Milford 100k Ride Report

Photo compliments of CJ A.

Preliminary results have been posted at:
http://www.parando.org/PA100k_Results151115.pdf
...Please let me know of any corrections or other issues.  Results will be submitted shortly, and become final, pending RUSA certification.

The day got off to a chilly start in the upper 30F's but the plentiful sunshine eventually warmed things up to the upper 50F's by early afternoon. All 29 starters were official finishers for another 100% finish,  -- congratulations and well done for an excellent result. Of note, four riders completed their first brevet and are now freshly minted randonneurs: CJ A. introduced Brendan G. to our sport, Michael P. introduced Jay and Wynn S., and Razvan B rounded out the field of first timers.

Jeff G writes: "... Hi Tom I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bill Olsen on a very enjoyable 100k ride. As always the ride was very well organized, the traffic was as advertised light and the course though shorter was still challenging. It was nice to have some time to talk, eat and relax after the ride at the Ships Inn. I do have some questions about the rides from Milford. Why does the traffic light at 519 and Bridge Street always  get farther away as you approach it at the end of the ride?  Why is the last mile on Javes Rd longer then all the other miles on these rides? And can anyone tell me where the tunnel is on Tunnel Road? I still haven’t found it and if I could take the tunnel to Javes Rd instead of going over the hill I might not mind riding that longer mile into town. Thanks again for another fun day on the bike...." [ There is indeed a tunnel near Tunnel Rd, but you wouldn't want to use it since its only meant for trains -Tom R. ]

Bill S. writes: "...Tom, thanks to you and Bill O. and the rest of your fine troupe of volunteers for another great ride. The course, cuesheet and cast of participants made for a completely enjoyable day of fall riding. Other than an exciting round of dodge Chris's glove and a puncture halfway up Tunnel Rd. the day contained plenty of pleasant peddling, wonderful weather and a minimum of mad motorists....."

Jimmy A. writes: "...Great ride yesterday!..."

Gilbert T. writes: "...thank you again for another great route. It was a great day to be on the bike..."

Jim H writes: "...Thanks for another great ride yesterday.  Even with the chilly start, it was a pleasant late autumn day for a leisurely ride.  Thanks also to Bill for organizing the ride, and to Guy and Grace for helping with pre-ride course intelligence...."

CJ A. writes: "...Yesterday's ride was a great route, great company, and pretty agreeable weather (minus the bit of winds, of course). It was interesting to see how the shorter distance changed the dynamic of the ride; everyone wasn't as spread out temporally as is made apparent for the 'usual' 200k distance. I managed to recruit a new Philly friend, Brendan, who had a very good time. When I showed him the route profile, he said "some of those climbs seem intense, which makes me want to do it!" A promising sign, and hoping I'll have made a convert by next Spring.Had a good (half) day out with Jono and Brendan for the most part, save Jono snapping his rear derailleur cable at about the midpoint of the ride. We managed to field-repair with a borrowed Leatherman to extract the cable head, and I knew that the spare cable I've been carrying for over a year would come in handy someday. It was a strange yet pleasant feeling finishing at lunchtime.... Jono and I joked that it was like "getting out of work early". Not that brevets are a chore, but it's nice knowing that if it had been a 200k, it would have been hours after dark at the finish. Thanks to Bill for the route and for the send-off and finish greeting! Hoping this event becomes a fixture on the PA calendar...."

CJ posted some very nice pictures which can be viewed here:
https://goo.gl/photos/LkiozkB626pJVoJ26

If you have any other comments or pictures to share, you can forward them to me for inclusion on the PA Message board.

Your safety is the number priority on an Eastern PA event. Please mention any safety hazard you might have spotted, or near-miss incident you saw. We value this feedback highly and it will help PA Randonneurs improve the next edition of the event.

Special thanks to organizer Bill Olsen, who suggested getting an autumn 100k on the Eastern PA calendar and proposed the route.  Bill not only ran the start and finish controles, but also spent the day out on course meeting up with riders.  Thanks also to volunteers Guy H. and Grace A., who along with Bill, checked out the course the weekend before.

The Eastern PA 2015 season concludes with the Brandywine 200k on December 5th.  Highlights include meandering along Brandywine Creek, visiting THREE states, riding along numerous roads incorporating the word "Hollow," and an almost unheard of in Lancaster County 3 mile descent.  Event details have been posted at:
http://www.parando.org/Brandywine200k.html
Use the on-line registration form by 5PM on December 3rd if you would like to join the roster.

-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA