Sunday, August 13, 2017

Ride Summary: YARRRR

Although the humidity was high,  the temperature was pleasantly moderate.  Other than a few sprinkles in the late afternoon, the predicted T-storms never materialized.  Even the dreaded Pottstown Detour of Doom was un-needed, as the scheduled construction still is yet to begin.  Based on the smiling faces I saw eating ice cream at Jimmy's, the general consensus seemed to be that the reversed, revised, river to river ride was a good day on the bike, and much improved over last year's edition.

Preliminary results have been posted at:
http://parando.org/PA200k_Results170812.pdf
Results will be submitted in a couple of days to RUSA, and then become final pending ACP certification. A total of 21 out of 21 riders finished in good time for a 100% completion rate -- congratulations and well done to all!

I personally want to thank Jeff Lippincott who printed all the paperwork, manned both the start and finish controles, and basically dedicated a couple days of his life to helping run this event. Awesome volunteering.  

Also, a special PA-Rando round of applause and thanks goes to George Retseck's wife Beverly who set up a secret controle with home-made snacks at the top of the climb out of Coopersburg. Yummy!

Snacks courtesy of Beverly. Yeah!

-- Chris Nadovich, organizer

CJ Arayata Writes...  I offer many thanks for the work you put into developing the genuinely  beautiful YARRR course! Pleasantly surprised by the scenery considering it was much more "suburban" than the tried-and-true PA course library. Also, I know you and Jeff are solely responsible for keeping the nearly-certain  rain at bay, so for that I offer you my thanks as well. 
                                                                            
James planted the single-speed-seed a week or so before the brevet, and it  had more than adequate amount of time to germinate for this weekend's brevet. The front-loaded climbing was BRUTAL on cold legs but I was able to settle into a rhythm for the rest of the day. It was a pleasant surprise  that the front group stayed together for the first 2-3 hours, and I had a   great time chatting and catching up with everyone, as I really haven't been riding since the conclusion of the SR series. Coming into Pottstown, it was  Rudi, first-timer Anne, Scott, George and I. We decided to lunch in Phoenixville at a real cafe vs. the Wawa options, and made great time for  the first half of the ride. Rudi pressed on without a panini, and we were  down to 4. The skies, while looking quite ominous at times, turned into  clear and sunny skies which I enjoyed thoroughly (but my skin did not).  Most of the climbs in the later part of the day were totally fine.... I   mean bearable in 46x18, save for one steep kicker that had me racing Scott  to beat him up the climb using my 24-inch gear! Things got ugly for me  leading up to the church controle (although that particular climb was  gorgeous) and I apologize to my riding partners for having to put up with  me for what felt like an interminable amount of time.
                
My spirits rose dramatically after a watermelon break at Milford Market  with George. We took it easy on the last leg, knowing that even if it started pouring any second, we were close enough to the finish that it was the least of our worries. A hot dog and milkshake at Jimmys, plus Anne's  alternate canal path back to our cars was a perfect way to end the day   [always trust the local!].                                                  

Pictures for your viewing pleasure: https://goo.gl/photos/Y4E1bnKeJa523LUMA 


Crossing the historic Keim Street Bridge in Pottstown.


Really glad to see new faces coming out, and really excited about new  routes into previously-unexplored territory! Had a great time and excited to see everyone again in the fall.

-- CJ  

James Haddad writes...  Andrew, Chris, Jeff and all the EPA randomly volunteers -- Thanks for putting together another great ride. The 500 cues, two appendixes and  epilogue were worth it as we gently meandered through the suburban sprawl of  Eastern PA on the most scenic and calm roads. Riding the route in reverse didn't just add an extra R to the name, but, it made for a much appreciated gentle afternoon after a challenging morning. 
-- James  

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