[jmeg8237]

Just joined the forum, so late to the party, I know.

Agree with a previous comment — really any place before Leesburg is going to be suburban. I ride around Ashburn (since that’s where I live) and I’ve learned some of the less-traveled roads where I can ride and still feel reasonably safe. After Leesburg it gets better. I won’t ride on Belmont Ridge to save my life. I did see a large pack on there for an evening ride one time, and there’s something to be said for safety in numbers, but I won’t do it alone. There are routes you can take that don’t require riding on Belmont, though, that can take you south down towards South Riding, Aldie and down towards Manassas. For me, all are a bit crowded with cars, though.

If you do wind out at the end of the trail, there’s a very nice loop that goes from Purcellville up through Hillsboro to Lovettsville, then down to Waterford and back to the trail not far west of Leesburg. It would be a lot to bike out from Arlington, do that loop, and then bike back to Arlington, but it might be worth a drive out to get you closer to Loudoun County. There are parking areas near the trail around Ashburn and Leesburg that would allow you to do the last part of the trail as well as this loop.

Hope this helps. I’m still trying to get an idea of other routes out in that area and if I find some I’ll post them here.

John
Ashburn, VA

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