Williamsburg City Councilman Caleb Rogers rode 481 miles across Virginia in just 7 days to raise funds and awareness for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. With a set goal of 60-70 miles a day, he completed many of his weekly 50+ mile training rides on the Capital Trail.
“When I first started cycling, doing 50 miles in a day seemed insurmountable. I knew I wasn't ready for road biking, but that I also wanted to take as scenic a route as possible. The Virginia Capital Trail proved to be the perfect place to stoke this newfound passion with its paved, well-marked, and picturesque path.”
Starting in Bristol and ending at the Colonial Williamsburg Capitol Building, the Capital Trail not only served as a training ground but also the last homestretch as Rogers completed the final day of his cross-commonwealth ride from Richmond to Williamsburg.
Councilman Rogers shares more about his trek across Virginia with us. Read his comments below.
What was the inspiration behind your cross-commonwealth ride?
“This project comes from my work with the Global Youth Climate Network, where 2021 Climate Ambassadors are challenged to take on environmental projects in our home countries. At the beginning of the summer, I knew I wanted to steer more into my newfound hobby of cycling. Having lived at both ends of the state and wanting some adventure, a cross-state bike ride seemed like a daunting, but attainable, enough challenge. Particularly to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, it was the most impactful environmental nonprofit around me and an easy choice. It’s a resource to the entire Eastern Seaboard, providing accessible drinking water, a bustling fishing industry, and a home to over 3,000 species of plant and animal life.”
What did you enjoy most about the experience?
“With the ride totaling at 481 miles over 7 days, each day was nearly 70 miles of riding. Starting early and riding with my friend Tom Cosgrove, we got to see the sun rise over misty lakes, endless hay fields, and beautiful back roads. I tried to capture these moments in pictures and videos along the way, thankfully never falling from the bike while snapping a quick shot!”
Did you learn or discover anything new about the area or yourself?
“This was my first time ever biking the entire length of the Capital Trail, as I usually trained by going to a midway point and back to Williamsburg. It was fantastic to see the Richmond to Charles City section.”
“Mostly on the trip what drove me was the generosity of others. Starting my goal, I didn't know if $5,000 was attainable. Now at the end, it was surpassed to end at 114% of goal entirely thanks to people hearing about the trip and caring about a clean Chesapeake Bay. I felt very fortunate to have received such strong support!”
What do you have next on the horizon?
“While I am taking some time away from longer cycling rides for the time being, I'm looking forward to my next chance to leisurely ride the Capital Trail. Putting my City Council hat on, I would love to see the Trail connected to our Williamsburg city center in the formation of a Birthplace of America Trail (BoAT). Cycling trail connectivity is a unique way to bring in tourism for an area and I would love to see even more people get to appreciate the Cap Trail through this extension.”
Thank you, Williamsburg City Councilman Caleb Rogers, for sharing your amazing 400+ mile journey with us!
Do you have a Trail story to share, email us at info@virginiacapitaltrail.org.
