Cap2Cap 2014 Ride Report

Last weekend was the 2014 Cap2Cap ride hosted by Virginia Capital Trail Foundation.  The event consists of rides of  multiple distances starting and finishing either in Richmond or Williamsburg.

This year was my 3rd time riding the 100 mile loop from Richmond out to Williamsburg and back.

An early departure was required to reach Richmond in plenty of time for the 7:30 am start. Setting the
alarm for 4am was a pointless exercise as I was awake at 2:40 and no matter how much I tried I could not get back to the land of nod. So after a very slow and quiet start, as I didn't want to wake everyone else in the house, I was on the road heading south before 4:30.

Despite the forecast calling for some potential showers the temperature was already 71 and the drive down was thankfully dry.

Even stopping to grab a McDonald's latte and sausage muffin (the breakfast of all century riders or so I am told) I arrived at Rockets Landing Richmond at 6:15, much earlier than I expected, so the 75 minutes I had before the ride start were more than ample to collect the ride packet, get myself and the bike ready and get to the start line.



The number of riders at the start seemed less than previous years but was still a good turn out. If I was a guessing man I would say maybe 400 started the century ride in Richmond. Whilst a few spots of rain and the gray clouds threatened the ride thankfully started dry and cool. It remained dry for almost all of my time out on the roads with the exception of a 2 minute downpour when I was at the 75 mile point. The temperature did rise into the low 80's with some sun, but all in all, it was an ideal day for cycling.

The ride heads from Richmond through Henrico and Charles counties towards the Chickahominy river and Williamsburg, passing by a number of historical sites and through lots of green countryside. Using, for the most part quiet country roads, the ride is a relaxed affair with only a couple of climbs that required serious amounts of effort. All in all a very pleasant way to spend a Saturday cycling supporting a good cause.

Route Map 

The route was just under the 100 but I was able to make it 3 digits with the before and after warm up / cool downs. According to my GPS lap times the ride itself was 98.7 miles and I had a moving average of 17.3 mph. Almost 2mph quicker than my regular pace.

Pictures from Ride