A great bicycle weekend with history, alpacas and a renewed steel bike.
As you ride toward Jamestown the trail takes on diffe r e
The last time we rode the Capital Trail it was a chance to break in Mary’s brand new gravel bike. This time we rode another 15 miles east
Both the bike and the trail made for a great day.
As I wrote in my initial blog about the Capital Trail, the surface seemed better for road bikes than gravel bikes. So this time we left the knobby tires at home.
Good decision.
The majority of riders were on road bikes.
As was the case when we rode from Richmond to the Fork on Five Restaurant near mile marker 36 on our first outing, there were plenty of people on mountain bikes, kids bikes and crossover bikes designed primarily for casual riders.
For us, the road bikes meant for an easier and faster ride than that first trip, when we ventured 15 miles from downtown Richmond and returned, for a 30-mile ride.
15 miles of new Capital Trail terrain
This time we decided to see the next 15 miles of the trail — mile marker 36 to Charles City Courthouse (mile marker 20) and return. It would be about a 31-mile ride.
Click here for an interactive map of the Capital Trail.
Like the first 15 miles, the trail is flat to rolling. Strava recorded 670 feet of elevation change.
We pedaled over many creeks and small bridges. Eventually, the trail broke out into
We rode past the entrance to the historic Shirley Plantation and the interesting VCU Rice Rivers Center, where students and researchers work on keeping our water and our rivers clean. We could see some sort of aquatic traps in the creek as we rode over the wooden bridge.
With temperatures in the
Which means you need to keep your head up and stay to the right!
There were a few times when cyclists came around a corner and seemed to have materialized from nowhere. Don’t get caught staring at the ground in front of your front wheel!
It’s one of my bad habits.
Charles City Courthouse on the Capital Trail
The area around Charles City Courthouse is charming.
Charles City was settled in 1613 and was one of four original boroughs created by the Great Charter delivered to Jamestown in 1618.
Richmond Times Dispatch
In addition to the original courthouse dating back to the 1730s, the area boasts both Revolutionary and Civil war distinction — but clearly, the Civil War is where the area saw most of its activity.
According to a kiosk in the back yard, the area switched hands between Union and Confederate forces numerous times during the war, as the North defended Washington, while the South secured nearby Richmond. Charles City was caught in the middle.
There is also a monument for the South’s soldiers who died fighting in the war. As of this writing in 2019, it appears to have escaped the furor over similar monuments in more populated areas of Virginia.
No matter what you think about the political correctness of all that, the little courthouse is interesting and the stories of the soldiers from both sides who traveled through and even stayed on the property are real.
Charles City Courthouse is a worthwhile stop on the Trail unless you are just hammering to see how fast you can go on your bike.
Cul’s – A Charles City Courthouse Watering Hole
Across the street from the Charles City Courthouse is a little restaurant and grille called Cul’s Courthouse Grille.
We were there on a Saturday afternoon, and I could hear a guy playing acoustic guitar and singing Jimmy Buffett songs.
We stopped in for, alas only a Diet Coke.
Mary and I had dinner reservations later and there just wasn’t time to settle in with a cold brew for the afternoon.
Next time I’ll plan better.
Prospect Hill B & B a place to stay post Capital Trail.
I have to mention the Prospect Hill B & B.
It’s in Louisa County , which is about an hour and fifteen minutes west of Richmond off of Interstate 64.
Yes, it’s a bit of a drive after you ride. But we think it’s worth it.
For less money than you’d spend at a Courtyard Marriott or similar hotel, we enjoyed a gorgeous little cabin, walking trails,
Breakfast comes with the overnight package, and they brought it to us on the front porch of the cabin.
The old boxwoods define the yard space, while four alpacas graze in the pasture.
Like Charles City Courthouse, this property is full of history – with one building dating back to 1699.
If history isn’t your thing, there’s a pool and a nice back porch and other seating areas where you can enjoy a cold beer or glass of wine.
We considered a Sunday morning ride from the B & B which is located on some beautiful country roads. We saw one group go by as we sipped our coffee. Ultimately, as I’ve been writing in my series of blogs on Cycling with Sarcoidosis, it seemed a bit much during my current regimen of chemo and steroids.
All the same — what a great weekend!
Sometimes, with all the amenities — the riding seems irrelevant.
The Waterford 3.0 on the Capital Trail
Just a quick word about what I’m calling the Waterford 3.0.
After some frame issues with my Guerciotti carbon frame, I opted to pull all the components off of it and put them on my 1995 steel Waterford frame.
I also added a really nice aftermarket Thompson stem and created what is essentially the third version of this bike, since I sort of rescued it several years ago.
Thus, the 3.0 status.
In my mind, it may be the perfect bike for the Capital Trail. By today’s standards, its weight of 19-20 pounds may be a bit behind the times, but with a compact crank set combined with the fact that the trail is essentially flat — there are no issues.
Oh, and that steel frame just soaks up all the road vibration.
Loving Virginia
Believe it or not we scheduled this weekend around a hot air balloon ride, which was cancelled due to wind. As much fun as that would have been, it doesn’t seem like we went without.
We’ve rescheduled our ride in the balloon, but when we go, we’ll be sure to take the bikes.
There’s so much more to see.
