The Virginia Capital Trail Foundation hopes to generate a buzz for this year's May 11 Cap2Cap bicycle ride through a partnership with Hardywood Park Craft Brewery. The local brewery will launch its first canned beer, the Virginia Capital Trail Pale Ale, on the Friday night before the event, and the official beer of the Cap2Cap ride will be available on tap at the post-race celebration at Rocketts Landing.
"When we decided on a beer truck, that was huge," Virginia Capital Trail executive director Beth Weisbrod says, adding that registrations skyrocketed after beer was introduced to the event in 2009. The ride that started in 2005 with about 150 participants expects more than 2,400 cyclists to sign up this year.
Cap2Cap follows the planned route for a paved pedestrian and bicycle trail that will connect the previous capitals of Jamestown and Williamsburg with downtown Richmond. This year, in addition to the 100-, 50- and 25-mile options, the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation has added a 15-mile ride on the Jamestown section of the trail. "We've added the shorter distances in trying to coax people who don't generally consider themselves cyclists to come out and try it," Weisbrod says.
To date, 16 miles have been completed on the planned 52-mile Virginia Capital Trail. The trail will parallel the north shore of the James River along the Route 5 corridor, a national scenic byway. Save for three miles in Varina, the trail is expected to be completed by October 2014.
After a day spent traversing on two wheels through portions of James City, Charles City and Henrico counties, cyclists can look forward to bluegrass music, Buz and Ned's Real Barbecue, and, of course, a cold beer on the lawn of Rocketts Landing overlooking the James River. 788-6455 or virginiacapitaltrail.org . —AD
