Sunrise along the W&OD

Now THAT’S a way to start off a day!

This morning I woke up EXTRA early to do a 29.5 mile bike ride along the Washington & Old Dominion Trail (a few miles were on the Custis Trail as well).

The ride started just when the sun rose and everything was just bright enough that you didn’t need a bike light. It was nice and cool outside, in the high 60s, but being mostly in the shade, it was a few degrees cooler. The cooler temperature made it easier for me to go faster, as weather conditions were ideal for me to go at my best pace.

With today being the first time I’d taken my road bike along certain parts of the W&OD that I’ve been on so many times on my mountain bike, I definitely noticed many more of the bumps that exist along the path! The noticeable loss in bike weight with my road bike also made navigating a lot smoother and faster. I barely broke a sweat for the first part!

Along the trail I saw my fair share of wildlife, including birds, a cat, dogs, chipmunks, and squirrels. Oh, and people too! Wait a minute, they’re not wildlife! Oh well.

I made my way out to Reston up to Michael Faraday Court, which is a starting point for the Colvin Run mountain bike trail, and then headed back.

With about 9 miles left, I witnessed a cyclist fall over while stopped at a road crossing. He had clip pedals, and the sight of him falling over onto his side only further increased my paranoia of clip pedals. After asking if he was okay, I mentioned to him his effect on my paranoia, which drew a response of laughter. He then explained to me that in more than 10 years of having his bike, today was the second time he’s ever fallen over!

After we bid adieu, I had to notice the fact that at every street crossing, there was always a driver or two that would slow down or stop so that people on the trail could cross, something they aren’t required to do. I thought it was a nice gesture, and I’m glad that there are drivers out there who have respect for us cyclists.

After making it back, I was impressed with the increase of my average riding speed. Normally around 10 mph on my mountain bike with slicks, my road bike average speed for today was at 13.7 mph. I will have to make myself wake up early for an even longer ride, considering how well today went.