W&OD trail | Ben Collins Outdoors

30 September 2023

Bike / 141.7 miles / 3,265 ft ascent / 11 hrs 05 min moving / 12 hrs 54 min elapsed

Feeling vaguely fit after the recent Gran Fondo ride, I wanted to tick off another big ride before the end of the summer.

I’ve ridden a similar loop to this one twice before, although starting from DC both times and turning around at Point of Rocks rather than Harpers Ferry (first time was a 2-day tour, second time as a 130+ mile single day).

I left early, but not alpine-start early now that the heat was back to normal levels instead of head-meltingly hot. As I rode the C&O canal into DC, I thought there was no way I could complete the full distance. I just didn’t feel that good. But I reminded myself that it often feels like this on longer rides, you just gotta ride into it. Sure enough, as I got further into the ride I actually felt better. Miles 20 – 40 were some of the hardest of the whole ride.

At Brunswick 7.30am. Feeling ok, but honestly feeling like I had no idea how I was going to ride 140 miles that day. The only thing you can do is ride to the next checkpoint, then keep going and pick off the next one. Repeat until you get to the end of the ride. Simple, really.

Point of Rocks bridge in the morning light

My trusty Cannondale Caadx, still going strong after 10 years. A perfect bike for this kind of mixed surface riding.

Potomac River Gorge, from Mary’s Wall in Great Falls Park

Enjoying the serenity for a few seconds. Great Falls is always crowded on the weekend.

I had a great cake and coffee stop in Georgetown, DC, at High Road Cycling cafe. I was envious of the cyclists who get to ride from there and hang out there. But 5 minutes later, when I was dealing with the DC traffic, I realized that it’s a perk I’m willing to sacrifice to live out in the countryside where the riding is 🤌

Coffee and cake in Georgetown at the excellent High Road Cycling cafe

The section through DC on the Mount Vernon trail was pure madness on this Saturday lunchtime. Bikes and people flying in every direction, strollers meandering aimlessly through bike lanes, people stepping out to take selfies, etc., etc. You gotta keep your wits about you!

It quietened down when I turned on to the Four Mile run trail and then the W&OD.

Rosslyn skyline from the DC side of the Potomac River. Lots of memories from living here.

The Washington Monument from the Mount Vernon trail. Very busy on a Saturday afternoon.

From the Mount Vernon trail, I jumped across to the much quieter Four Mile Run trail, which follows the Four Mile Run creek. It’s surprisingly wild amongst the dense suburbia on each side. I love these kinds of trails that snake through dense urban areas, which I think stems from when I lived in London and used to explore the canals of East London.

I really enjoyed riding the W&OD again, such a great trail. It gets better as you get further out, with fewer road intersections and fewer people. I rode slowly to ensure I had enough energy to make it home. Didn’t want to collapse into a heap on the side of the road somewhere and have to call for a pick up.

The half-way point and feeling somewhat relieved to have made it this far. 70 miles down, 70 to go!

The W&OD trail is a fantastic trail through the super busy NoVA area.

Miles and miles of this. Very scenic, if you can look past the powerlines. It felt interminable though, with the mile markers passing very slowly.

Plenty of history along the route, although I just kept cycling and snapped this pic as I went past. Someday I’ll learn to slow down and take it all in 😉

Smiths Switch Station, where I refilled with water

Between Leesburg and Purcellville, the trail is very pretty.

One of the hardest aspects of these longer rides is taking on enough calories. After a while, all the energy bars and electrolyte drinks become unpalatable. Time to go back to basics with a ham and cheese bagel!

At the end of the W&OD, I had 20 miles of backroads to reach the C&O again. I didn’t know what to expect, I was mostly just hoping that the traffic was light. And gladly, it was! The roads were fantastic for riding (if you like gravel) and, apart from a few mega bumpy washouts, were in good shape. Plus, the evening light was divine so that was a nice bonus.

From Purcellville I had ~25 miles to get home, mostly on super quiet back roads, most of which were gravel.

Beautiful evening for a ride and still feeling quite chipper after 110 miles

The scenery and evening light were sublime, making for really fun miles.

Cruising along the gravel roads and enjoying the views

I raced to Brunswick to see if I could catch the sunset from a vantage point by the river, but this train crossing thwarted me. I was stuck here for 5 minutes. When I reached the canal again, I raced to find a break in the trees to see the sunset but I was slightly too late. C’est la vie!