You love bike rides. We love throwing great events that get more people on bikes. Our signature, organized yearly rides, the Vasa Ride and 50 States and 13 Colonies, always sell out. So we’re excited to announce a new one for 2013: The Cider Ride.
Registration is open now!
The first-ever Cider Ride is on Sat., Dec. 7. It begins at D.C.’s
Canal Park at the Capital Riverfront and takes riders through Maryland’s back roads to Queen Anne Farm in Glenn Dale, Md. (near Bowie) for warm cider and fall treats. Back in D.C., the ride will conclude at
Park Tavern, part of Canal Park, for a cider celebration.
Three ride lengths are available: the Honeycrisp (about 60 miles), McIntosh (about 35 miles), or Gala (about 15 miles).
Read below the jump for more details on the Cider Ride.
You can register here now.
EVENT DETAILS
Sat., Dec. 7 (please arrive a half hour prior to the start time for your selected route)
Canal Park, 202 M St. SE, Washington, D.C. 20003
Sign up here for the Cider Ride.
VOLUNTEER AS…
A ride marshal: Confident cyclists with experience riding with groups are encouraged to marshal any of the three routes. That means you get to ride for free! Get more information about ride marshal duties and
sign up here.
A volunteer: We need volunteers to help us run the event at the start location, at Park Tavern for the Cider Celebration, and at Queen Anne Farm. If you volunteer for the farm, WABA will help arrange rides out and back from our Adams Morgan headquarters. Get more information about volunteering and
sign up here.
Don’t forget, if you volunteer for WABA three times, you can earn a free one-year membership!
WHAT TO EXPECT
Registration for the Cider Ride gets you:
- Ride entry
- Your choice of route length: the Honeycrisp (60 miles), McIntosh (35 miles), or Gala (15 miles)
- Cue sheet and binder clip
- A set of hand warmers
- Warm drinks at Queen Anne Farm (for Honeycrisp and McIntosh routes) or at the end (for Gala route)
- Fall treats at the halfway point (for Honeycrisp and McIntosh routes) or the end (for the Gala route)
- Food & Drink specials at the post-ride Cider Celebration at Park Tavern
Only registered riders can participate in the Cider Ride.
Helmets are required. Our insurance says so. If you don’t wear a helmet, you can’t ride.
Cue sheets for the ride, the route, and ride maps will not be released prior to the event. Route information will be made available upon check-in. It’s a surprise! Ride marshals will help guide and direct riders.
Honeycrisp and McIntosh route riders will travel to Queen Anne Farm in Glenn Dale, Md., near Bowie. Gala riders will stay within Washington, D.C. There will be light snacks, cider, and restroom facilities at Queen Anne Farm.
The Cider Ride does not include lunch, but feel free to bring your own or bring cash to stop along the route. We’ll follow up with some suggested lunch options prior to the ride date for those that registered.
The Cider Ride is unsupported—that means no SAG support vans—and you may often be far from public transportation and taxis on the route. Please make sure you are able to complete the route length you choose.
To that end, be equipped with your own patch kit, portable tire pumps or CO2 cartridges, spare tubes, and tools in case you encounter mechanical trouble on the ride. Many of the roads on the Cider Ride route are suburban or rural.
RIDE SCHEDULE
7:30 a.m.: Check-in opens for Honeycrisp (60-mile) riders
8:30 a.m.: Departure for Honeycrisp riders
9 a.m.: Check-in opens for McIntosh (35-mile riders
10 a.m.: Departure for McIntosh riders
10:30 a.m.: Check-in opens for Gala (15-mile) riders
11:30 a.m.: Departure for Gala riders
10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.: Queen Anne Farm cider stop open
1-5 p.m.: Cider celebration (post-ride party) at Park Tavern
REFUNDS?
There are no refunds, exchanges, or transfers available for the Cider Ride. It is a rain or shine event. In the event of inclement weather (snow or ice), the event will be canceled for safety reasons. We will not refund your registration fee: Consider it a gracious donation to WABA’s year-round work to improve bicycling in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
THANKS TO
Queen Anne Farm for hosting our cider stop.
Canal Park in the Capital Riverfront neighborhood for hosting the start location.
Park Tavern for their tremendous hospitality in hosting the Cider Celebration.
Heat Pax Warmers for their generous donation to keep our riders toasty.
Murray Cider Company for their support in donating fresh cider for all riders.
Cider Ride graphics by Kaleena Porter