November R-12

The November R-12 is on Saturday, 11/1. We'll be running the Stillwater 200k Retour course but with a couple of route tweaks since the July event -- so those familiar with previous editions will once again need to turn off their auto-pilot and pay close attention to the cuesheet!  The changes include a reroute to get you off Rt 94 just past Columbia.  There's also a new controle in Lafayette, which will limit the amount of time you spend on some busy roads on the northern extent of the course.  Lastly, with the limited amount of daylight in mind, you'll take a straight shot down Rt 579 instead of the twisty Sweet Hollow Rd from the top of the Tunnel Rd climb.  A volunteer preride was completed on Tuesday by your RBA and subsequently, the cuesheet has been updated to draft 10, dated 10/29.

The start/finish is in Milford, NJ -- the southern most extent of the course.  Please note that you'll need lights and reflective gear at the start, which is about 30 minutes before sunrise. Organizer Norman Smeal will be sending you on your way at the Milford Bakery start and greeting you at the Ship Inn finish. There is plenty of parking in the large parking lot on Church St in Milford (PA Randonneurs has permission to use the parking lot off of Church St which is now owned by the Medical supply store at the old bakery location). The Bakery opens at 6AM and has breakfast sandwiches along with an assortment of baked goods.  The finish controle and post ride gathering will be at the Ship Inn, a couple of stores down the street from the Bakery.

SPOT trackers will be handed out to a few selected riders. The units are about the size of a cell phone and can be carried either in your back pocket or in a bag, away from the saddle. If you happen to have a personal SPOT tracker, not already listed here:
http://parando.org/SPOT_Links.html
... please send me a link to your SPOT tracking webpage.

Additional event details are posted on the event web page:
http://www.parando.org/R12ClubNov3.html

Additional Course Notes:
-Watch out for deer, especially on River Rd after the start, and on the descent down from the Tunnel Rd climb into the Milford finish.
-Mile 94.1: You'll be turning on to a short 0.2 mile stretch of dirt road that goes uphill.  While it's possible to find a good line to ride between the ruts, it might be more prudent to dismount and walk if you are unsure of your bike handling skills on dirt and gravel.
-The current weather conditions are calling for some cold and wet riding conditions.  It's been a while since we've had a "Character Building Opportunity", but it looks like one is shaping up.  This will be a good test of your foul weather gear -- a good place to start is with a bigger bag on your bike for all the spare clothing you'll want to have.
-With the rain and wind in the forecast, watch out for slippery conditions for any wet leaves on the road.

*** Roster (as of 10/30) ***
1 Michael Anderson -
2 Charles J Arayata -
3 Eoghan Barry -
4 Ed Bernasky -
5 Gavin Biebuyck -
6 Larry E Brenize - Guest
7 Jane M  Brown -
8 Jeffery S Butt -
9 Matthew Farrell -
10 William Fischer -
11 Guillaume Gantard -
12 Stephen Glowacki - Guest
13 Zachary R Goodrich -
14 James P. Holman -
15 Gil Lebron - Guest
16 Daniel McGill -
17 Chris Nadovich -
18 William Olsen -
19 Tom Rosenbauer - Volunteer Preride
20 Norman Smeal - Organizer
21 Bob Torres -

-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA