Oley Valley & Hopewell Furnace 200K Course Notes (and Holiday Party!)

On November 22, Pat Gaffney and I rolled out for a pre-ride of the Oley Valley & Hopewell Furnace 200K to check conditions and confirm the final route. Although the morning forecast called for steady rain, the weather cleared just as we rolled out, giving us a surprisingly decent start to the day. The RWGPS file (last modified 2025-11-26 09:35:24 EST) and cuesheet (Version 4) can be found here: https://parando.org/route/info/479.

Start & Finish Information

• Start Control: Cadence Cycling (Manayunk) parking lot
  Free parking is available. Please use the parking spaces farthest from the storefronts.
• Finish Control: Wissahickon Brewing Company
  Located about 0.5 miles from the start.
• Additional Parking: Riders may also park for free at the Gustine Recreation Center, which is closer to the finish.

Route Notes & Closures

Several road closures from the original route are now fully updated on the current RWGPS file and cuesheet:

• Quarry Road (Harleysville)
• Deep Creek Road (Perkiomenville)
• Saint Peters Road (through the village of St. Peters)

Detours are clear and rideable. In addition, the cuesheet includes multiple safety-related notes: train tracks, steel-grate bridges, gravel, and speed bumps. Riders are strongly encouraged to review these before the start.

Pat Gaffney on a half mile section of gravel in Oley Valley. The few gravel and rough pavement sections are noted on RWGPS and the cuesheet.

Resupply Guidance

The stretch between the Henning’s Market control (Mile 28) and Wawa control (Mile 71) has limited services, so plan accordingly.

• A Redner’s is available slightly off-route near Mile 45.
• A fresh spring water source is marked on both the cuesheet and RWGPS near Mile 46.
• The second half of the route offers multiple Turkey Hills and Wawas with convenient access (and restrooms).

Terrain & Climbing

Many riders may assume that most of the day’s elevation gain comes early, around Oley Valley and the Reading Prong. However, the steepest climbing is concentrated in the second half.

Between Miles 79 and 91, riders should be prepared for a challenging series of consecutive climbs:

1. Shed Road
2. County Park Road
3. Nantmeal Road

Pacing early in the ride will pay dividends later. Save some energy for these three back-to-back efforts.

Lighting & Evening Safety

Sunset on December 6 is approximately 4:35 PM. Most riders will finish after dark, so lights and reflective gear are mandatory.

If you expect your ride to take more than 11 hours, use extra caution between Mile 92 and Mile 108. While much of this section follows quiet roads, there are several short segments on busier roads (each less than a mile long). Traffic moves fast in these areas after dark, particularly between 5 and 7 PM. Be visible, predictable, and alert. The route mostly follows bike trails back to the city after Mile 108.

Finish Control: Wissahickon Brewing

Finish & Social Gathering

After finishing, riders are invited to stay and socialize at Wissahickon Brewing. The brewery offers:

• A wide range of beer and non-alcoholic drinks
• One or two food trucks
• Plenty of indoor seating
• A heated outdoor tent

Please invite friends and family as we turn this finish into a club holiday gathering!

Brad Layman
Event Organizer

Lackawanna 200K Rider Report

Preliminary results for the Lackawanna 200K have been posted on the website. Please review the results and inform me of any necessary corrections. The results will be submitted to RUSA in the coming days and become final pending RUSA certification. All fourteen riders (including two preriders Pat Gaffney and Joe Ray) finished the course within the time limit. Congratulations and well done to all. 

While setting a new course record, Chris Maglieri took some time to take photos like this.

This was the tenth running of the Lackawana 200K, making it one of our most often offered brevets. But for many of the newer riders in the group it was their first experience with Shades of Death and the Paulinskill Viaduct, or the inadequacy of the Dunkin' in Portland compared to the good old Portland Diner. The last time Lackawanna was offered by PA Rando was 2018. Seems like forever ago. 

 But this old favorite did not fail to satisfy the new riders. Many commented about how nice the course was -- the beautiful November weather was a factor, I'm sure. The last time Lackawanna was run was March and the roads had snow on the shoulders. 

Thanks to   Pat Gaffney and Joe Ray for preriding and staffing the start and finish, respectively. It turned out to be critcal we had a second preride when Joe Ray discovered the Headquarters Rd bridge was closed. It allowed us to change the route to avoid it.  Pat Gaffney scouted a last minute report of York Rd being closed for a downed wire, but no reroute ended up being needed for this. 

Chris Maglieri (who never seems to get slower with age) nudged downward his previous course record. Eight years ago, in  2017, he rode the course in 8:10, but now in 2025 he made it around in 8:08, even though the Headquarters Rd detour changed the route to include the more difficult climbs on Geigel Hill Rd.  Maybe when you are in your 70's, Chris,  you'll finally crack 8 hours?

Although Chris always seems to get a little better, Decendants Brew Pub was just as mediocre as I remember it being. I think the reason we stopped running the Lackawanna was our fatigue at being disappointed by the mediocre beer and food at the "Shi*s Inn" aka, Descendants. I mean, it's not bad, parking is convenient, and it doesn't suck to have a warmish place to finish on a cold Fall night. No worries. When we return to Milford in February, the finish will be at Pipolo's, which is decidedly less mediocre if not exactly better. 

Before we get into the Jan/Feb Hope to wherever winter brevets that start near Easton, there is one last Philly start in December for the Oley Valley & Hopewell Furnace 200K, which is the final brevet of the 2025 season. Info and online registration can be found at the event website.  Hope to see you there.