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For our annual Guide to Living issue of Discover magazine, we’ve asked 15 locals to divulge their favorite outdoor spaces in the region.

 

 

Do you have a hobby, other than cycling?

 

I also play some golf and tennis.

 

 

Describe your favorite route.

 

In the spring, we start training for the MS 150 Bike Ride, normally the first weekend in June, which runs from Richmond to Williamsburg and back, 150 miles over two days. My favorite training ride for it is near Lake Anna. It can be a 20-mile ride or a 50-mile ride. We start at Chewning Park on Post Oak Road, then left onto Stubbs Bridge Road and circle around back roads, crossing portions of the lake a few times. Depending on how far we plan to ride, we can cross U.S. 522 for an added loop, then return back up Stubbs Bridge, turning right on Lawyers Road to Lake Anne State Park. We ride all the roads in the park and then head back to Chewning Park. This route is not only a good training ride with a good mix of flat and hills, but the views of the pastures and the lake are the reason I like this ride the best. We also see a good bit of wildlife, including wild turkeys and deer.

 

 

What makes this spot such an ideal place to go cycling?

 

We ride early Sunday mornings when there is less traffic and we have options for distance. There are a few country stores and the state park to stop at, which also makes it nice.

 

 

When did you become interested in cycling?

 

Back in the early 1990s, a good friend of mine was riding and I said I would like to join him. I would join him for a ride in the spring and another one in the fall, doing about 40 miles each time. I was younger then and didn’t need to train as much to get ready for them, but the saddle-sore was real. Then we planned a trip on the C&O canal from Cumberland, Md., to Washington, D.C., 185 miles in three days. To get ready for that much riding, we would do some training rides together and on my own I would ride 10 miles a day, five days a week every morning before work.

 

 

How and when did you come up with this cycling route?

 

It was a route one of the bike clubs had already mapped out. We do it on Sunday mornings and have very few vehicles pass us. We feel it’s a very safe ride.

 

 

How often do you get a chance to ride this this route, and is it typically alone or with others?

 

Several of us do the Lake Anna ride three to four times a year. We try to mix up the rides so they feel different.

 

 

When’s the best time of day to make this ride?
 

We have always done this ride early on Sunday mornings. I’m a fair weather rider, not liking cold. It can get cold on a bike, so the temp has to be above 58 degrees for me. I have a rule that if my clothing to stay warm weighs more than my bike, I’m not riding. It’s supposed to be fun.