Good Places to Launch or Lunch or Start or Stop

[acc]

Earlier, I wrote about the Vienna Community Center (VCC) on an unrelated topic but it occurred to me that we have not discussed good places to launch a ride (or take a break).

Vienna Community Center: 120 Cherry Street SE, Vienna, VA 22180
It is located near I-495, Route 66 and Route 7 near Tysons Corner. It has plenty of free parking and is adjacent to the W&O Trail. During operating hours, the recreation center is open and has bathrooms, cold water fountains, and vending machines. During the winter you can step inside the lobby to warm up and in the summer you can cool off. There is a gazebo and benches and plenty of mature shade trees. Whole Foods is within 200 yards and Spokes is located on Maple Avenue just blocks away. A local establishment of renown, the Vienna Inn, famous for hot dogs, chili dogs, cheese fries and possibly beer is also on Maple Avenue and within a few blocks of the community center.

Best wishes,
Ann

Topic

[Dirt]

Potomac Pedalers has an extensive catalog of ride starts. They just updated their web site to make it available to members only for the really good parts. It is a great opportunity to join PP.

http://www.potomacpedalers.org/

Their collection of cue sheets are AMAZING!!!!

As for my favorite launching points, I tend to use Loudoun County High School in Leesburg, Germantown Soccerplex, Gainsville Elementary School, etc.

[CCrew]

Partlows/Carolina Bros barbecue in Ashburn …

http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/misc-locations/partlows-market,1077258.html

[Tim Kelley]

@CCrew 3812 wrote:

Partlows/Carolina Bros barbecue in Ashburn …

http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/misc-locations/partlows-market,1077258.html

+1 for this!

Although some may find it’s a bit too heavy for them, I think it makes for a great lunch in the middle of a 50 miler if you’re coming from the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor.

[eminva]

During the week I usually ride the W&OD and Custis Trails from Vienna in to DC. Eleven days ago, I took a Friday off and rode the other direction out to Leesburg. I took money, water bottle and a few snacks. I was able to find frequent enough fountains to keep my water bottle full and there were adequate facilities if not actual restrooms (there is a Porta-Pottie for trail users at Smith Switch in Ashburn). I didn’t have to spend any money on bottled water or food. It was a really pleasant ride and saw lots of flora and fauna. I would go miles without seeing another trail user. Would highly recommend this route/day of week/time of day to frustrated roadies who are fed up with having to pass so many kids with training wheels/dog walkers/slow commuters on their usual training routes along the more congested parts of the trail.

From my house, it was about 10 miles exactly to the center of Herndon. That looks like a nice place to stop for lunch and sight seeing. Lots to do right by the trail. Don’t know about facilities because I was just passing through.

Liz

[consularrider]

On a metric century from Arlington a nice trio at the turn around in Leesburg are the Doner Bistro on N Harrison, a block north of the W&OD, with a follow on at Mom’s Apple Pie a block around the corner to the east on Rte 7 (their precut pie slices fit in a jersey pocket), and then on east to Milwaukee Frozen Custard in the Leesburg Plaza to get a scoop to eat with your pie slice. You may end up eating more calories than you burned riding, but it’s pretty darn close to replacement 1:1.

OK, and yes, the slices are packaged so no mess.

[DaveK]

@consularrider 3818 wrote:

(their precut pie slices fit in a jersey pocket)

I really hope there’s packaging involved. I won’t even get into that peanut butter and jelly sandwich I tried to assemble between two rest stops on the Back Roads Century.

[baiskeli]

Great Harvest Bread is right off the W&OD in the old part of Herndon. Good for carb-loading.

[Author]

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