops to finish my ride on an even number… of course I did. I finished with an average speed of 14.3 MPH.
Back home after a fun morning with new cycling friends…
Garmin Stats
Post-ride Garmin (affiliate link) picture…
Garmin map and graphs…
Final Thoughts on the Ride
It was great to get back out into western Loudoun County after a few weeks of riding in the more suburban eastern part of the county. I loved meeting a whole new set of friends and imagine that I’ll be joining the group on a few more rides. This ride was both relaxing and peaceful, and the name Loudoun Meander fit it perfectly!
Questions:
- • Runners, you know you can’t stop your Garmin until you get to an even number, would you do the same when biking?
- • Do you stick with the same running/cycling friends or do you bounce around depending on the course?
- • Where’s the prettiest place you’ve run or biked? ~ The views of the Pacific Ocean when running the Big Sur Marathon were spectacular!
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.
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