Gravel Ride of the Week: Parks & Trails Loop
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Roads, trails, single track - you name it - a gravel bike can take it! Except for the most extreme off-road riding scenarios, a gravel bike can take you just about anywhere. Simply stated, it’s the SUV of the bike world. I’ve long shown my praise for this incredibly versatile type of bike and, as such, felt that I needed to create a Gravel Ride of the Week to show off just how capable a gravel bike really is. Follow along in our latest video to see how I put mine through the test on just about every surface you can imagine. The mixed terrain mega loop includes so much! From the scenic trails through Riverbend and Great Falls Park, to neighborhood roads, to bike path gravel trails and even obstacle-laden MTB trails, this loop has a bit of everything - a sure favorite when I get to test lots of different bike skills.
Ride Breakdown:
The route kicks off at Fairfax County’s Riverbend Park along the Potomac River. This tucked away gem sits next door to the better-known Great Falls Park, part of the National Parks Service’s collection. Within these two spaces, you’ll find lots of trails to explore, but be warned that not all trails are easy going or even accessible by bike. There are certainly some trails that you’ll want to avoid (especially those better suited for MTBs), and signage along the route will also clearly point out where bikes are not allowed to ride at all.
I started my ride by following the larger fire road that connects Riverbend and Great Falls. What a treat to ride in a such a scenic location. I purposefully selected wintertime to showcase this ride, since the bare trees provide amazing flashes of sunlight breaking onto the trail. I’ve zipped along this trail on multiple occasions throughout all seasons, rewarded each time with changing scenery. Once in Great Falls Park, you’ll be able to walk your bike over (yes, the trail leading there should not be ridden) to one of the spectacular overlooks where you can see the falls that gave this place its name. I headed through this breathtaking park via the Old Carriage Trail and Ridge Trail, which lead out of the park and onto the paved section of the ride.
Next up, the route followed some carefully selected streets through the neighborhoods to avoid the busier roads that you often find in a metro area like Fairfax County. Eventually, the route wound its way past all the exclusive houses and connected up with the W&OD bike path. If you’ve followed some of the other Gravel Ride of the Week videos on our blog carefully, then you might have spotted this trail in the DIY Rooted Vermont, Waterford and W&OD + C&O Canal Trails Extravaganza videos. For this ride along the W&OD, I opted to stick to the side-trail that offers a far greater challenge as it traverses the rockier gravel surface next to the paved footpath. You’ll certainly want to be running some tubeless tires at low pressure along this stretch.
Speaking of tires...I recently changed up my bike setup to include a set of Mason x Hunt 650b wheels and Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M 50mm tires. I’m in the process of reviewing these items and will surely put out my full review of both in the near future. Be on the look out for that if you want more info about either. The new setup did come in super handy on the next section of the ride as I turned off the W&OD side trails and into the MTB trail playground that you find within the Lake Fairfax Park. Here you find a rich network of trails that the mountain bikers have built out with all kinds of awesome ramps and banked turns. This place offers a fun way to test out your bike handing skills, but be sure that you are comfortable on more technical terrain before you attempt this course for yourself. The added comfort and stability that I got from the wider tires (set to lower pressures) certainly enhanced the riding experience throughout this section.
On the other side of Lake Fairfax, you’ll find one more stretch of single track that can really test your bike skills and your equipment as you hop over tree roots and pointy rocks. It’s surely a challenging section on a gravel bike, but at the same time, very rewarding if you manage to get it right. This short, yet intense, segment will take you back into the town of Great Falls for one more spin along the roads on the way back to the start. Be warned that Walker Road, which leads straight into Great Falls, can be fairly busy and hazardous at times. It’s definitely one of those roads that should be timed to avoid rush hour.
If you feel the need for a late pitstop during this ride, then be sure to check out the Old Brogue Irish Pub and Katie’s Coffee shop in the Great Falls Village Center. Both the pub and coffee shop operate out of the same location. So, whether you’re after beer or coffee at the end of the ride, you can find either at the same place...pretty neat! They also have a great outdoor seating area, so you can keep an eye on your bike.
The last part of the ride follows the roads through Great Falls down to the park. You’ll be treated to the views from the beautiful horse farms in the area, as you make your way down to the parks and back to the starting point yet again. The drop back down to the river edge does hold one last downhill challenge, so make sure your brakes are in good working order and you should be all good. The full distance for this ride came in at around 26miles (42 km) and should you ever want to test it out for yourself, then be sure to grab the route from my link below and tag @mtnroadride on your Instagram post from the adventure!
Wrap-Up:
All-in-all, this is one seriously entertaining route to follow. The constantly changing terrain and scenery will make the time fly by and all the technical sections along the route will test your bike skills on so many different levels. This is one of those “everything, but the kitchen sink” kind of rides that makes an afternoon of riding feel like a full bike trip. These are the types of rides that make owning a gravel bike so incredibly rewarding. Whatever crazy route you think of - you can do. Long live the gravel bike!
What are some interesting places you’ve taken your gravel bike lately?
-Wiehan
