[seunpu]

W&OD west of Herndon is in rough shape. Some plowed sections but most of the trail is still snow covered and not rideable

Heading west from Clairborne

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Heading west from Smiths Switch

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Heading East from Smith Switch

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[seunpu]

Just start striking up conversations with others riding the same direction your riding. They are more likely to have a similar routine which makes future rides easier to join. Many cyclist are creatures of habit. Everyday I see the same people at the same place and at the same time. Once you notice the patterns, it’s easy to build connections that make riding even more fun and motivating

[seunpu]

The W&OD is wide open all the way to Purcellville without any real issues. The construction at Route 7/Route 9 interchange has not re-routed the path yet. I’ve been waiting for them to punch through the berm to see the new tunnel that is being constructed. It’s a great ride out and back but remember it get more crowded later in the morning.

[seunpu]

We have a group of 4-5 that has FMCC at Green Lizard every Friday. We ride in from Leesburg and arrive at about 7:45 AM. We usually stay for an hour. This Friday it might only be me and few others since for some it’s a holiday.

[seunpu]

Trail was plowed and great from Reston to Smiths Switch. It was packed snow (wet on the way back). All plowing stopped after at Smiths Swith (which is right before the park equipment building). It pretty impossible after this point even with studs It’s just too slow. I looped over the W&OD west of Ashburn and it still was a mess. I might check again in the morning to see how far I can get out since this my normal weekday ride.

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[seunpu]

Reston to Leesburg on the W&OD is 60% clear. Still a lot of packed snow and hard (sometimes rutted) ice. It’s ridable with studs. The worst sections are between Wiehle and Old Reston, just east of Smiths Switch and east of Catoctin Circle (after the underpass).

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[seunpu]

Chris,

60 pounds of weight is some major body change. Good for you! This might be simple but are you getting enough restful sleep? I naturally get up early but that means I have to turn everything off early the night before. How you feel tomorrow is often determined by the rest you get the day/night before. Perhaps if you look at your natural sleep patterns and guard against watching night TV or web browsing, you might find some new pep in your rides. Riding with someone faster than you is also a big help. Lastly, it takes time for your body to adapt. Be patient. You’ve made great progress. Be proud of that and keep it up.

Steve

[seunpu]

@TwoWheelsDC 80406 wrote:

You’d probably have to check with the event organizers and send them an email. However, FWIW, that location seems okay to me and I’m guessing that the BTWD folks are simply doing the best they can with the options available to them. The location you mention is pretty darn close to the trail (500 feet) and there’s a decently wide sidewalk, so riders won’t need to use the road. Sure, it’s not as good as if it were right on the trail, but Reston Town Center doesn’t seem to be any better in that regard, since it requires riders to leave the trail and ride on roads. Also, I wouldn’t say “all” the other stops are on the trails. I would actually say stops on the trails are the exception and not the rule, since the trails only run through a limited number of areas. All that’s not to say you’re question is not legitimate, but it’s also important to recognize that BTWD is a huge undertaking and it’s going to involve some compromises, particularly since so many variables are completely out of the BTWD staff’s control.

If they have moved up the stop to be a street up from the trail it’s not a great safe option. I park every day in the Pizza Hut/McDonalds parking lot for my daily morning ride. Makes more sense to have it on the trail but they must want to promote the new Metro stop. Both Sunset Hills and Wiehle are a rough and dangerous crossings most of the day. This could be a disaster.

[seunpu]

@oldbikechick 80300 wrote:

Did my last commute today for awhile, since I’ll be taking a hiatus from work. It felt weird to unhook my bike lock from the hitching post for the last time. I’ll now enter the brave new world of recreational cycling (and pre-school drop off). Will I be able to motivate myself when it’s not my travel mode back and forth to work? Time will tell. I think I’ll miss my commute. But maybe it will be nice to be a fair weather cyclist for awhile.

You’ll be able to motivate yourself by thinking about it differently. I work from home but still “commute” everyday by combining both of my “to and back” rides into one early morning ride. Even though I end up where I start, I get all the benefits of getting out and riding. I can’t think of any better way to start a day. The one bonus is that you don’t have to think about the ride home (leaving, weather etc.). I wake up every morning excited to get on my bike and ride to work.

[seunpu]

W&OD from Reston to Smith’s Switch is mostly clear and dry. Very surprising. I will see if I can get to Leesburg tomorrow and post trail conditions

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[seunpu]

I heard that! Dark and cold are fine but not rain and anything below 45

[seunpu]

Here is a picture of the stairs. It looked like a ramp down until I heard Rod scream at me. I’m one lucky guy. Can’t figure out how I managed to flip down the stairs without any major injury.

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@Rod Smith 58467 wrote:

I just got an email from Steve, He sent me a link to some pictures he took and the comment “it was fun!” He’ll be alright. A 59 year old that can take a fall like that and bounce back up is one badass mofo. http://www.flickr.com/photos/96457413@N05/

It’s kind of an odd place, on a small sidewalk near a bike path that follows Oxon Run in Southeast. Between Livingston Rd. and the creek, before you get to the right turn to get on the path going north https://maps.google.com/?ll=38.825065,-77.003453&spn=0.007055,0.013089&t=m&z=17

[Author]

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