“The Washington Metro (or simply Metro), formally the Metrorail, is a rapid transit system serving the Washington metropolitan area of the United States. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which also operates the Metrobus and Metrorail services under the Metro name. Opened in 1976, the network now includes six lines, 97 stations, and 129 miles (208 km) of route. The system’s most recent expansion, serving Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County, Virginia, opened on November 15, 2022.” – https://wikipedia.org
“Loudoun County is home to Virginia’s largest network of rural roads. Many of these miles of byways pre-date America, carved out of Virginia’s hilly terrain by early settlers who helped shape our nation and build our prosperous communities.” – https://americasroutes.com
JOM of the Gravel Cyclist crew is no stranger to the roads of Loudoun County, Virginia. He first rode these historic roads in 2010, long before they gained popularity and conservation efforts to keep them intact. In this video, JOM is joined by The Lady Gravel Cyclist, for a trip aboard the D.C. Metro on the Silver Line, from the eastern-most start point at Largo Town Center, Maryland, for a journey all the way to the new and final stop on the Silver Line, Ashburn, Virginia (Loudoun County).
Following the Metro trip, JOM and LGC ride a loop route of their own design from Ashburn Metro Station. Note, JOM’s route isn’t the best and a variant is available linked below, but please see the additional links below for several mixed-surface routes kindly provided by our local friends in Loudoun County, the VeloPigs (https://velopigs.org) that start and end at Ashburn Metro Station.
Continued from Above:
“We believe these roads, and the stories they tell, are worth preserving. They tell of pioneers seeking a new life, of terrible wars fought along these roads, of slavery and the struggle for freedom, of the coming of the era of the automobile and now modern commuters living side by side with farmers. They are truly America’s Routes.”
“These old roads provide a unique and beautiful experience to Loudoun’s rural residents and to the thousands of visitors who come to enjoy our spectacular and authentic rural landscape.”
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:52 Buying Metro Tickets
1:20 Boarding the Metro
2:04 Arrival at Ashburn Metro Station
2:39 Ashburn Metro Station
3:03 Riding to Loudoun County Gravel
4:13 Gravel Cycling Fun Begins
11:33 Return to Ashburn Metro Station
12:17 Closing
12:39 Madness
13:02 Bonus Metro Scenes
Route Links (starting from Ashburn, Virginia Metro Station):
Waterford Lollipop (design by VeloPigs) – https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41477213
Old Waterford 45 (design by VeloPigs) – https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41477234
Ashburn 35 (design by VeloPigs) – https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41477347
Ashburn 50 (design by VeloPigs) – https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41477330
GCX Ashburn Original (variant of JOM’s route in this video – not necessarily recommended to some potentially busy paved roads) – https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41477500
Additional Route Links in / near Loudoun County, Virginia:
Leesburg VA Gravel Funfest – https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34714993
Haymarket VA Gravel Ramble – https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34768982
Middleburg VA Gravel Exploro – https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34816270
Links of Interest:
Metro Silver Line Extension – https://wmata.com/silverline
VeloPigs Beer & Social Club – https://velopigs.org
Visit Loudoun – https://www.visitloudoun.org
Americas Routes – https://americasroutes.com
Virginia VDOT Unpaved Roads – https://www.virginiaroads.org/datasets/29909c3183a64b08ba896cdd5885ec74_0/explore?location=37.951681%2C-79.499781%2C7.57
All-New 2023 Trek Domane: Gravel Bike AND Endurance Road? (JOM’s bike in this video) – https://www.gravelcyclist.com/videos/all-new-2023-trek-domane-gravel-bike-and-endurance-road/
Tailwind Nutrition (JOM’s choice of on-the-bike hydration) – https://bit.ly/3eVogDT
Champion System (JOM’s clothing) – https://champsys.com
DeFeet Cycling Sock (JOM’s accessories) – https://defeet.com
Gravel Cyclist’s Route Library – https://www.gravelcyclist.com/gravel-cycling-routes/
Amazon Affiliation Link:
No cost to you, but every purchase made helps keep Gravel Cyclist up and running! – https://www.amazon.com/?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=gravelcyclist-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=6b862b6af640d29360e2af2a5f17ddc6&camp=1789&creative=9325
Web: http://GravelCyclist.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/GravelCyclist
Instagram – http://Instagram.com/GravelCyclist
Twitter – http://twitter.com/GravelCyclist
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