Covered Bridges 200K Ride Report

On Saturday, March 15, The 2025 SR Series kicked off from the Chamounix Carriage House in Philadelphia. Of the 59 who clipped in, 52 finished in good time for an 88% completion rate. Preliminary results have been posted. Please review the results and let us know if something is not quite right. The results will be submitted to RUSA after review and will become official once certified.

This event boasted 13 newly minted randonneurs who completed their first 200K! Nick Asby, Anna Balchunas, Bing Dai, Anthony DiNolfo, Peter Eby, Michael Garrity, Aram Kaplanian, Sayantan Khan, Bill Lugg, Andrew Maloney, Greg Marchand, Tracey Sikora, and Julia Townsend. Well done and WELCOME! Hope to see you at future events. 

First finisher, 17 year old Tibor Barankay, rolled in at an impressive 8hr 26m time, setting a new course record for the Covered Bridges 200K. A truly outstanding feat for such a challenging ride. Congrats, Tibor!

 

In the following hours, dozens of riders arrived back at the hostel in good spirits after a big day. Lanterne rouge, Dan Oh, provided excitement right up to the last minute in an epic finish by sprinting in with barely two minutes to spare before the cutoff time. Fellow riders stuck around for a warm welcome. 

 

Thank you to the volunteers who ensured the event ran smoothly and the riders were well fed! Pat Gaffney, Chris Nadovich, Joe Ray, Kalten Walter and Erik Wright.

Sayantan Khan writes...

I really appreciate the potatoes and sausage at the manned control point. A ride like this needs to be sustained by real food, and the potatoes kept me going for the second half of the course. 

Nigel Greene writes...

Huge thank you to the organizers and volunteers for putting on this memorable event! This was my first time on this route and it was both a challenge and a pleasure. Lots of new roads intersecting with familiar ones coupled with the covered bridges made for a scenic ride. Hot food and coffee at the Tinicum control was just what was needed to make the next section of relentless climbing bearable. Finally, I was happy to see the large turnout! PA Randonneurs has a promising future! 

Amy Lippe writes...

I just want to say thank you to all the organizers and volunteers! It was cold out there, so I was very grateful for the friendly faces and warm food at the Tinicum Control. 

Brad Layman writes..

Thank you, Kate, Erik, Pat, Chris, and Joe! Your support throughout the day was fantastic. To me, the Uhlerstown climb epitomizes this kickoff ride of the PA SR Series—not the longest, but steep enough to push the legs to their limit. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the 300 next month. 

Ben Keenan writes...

Thanks Kate, Erik, Joe, Pat and Chris for another excellent rendition of this ride.  The course looked like winter but felt like spring, which is kind of like having hope as a tailwind. From start to finish, first to last, there were so many excellent riders and rides on the day, it made it really fun to be out there.  Special mention to Tibor Barankay (a ride for the ages) and Daniel Oh (one of the great finishes ever).  Thanks everyone and see you down the road!

Greg Marchand writes...

A beautiful day for my first brevet. Me and Scott H. zoomed to New Hope and I was feeling pretty great. We picked up two or three riders and had a good pace up river road for a while until we hit the first of several challenging hills in upper bucks. At this point I knew I wouldn’t see Scott again until the Tinicum control but was fortunate enough to make a new friend (Nick) who stuck with me until the lunch control. From then on it was a struggle, I won’t lie, the hills are no joke and by control 4 (mile 73-74) the self doubt was really creeping in. Luckily Nick, Bill, and a couple other riders gave me confidence and the feeling of not being alone out there gave me a boost. Control 5 was a welcomed rest and food stop, and also the area I grew up. It was a surreal feeling to ride past the neighborhood I learned to ride a bike in as a kid while pushing towards the 100 mile mark. From then on I was pretty much out of my mind, I was dealing with a frustrating bib issue and a Wahoo that was starting to act a little weird and laggy. At this point me and Nick decided we were finishing no matter what and we’d get each other there regardless of time. We made it to the SRT a little before 7:00 PM and out of nowhere Andy S. and his group zoomed up to us and gave us a wonderful pace line and pulled us Manayunk before breaking off a little. I watched there lights climbing up to Chamounix and saw Nick not far behind me, I knew we’d make it at that point and the emotion really kicked in. Waiting to hand in my card I could barely hold back tears, I get why people do this and I’m all in. Thanks again to all the volunteers and all the riders I met along the way, I can’t wait for more.  

Joey Doubek writes...

The sun came out for all of three minutes. Such a great ride! Thanks again for organizing!

Olivia Walling writes...

I did want to say that I really enjoyed my fellow randos. Everyone was supportive and fun, and I've learned now that the big insulated gloves are necessary for in early spring early start! :)

Covered Bridges 200k Preride Report

The Covered Bridges 200K is back for a fourth edition as the 2025 PA Super Randonneur Series kicks off on Saturday, March 15.

A preride was completed on Saturday, March 1 by Pat Gaffney, Erik Wright and I [Kate Sparacio]. Erik and I rode together, while Pat rode ahead solo. We did not encounter any road closures or issues along the way, and the route was in good shape. The latest RWGPS route and cue sheets can be found HERE (dated 3/10/25) and the cue sheet is version 3. We encourage riders to use the ebrevet app to check in at the controls. Search for "ebrevet" by Chris Nadovich in the app store. Your brevet card will have a code to check into the app at the start. Then, you need to open the app at each control, hit “GPS Update” and check in at each control. You can close the app between controls and keep your phone in airplane mode if you prefer. This is not a tracking app - it just allows you to check and upload the time when you are at a control.

Those familiar with the route will notice that this year’s course features an updated route out of the city. Departing from the Chamounix Carriage House, riders will enjoy a peaceful ride along the Wissahickon Bike Trail followed by several miles of quiet suburban roads through Northwest Philadelphia before meeting back up with the classic route at the north end of Pennypack.

Gentle hills on the way to New Hope will help you warm up before the big climbs come. In New Hope, there is a Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts that open early enough (5:30am) for riders to take advantage of while passing through town & checking into the second control. Don’t stop for too long, as the brunch stop is only 20 miles away.

Leaving New Hope the route follows along the Delaware river and brings riders to the first real hills of the course.

Cabin Run Covered Bridge at mile 51.4

Brunch (including vegan options) will be provided at the Tinicum control by club RBA Chris Nadovich and volunteer Joe Ray.  Be sure to take advantage of the generously provided fuel! Following the control, riders will be on a very long stretch with limited resources and a LOT of climbing between miles 60-90. At the time of the preride, bathrooms were open and available at Tinicum. 

Shortly after brunch you will climb out of the river valley on the notorious Uhlerstown Hill Rd. This is the steepest climb on the route with a grade that reaches over 30%. There is a gate at the bottom that is possible to navigate without dismounting your bike. If you’re not already off your bike due to the oppressive grade at the top of the climb, you will most likely need to dismount anyway to navigate around the final gate. Now halfway through the ride, you only have a few more big hills and scenic descents before the bulk of the climbing is well behind you.

Erik going for a hike up Uhlerstown Road

The last control before the finish is Tabora Farm, where you’ll find all manner of baked goods and treats to fuel up on. An indoor bathroom at Tabora is unmarked and located behind the coffee counter, so you have to ask permission to use it. There are also outdoor bathrooms available around the side of the building.

On the way back into Philly riders will encounter some gently rolling hills and a stretch on the 202 Bike Trail. The most challenging parts of the route are now behind you, but the final miles definitely require patience at frequent traffic lights as you wind through the suburbs back towards the city.

Back at the Carriage House, volunteers and ride buddies will be waiting to welcome you and congratulate you on a big day. Be sure to stick around to wind down and recount your adventure over dinner, provided by the club.

This is a lovely route with no shortage of scenery and dynamic roads to enjoy along the way - have fun out there! Looking forward to seeing everyone on Saturday.

Internatioal Women's Day 107K Populaire Ride Report

A chilly, but pleasant, morning greeted the 66 starters this past Saturday for the International Women's Day 107K Populaire.  Temperatures rose to around 50 degrees as riders explored Philadelphia's Fairmount Park and the suburbs to the northwest. 

In all 58 riders and 3 preriders finished the ride in good time for a 92% completion rate.  Congratulations to all the finishers.  Preliminary results have been posted on the website.  Please review and let us know if something is not right.  Results will be submitted to RUSA after review and will become official once certified.  

The large starting field was a good mix of veterans and riders new to the sport.  This ride boasted 16 (!) freshly minted ronadonneurs!  Noah Abbot, Stephen Arrivello, Hala Asraf, David Bacher Hicks, Christopher Costes, Bing Dai, Sayantan Kahn, Bella Kuhl, Andrew Maloney, Peter McLoone, Erik Orvik, Tracey Sikora, Malissa Sullivan, Michelle Sun, Emma Trallon, and Olivia Walling all posted strong finishes.  Well done and congratulations to you all.  

The ride also served as a fundraiser for Little Bellas, a mentorship program that gets your women and girls on bikes. 100% of the proceeds from this ride was donated to Little Bellas. Each rider's entry fee earned them a sweepstakes ticket, which were drawn at the finish. With items donated form members of the community and beyond sweepstakes winners receive prizes that ranged from bike tune-ups and haircuts to art work and acupuncture. In all, through entry fees and sweepstakes ticket sales, we raised over $720.00 for the organization.  Thank you to all who supported.

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Ben Keenan writes -

Thanks a million to Pat, Cece, Ello and everyone else for a great day and honoring International Women’s Day.  It was a perfect beginning to a new season.   As Pat said, hope to see everyone down the road! ______________________________________________________________________________________________

 The Pennsylvania Super Randonneur Series starts this weekend with the Covered Bridges 200K starting at the Chamounix Carriage House. Information about all the events in the series can be found on the PA Rando website.

International Women's Day 107K Populaire Preride Notes

Prerides of the International Women's Day 107K Populaire were completed by Pat & Cecily Gaffney and Ello Shertzer.  The latest cue sheet is Version 12 and the RWGPS file was last modified 2025-03-2 19:44:03 EST.  RWGPS file and cue sheet can be found here

The populaire route is a tour of Fairmont Park landmarks, with a loop out to the suburbs, including rural Evansburg State Park and the interesting town of Ambler. You will visit Laurel Hill Cemetary, Strawberry Mansion, and more.

Course Notes 

The course is in good shape with no major issues or rough patches.  Though there are a few things to watch out for:

There is a large metal plate right at the point you will turn onto the Wissahickon bike trail at mile 5.4, please be careful.

The turn at mile 57.4 is tricky. You make a right at the traffic light at Leverington then an immediate left at High St before the bridge. This is what it looks like:

 On the return to Center City and the finish control you will again pass by the Joan of Arc Statue and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  As you round the museum your GPS may tell to stay to the right and head towrads the Spring Garden Street Bridge, as you did at the start.  Don't listen to it.  To go the finish you want to head left around the traffic circle.  Please be mindful of traffic in the circle.

 EBrevet

We encourage riders to use the ebrevet app to check in at the controls. Search for "ebrevet" by Chris Nadovich in the app store. Your brevet card will have a code to check into the app at the start. Then, you need to open the app at each control, hit “GPS Update” and check in at each control. You can close the app between controls and keep your phone in airplane mode if you prefer. This is not a tracking app - it just allows you to check and upload the time when you are at a control.

Finish Control 

The finish control is the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where the Philadelphia Bike Expo will be in full swing.  There will be free & secure bike valet on the ground floor if you would like to go peruse the expo after your ride.  The area near the bike valet is also where the sweepstakes prizes will be drawn and handed out.  Each registered rider will receive a sweepstakes ticket with their brevet card at the start. Prizes will be awarded at 3:45.  Additional information can be found at the event webpage here.

Looking forward to seeing everyone on Saturday!

Stillwater 200K Ride Report

It was cold of course -- staying in the 30s all day -- and the strong wind  created extra challenge, but the good news was that the drizzle late Friday was not frozen into black ice when riders clipped in at dawn. It was above freezing, about 38F, at the start. Although the temperature fell all day, when it reached freezing (at around 5PM) the roads were mostly dry and the lanternes rouges arrived safely. During the bulk of the day, the sunshine and beautiful countryside make it all fairly pleasant. 

A good 16 of 17 who clipped in for the brevet finished within the time limit (94%). Congratulations and well done to all. Preliminary results have been posted on the website.  Please review the results and let us know if something is not quite right.  The results will be submitted to RUSA after review and will become official once certified. 

Newly minted randonneurs, Michael Burns and Scott Holjes, had solid finishes --  it's great to see new riders showing up for the Winter brevets. These cats obviously have what it takes to be tough randonneurs. Welcome to our sport!  

On the veteran end of the spectrum, first finisher Jim Vreeland looked strong as he prepares for his fifth  Iditarod Trail Invitational, a 350 mile race in Alaska later this month.  Prerider  Chris Newman and day-of finisher Nigel Greene accumulated early season miles as they train for London Edinburgh London.  Chris Newman was also the finish control volunteer, thanks!

With this 200K finish, Mike Riley completed his very first R-12. I believe the R-12 is one of the more difficult randonneuring awards to achieve, as it requires consistent commitment over a long period. Chapeau Mike and ride on to R-24!

The Stillwater 200K is one of the most popular PA Rando routes. This course has been used for an official 200K brevet sixteen times since 2011. It was invented by Tom Rosenbauer and is one of several brevets exploring the Great Meadow region of NJ, in and around the Lackawanna Cutoff earthworks and bridges.

Mac Vergara writes...

Chris, thank you for organizing yesterday’s brevet, which as an absolutely beautiful route, even in the dead of winter.

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In March the Pennsylvania randonneuring 2025 season begins in earnest with two great events.

The International Women's Day 107K  Populaire  on March 8th starts at the Joan of Arc stature near the Art Museum and this year has an exciting finish at the Philadelphia Bike Expo.  100% of the entry fees for this event will go towards fundraising for Little Bellas, a mentorship program that gets girls on bikes. 

The Pennsylvania Super Randonneur Series starts March 15th with the Covered Bridges 200K start/finishing at Chamounix. 

Hope to see you all at one or both of these great events.

Hope to New Hope 200K Ride Report

A cold and windy day. But not that cold. It was almost above freezing  at times.  The sun almost came out. And there was no snow. Well, not much snow. So, basically, a nice day by Hope 2 New Hope standards. 

The brevet starts just before dawn. Brrrrr!

Seven out of seven riders, including one prerider, all made it back to the warmth of Frank's Trattoria having bested the gods of winter, for a 100% finish rate.  Congratulations and well done to all. Preliminary results have been posted on the website.  Please review the results and let us know if something is not quite right.  The results will be submitted to RUSA after review and will become official once certified. 

Start volunteer and prerider Bob Dye made sure everyone knew what to expect.  Finish volunteer Nigel Greene welcomed the finishers with warm pizza. 

 

RBA Emeritus Tom Rosenbauer writes...

I was pleased to see that everyone made it to the finish in good time -- chapeau to the audacious randonneurs that persisted in such frigid riding conditions.  And even more impressively, all managed to resist the siren call of stopping as they passed their cars at the halfway point.

 

First finisher (by like 3 hours!) Chris Maglieri had enough extra time to snap some photos. 

 

Hope to New Hope 200K Pre Ride Notes

The course was pre-ridden by Bob Dye on 1 January.  The latest cue sheet is VERSION 1, and the RWGPS file was last modified on 2024-12-31 13:59:20 EST. RWGPS file and cue sheets can be found here. 

Prerider Bob Dye writes...

New Year's Day was a good day for the Hope to New Hope 200k pre-ride. The roads are mostly in great shape with many wide and smooth shoulders.   This is a good route for a winter-time ride although there was no ice or  snow seen anywhere. There was a cause for concern just after mile 84 with two sinkholes in the shoulder. These look like bottomless potholes and  there was no warning near them. Also, high winds had left some debris on the road which hopefully will be gone by Saturday. The restrooms at Bulls Island (miles 79 and 94) were open and heated.

The route passes through the flashing-light intersection of Greenwich St and Main St  twice - first at mile 2.3 and then at 48.5. It's a left turn (north) the first time at the flashing light and a right turn (south) later. This may confuse your GPS. Mine was totally flummoxed and directed me the wrong way (which I ignored) and  then insisted on a U-turn for the next 5-10 miles. Be ready to disobey! 

Start time Saturday is 6AM Saturday.  I'm looking forward to seeing you then.