Bikes & Beers serves up cold brews and support for CF

STEVENSVILLE — What do you get when you mix delicious craft beers with great music and 500 of your best biking buddies? Bikes & Beers of course, and another fabulous charity event hosted by Cult Classic on Kent Island.

There were nearly 500 riders who braved the blistering heat on Saturday, July 13 to pedal one of three different courses for a good cause. The fourth annual Bikes & Beers Kent Island featured a 15, 30, and 45-mile ride departing from Cult Classic Brewing and traveling through Kent Island.

Despite the heat, and the knowledge of a lengthy bike ride in the offing, participants were all smiles at the start. Several riders had completed either this event or other Bikes & Beers events multiple times.

The rides featured morning fuel stations, fully marked routes, GPS turn-by-turn instruction, rest stops, refreshments, ride marshals, and bike repair support. Riders returned back to the brewery for a festival of rewarding craft beers, live music, raffle and more.

An event for all riding levels, Sam Accardi, CEO of Bikes and Beers, explained the Kent Island event supports not only the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, but also provided an opportunity to “give back” support to the two trails on KI, which he says are some of the best on their circuit.

Rohry Flood of Cult Classic predicted they’d be pouring about 1500 beers and drinks for the riders by the time they were done. “This is our 4th year hosting the event, and we are always happy to give back to the community that has been there for us since the beginning!”

Pennsylvania band Sought Out City, who travel with the Bikes & Beers event staff, provided the music for the afternoon, keeping folks up on their feet and grooving to the tunes. Riders were also rewarded with Bikes & Beers pint glasses to hold their favorite libations. Flood and his crew made sure there was not a thirsty soul left in the house. “This is one of our all-hands-on-deck events,” Flood said, highlighting the sheer number of his staff it would take to serve those in attendance.

Flood’s next big event at Cult Classic is a charity Texas Hold’em poker tournament this weekend and will benefit the Kent Island Creators Klub (KICK).

Bikes & Beers hosts many events throughout the year all across the country. More information can be found at bikesandbeers.com. There are currently 23 events, in 12 States on this year’s schedule, and registration fills quickly.