Rain Failed To Dampen Spirits Of Bicyclists Taking Part In Sunday's Tour De Hunter Mill

RESTON, VA — Sunday morning’s drizzle failed to dampen the spirits of the small group bicyclists who showed up at the North County Governmental Center in Reston to take part in the annual Tour de Hunter Mill bicycle ride.

“There's no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear,” said Joel Keuser, vice chairman of the Reston Bike Club.

Inspired by similar rides in the Mount Vernon and Franconia districts, Supervisor Walter Alcorn (D-Hunter Mill) hosted the first Tour de Hunter Mill in 2020.

“It's really a celebration of bicycling in Hunter Mill,” he said. “It gets a lot of attention. We have really worked together with the Reston Bike Club, the Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling and other partners, so it also serves as a community.”

Events like Sunday’s ride help to get people out on the roads and find new connections, according to Jeff Anderson of FABB.

“It’s important to bring this community together to show that riding is just not for races, and to hopefully meet other people and find new places to ride,” he said.

Following a brief opening ceremony, the bicyclists gathered into two groups in the parking lot around 8:30 a.m. The first group to leave consisted of bicyclists heading out on the 11-mile short route. They were followed about 5 minutes later by the group taking the 25-mile long route.