After cycling around Washington DC on a Jump Bike with my bestie the week before, I decided to rent another bike and explore the Washington and Old Dominion Trail.
Green Lizard Cycling is right on the trail in cute Historic Herndon (only 10 minutes drive from our hotel). They also have a coffee shop, beer and Velolabs cycling studio in addition to bike repairs and rentals.
I was helped by the owner, Dave (pictured above), and his son as I arrived ready to cycle, although I was inexperienced with the process, trail and expectations since I don’t cycle that often. Since we’ve walked on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail a few times, I knew I could expect to see a lot of more experienced cyclists and I was concerned I’d be a hindrance to them on the trail. As it turns out, everyone was really cool and considerate as well as encouraging, so I ended up having a blast.
I rented a Cannondale CX2 Hybrid for $40 for 4 hours. It included a helmet and a bike fitting to make sure I was safely ready to head out.
The Washington & Old Dominion Trail is ~45 miles connecting Washington, D.C. (Arlington,VA) to Purcellville, VA. If I wanted to encounter more people, the staff at Green Lizard Cycling recommended heading towards D.C. If not, there were restaurants and breweries heading out in the direction of Purcellville. Because I’m inexperienced on a bicycle and was nervous about other cyclists (not to mention families, walkers, joggers, pets and horses that can be found along the trail), I chose the latter.
The Washington & Old Dominion Trail is really comfortable to cycle on. It’s well-paved and nicely maintained. Experienced cyclists are out there, but they know all the right things to do and generally give notice when they’re passing and give the rest of us a wide berth even if they’re moving really fast. A few were really encouraging to me as I struggled up the small hills that can be found and tried to stay out of their way – they said I was doing great and to just keep going!
There are rest areas along the trail – both businesses and unmanned rest stops with bike repair stations and port-a-potties. The Washington & Old Dominion Trail also has markers every 1/2 mile so you know how far you’ve gone.
My first stop was for lunch and a break at Carolina Brothers Pit Barbeque in Ashburn, VA. They had a great selection of options for a hungry walker or cyclist, plus they had drinks and ice cream on offer.
I carried on towards my goal – which was to go until I couldn’t any more (ha!). I carried on for another few miles reaching 10 miles total from Herndon and Green Lizard Cycling. I decided to head back to ensure I had the energy to make the return trip. It was a warm day, I’m not in great shape and I was experiencing tingling in my arm that wasn’t going away no matter how much I shook it out. This, as it turns out, can be a common injury to cyclists and is similar to carpel tunnel. Writing this now over a month later I still have some numbness in my ring and pinkie fingers on my right hand – it’s slowly improving but make sure you watch your posture and don’t lean on your bent wrist for 3 hours like I did.
On the return trip I stopped at Old Ox Brewery. You have to watch for the opening since it’s down a tiny path off the trail, but it’s right there through the trees like a little oasis.
I was sad that they didn’t have any ciders on tap (not being a beer drinker myself), but the service was still stellar. They have their tables spaced out with plenty of room for social distancing (as I did this in the time of COVID-19). It’s also dog-friendly, so we stopped back by with Truffles another day since Stephen is a beer person. I rested with my diet coke, talked to a couple with a pup and made my way back to the trail.
When I returned to Herndon, VA I had a choice to make. I was at 3 hours of my rental, but I’d also cycled 20 miles roundtrip. I decided my adventure was over. It was so fun and perfect that I didn’t want to spoil it by getting too tired for it still be fun if I carried on.
Dave teased me that I wasn’t allowed back since I still had an hour, but I was toast. I could’ve grabbed a book from the Herndon Little Free Library and an ice cream at Dairy Queen, but decided to make my way back to Stephen and Truffles to tell them all about my adventures.
The entire experience from start to finish with Green Lizard Cycling was amazing. Not only is it a local, family-owned spot but everything about it was great.
- Staff – super-friendly, fun and knowledgeable
- Bike – really fun to ride. Since it’s a hybrid, it can be used for mountain biking or road riding
- Location – perfect spot with parking, amenities in store and outside, right on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail
- Price – $40 for 4 hours was really reasonable. Just know that 4 hours is the minimum, so you pay $40 even if you only want to rent a bike for 1 hour
I left wanting to do more cycling and to spread the word about Green Lizard Cycling, Carolina Brothers Pit Barbeque and Old Ox Brewery. I can’t recommend a more fun, beautiful day outdoors if you’re in the D.C. area.
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