A pre-ride of the Rusty Rail 200k course was conducted on September 4th by me. In 2024, we return to the original route since the bridge on Miller Rd (mile 64) is back in place.
The roads are generally in good condition, however, heavy regional rain resulted in a few gravel washes that cross the road and deep erosion of a number of the drainage ditches that line the shoulder.
Back Mountain Road (mile 42), that follows the Milroy controle features the usual deep longitudinal ruts torn out by buggy wheels. Try not to land your front wheel into one of them. There is also a fun central depression of the lane from shod horse hooves. I found it best to ride in the the center of the road when possible. All attempts to avoid riding through the horse poop on this road are futile-adjust!
Try to suppress your inner Wout van Aert and take care on the steep mountain descents! Past events have seen crashes on both Ulsh Gap and Tussey Mountain. Please spare me the paperwork.
The route is generally on tranquil roads, but there are a few high traffic areas to note. For the most part, there is not a rideable shoulder on the Stone Mountain climb on PA-305 (mile 53). Stay as far right as possible and hold your line as the cars and trucks blast past. The climb up Tussey Mountain on PA-26 (mile 65) also involves high speed traffic, but there is a wide shoulder to ride in. I used a full lane on these two descents when my speed exceeded 25 mph.
The PA-45 intersection at the Centre Hall Sheetz controle (mile 87) can be dangerous due to high traffic volume. I recommend entering the left turn lane, and then using the curb cut on the corner once you cross PA-45 (immediate right turn). This will get you onto a sidewalk that leads to the Sheetz parking lot. When exiting this controle, travel south (same direction, away from PA-45) through the parking lot and exit carefully onto PA-144/Old Fort Rd via a left turn.
The Rusty Rail 200k is a beautiful, but challenging ride. Bonne route and godspeed to all souls brave enough to clip in at the start on September 14th.
Respectfully,
Steven J. Schoenfelder, RUSA #10659
Jo Hays Vista at the top of the Tussey Mountain climb overlooking Happy Valley
Steven was kind enough to spare mentioning me by name but I was one of the casualties last year. I hit a rogue rock descending Ulsh Gap at very (and I mean very) high speed suffering a catastrophic front tire blowout. Fast forward 11 hours, I walked out of the trauma center at Geisinger looking like Freddy Kruger sporting more than 200 stitches in my face, two permanently mangled fingers and a concussion.
ReplyDeleteIt's a great course, the climbs are only bad if you don't like climbing but I have to reiterate - be very careful on the descents. Most of the roads in the area are tarred and chipped, construction vehicles drop rocks all over the road as they travel, and central PA has gotten hit by several heavy rains this summer. As Steven pointed out, it leaves big pockets of unpredictable gravel on the downside of every climb. Cell phone service is many areas is very spotty, I won't even go into what the local volunteer fire department is like so shave off a few mph on the downhill, be uber vigilant for debris in the road and you'll have a great but very long day on the bike.