Good places to stop on the way to Purcellville?

[Tim Kelley]

Carolina Brother BBQ in Ashburn has great food!

There are water fountains well placed along the way so you can refill bottles without much worry.

And if you’ve never been to the end of the trail, prepare to be a little disappointed when you get to Purceville. You might expect more since you did just ride all the way to the end. Instead, the trail just kind of stops and there are no banners/streamers or bands playing live music to welcome you there.

[americancyclo]

Damn! We were at least hoping for some office shredder confetti. maybe we’ll bring our own. Any decent places to eat in Purcellville, or should we just chow some bars/gel and head back to civilization?

[CCrew]

@americancyclo 5367 wrote:

Damn! We were at least hoping for some office shredder confetti. maybe we’ll bring our own. Any decent places to eat in Purcellville, or should we just chow some bars/gel and head back to civilization?

There’s a couple smaller places, including a sit down restaurant at the end of the trail, but no real places that stand out. More like a McDonalds/7-11/Grocery store kind of town.

If you’ve never ridden out that way just know that once you start the climb up Clarks Gap out of Leesburg there’s precious little between there and Purcellville. I think it’s one of the prettier parts of the trail, but certainly not if you’re looking for amenities.

Falls Church to the end and back by 1:30? You do realize that you’re talking 80 miles, much of it a slow climb on the outbound leg? Not saying it’s not doable just that you’re not letting any grass grow

Elevation profile isn’t too awfully bad though. Here’s a lot of it: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/94830958

Have a great ride!
Roger

[jcpetrson]

I have to second Carolina BBQ. It’s halfway out/home to Purcellville. Purcellville has some decent restaurants near Trails End. Magnolias is great but a little to fancy for bike shorts.

I strongly suggest that you stop at Loudoun County High School and take Dry Mill Rd to Irene and then Colonial Hwy (old Rt 7). That is a taste of riding in Loudoun Cty. Very few know the great roads and lack of traffic. The W&OD is too dangerous for 20+ mph.

Thanks for coming out to see us.

[brendan]

When doing a harper’s ferry overnight, it can be fun/refreshing to stop for fireworks pizza in leesburg on the way back…or doner bistro. Just be careful about the beer, you still have a ways to go…

Brendan

[consularrider]

@jcpetrson 5391 wrote:

I have to second Carolina BBQ. It’s halfway out/home to Purcellville. Purcellville has some decent restaurants near Trails End. Magnolias is great but a little to fancy for bike shorts.

I strongly suggest that you stop at Loudoun County High School and take Dry Mill Rd to Irene and then Colonial Hwy (old Rt 7). That is a taste of riding in Loudoun Cty. Very few know the great roads and lack of traffic. The W&OD is too dangerous for 20+ mph.

Thanks for coming out to see us.

I’ve certainly done the ride from the East Falls Church Metro in seven and a half hours to go 80 miles with food breaks with no problem. My actual ride time seems to average about five hours 15 minutes for about a 15.5 mph average. On the way out take the trail and save the road for coming back from Hamilton to Leesburg. Dry Mill Rd is a great downhill run from Clark’s Gap.

As far as food stops, I’ve eaten at Magnolias in Purcellville several times with bike groups (sitting both inside and outside), good food but it is a sitdown restaurant that takes time to get through your meal. Carolina Bros BBQ (opens at 10:30 am) in at the 27.5 mile mark in Ashburn is also great (and quick) and both of these are very convenient since they are both right on the trail. In Leesburg the Doner Bistro is just two blocks north of the trail at mile mark 34 on Harrison St and might be better timing for an early lunch, or you could go another block north and around the corner on Loudoun St (at Rte 7) to Mom’s Apple Pie and get a slice for a quick energy boost. La Lou (next to the Tally Ho theater on W Market St) is also a good place to refuel if you have time for a sit down before heading the 30 miles back to Falls Church.

[americancyclo]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I’ll post back and let everyone know how it goes.

@CCrew 5374 wrote:

Falls Church to the end and back by 1:30? You do realize that you’re talking 80 miles, much of it a slow climb on the outbound leg? Not saying it’s not doable just that you’re not letting any grass grow

Yah, i figured a 12.5 mph average would do us for the ride. Seems to hover around there whenever I do longer rides. Just need to get an early start.

@jcpetrson 5391 wrote:

I strongly suggest that you stop at Loudoun County High School and take Dry Mill Rd to Irene and then Colonial Hwy (old Rt 7). That is a taste of riding in Loudoun Cty. Very few know the great roads and lack of traffic. The W&OD is too dangerous for 20+ mph.

Thanks for coming out to see us.

I didn’t see any roads named ‘Irene’

@consularrider 5415 wrote:

On the way out take the trail and save the road for coming back from Hamilton to Leesburg. Dry Mill Rd is a great downhill run from Clark’s Gap.

So we should plan to ride a route like this?
http://bit.ly/nGB82s

[CCrew]

@americancyclo 5422 wrote:

Just need to get an early start.

I have a riding partner who’s idea of early is 11am

Definitely a nice ride. Have fun!

[JimF22003]

I gotta get more creative. I end up stopping at the BP station in Leesburg where the trail crosses Catoctin Circle

[consularrider]

“Irene Rd” is State Road 706. It starts at Hamilton Station Rd at the feed mill and the W&OD mile post is 41. Heading east from Hamilton Station you go past a nice farm, turn right on Meadowlark Dr (SR 800), then bear right on Simpson Circle before rejoining the W&OD at Charles Town Pike to cross over Rte 7. I’ve ridden Colonial (old Rte 7) from Purcellville to Leesburg a couple of times and sometimes wonder about the traffic from Purcellville to Hamilton. Enjoy your ride.

[americancyclo]

@consularrider 5484 wrote:

“Irene Rd” is State Road 706. It starts at Hamilton Station Rd at the feed mill and the W&OD mile post is 41. Heading east from Hamilton Station you go past a nice farm, turn right on Meadowlark Dr (SR 800), then bear right on Simpson Circle before rejoining the W&OD at Charles Town Pike to cross over Rte 7. I’ve ridden Colonial (old Rte 7) from Purcellville to Leesburg a couple of times and sometimes wonder about the traffic from Purcellville to Hamilton. Enjoy your ride.

Thanks for the clarification, looking forward to the ride!

[Author]

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