Dark Skies 200k Ride Report

Although it was a long, long drive from Eastern PA, eight brave souls trekked to the start at Texas Hot in Wellsville, NY seeking adventure. These tough randonneurs rode,  and finished, the inaugural running of the Dark Skies 200k. It was a beautiful summer evening through the wilds of the Northern/Southern tiers of New York and Pennsylvania.  The 9:00 pm start time provided for cooler temperatures and the opportunity for newer riders to experience riding at nighttime and test their lighting equipment.

The Start at Texas Hot

Yes. Nothing to it. All 8 riders who clipped in finished in good time, for a completion rate of 100%. Preliminary results have been posted. Please review them and let me know if there are any discrepancies. Results will be submitted to RUSA after review and will become official once certified. 

Do these people look like they rode their bikes all night?

A band of heavy rain crossed the Wellsville New York area around 6:00 but the high temperatures dried the roads prior to the start.  After a minor reroute due to a closed bridge near the start, riders made record time on flat roads to the first control in the metropolis of Andover, NY under cloudy skies.   Speeds dropped precipitously after the first control as riders endured the first of many long climb on the route. 

Most riders made use of the open convenience in Galeton, Pa to restock supplies.  An undetermined crime wave preceded the riders and both Galeton police offers were busy interrogating the alleged criminal.  All riders were able to escape before the crime spree was resolved.

Fortunately, clear skies greeted the riders as they entered the Cherry Springs State Park.   Bright stars filled the skies and the Milky Way accompanied riders on this challenging climb and the subsequent leg breakers before the long descent into Coudersport through the heavy fog.  Riders reported seeing deer, porcupine, raccoons, king fishers, beavers and hearing owls and other assorted wildlife.

Congratulations to a hearty bunch of Randonneurs.  Most riders commented that the course seemed harder than the elevation profile indicated (an opinion which is shared by the ride organizer). 

Andreas encouraging the sunrise

Bob Dye writes...

What a ride! It began with random skyrockets lighting up the night. Then,  pedaling through the blackness in silence and long stretches with nary a  car. It would be a sensory deprivation experience if it weren't for the  climbs. As Patrick pointed out, these weren't your usual PA Rando hills.  The Allegheny mountain climbs were long and seemed to kick steeper at the  top - although that may have been just my leg's opinion. When I stopped to  look up, I saw more stars than I've ever seen - many of them in the night sky. Thank you Bill for impeccable organization, your good cheer, and   putting in a long night and day.  

 

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Join us again next month as PA Rando continues its "Wilds of PA" series with the second running of the Grand Canyon of PA 200K gravel brevet. There are magnificent canyon vistas, 72 km of varied gravel trail, and even a stream ford! Details and online registration can be found on the event page.

Dark Skies Pre-ride Course Notes

 

Over the last few weeks, the ride organizer performed some partial pre-rides of the Dark Skies route.  Due to complete lack of fitness, the organizer rode slowly and during daylight (the wimp).  The current cue sheet version 3 (generated 2024-06-30 18:57:55 EDT) is correct and will remain unchanged.

At the risk of being overly redundant, please be advised that there will be very few services on route.  Only 2 establishments will be open during the ride.  There is a Nittany Food Market (nice convenience store) at mile 48.8 and a Sheetz (really nice convenience store) at mile 83.  Trust me that you will not pass anything except trees during the rest of your journey.

There is also limited/spotty cell phone coverage and little street lighting.  I would highly recommend that you have a redundant taillight and, if possible, a redundant headlight (and headlamp on your helmet).   Particularly while you are riding through Cherry Springs State Park you will have zero ambient light.  Although there aren’t that many turns, it’s still difficult to navigate potholes etc. without adequate lighting, so bring all the lights you got!

The current forecast is predicting rain during the day on Saturday and low temps Saturday night of 55 degrees.  It may be prudent to bring arm warmers and a wool base layer.  55 degrees is comfy warm in daylight but if it’s wet and you’ve ridden 80 miles, you can get miserable pretty quickly.

The ride starts at the world famous (well maybe not world but it’s famous in Allegany County) Texas Hot.   There is a parking lot across the street at the Allegany County WIC program that can be accessed from Park Ave:

See you Saturday Night!

Keystone Brevet Co. Ride Report

 

Saturdays run of the now 2nd annual Keystone Brevet Co was a success! 39 registered riders with 35 at the starting line. Including the pre-rider (thanks Nick Manta aka the original 650bae), we had 33 qualifying finishers for a 94% completion rate. Two riders, Todd Nisbet at Stacie Brunner (both of whom this was their first brevet!) rode well and came in just a little after the cutoff time to a round of applause from the other riders: it was amazing seeing all the riders complete this challenging course. Chapeau on a great ride to all of the participants and new riders! Following is some of the pictures and reports from the riders. 

 Here are some finishing photos from local rando legend CJ Arayata !

Notable Notes: Congrats to the first time Randonneurs: Brendan Ash, Mark Elsasser (on a single speed too!), Jasen Lo, Jacob Prosser, and Jack Stewart Castner.

 Ag Manta writes:

  What a wonderful day! The route was beautiful and I had a great time riding with everyone.

 

 Jakub Piven writes

Thank you for hosting such a delightful ride on what turned out to be an absolutely stunner of a day.

I started the day off with heavy legs and little sleep. As it does, life and travel got in the way of training rides leading up to this big one, which meant I'd have to take it slow and easy until my legs gave me the green light to pick up the pace a bit. This is something I've grown to love about the brevets I've done this year. You really learn to listen to your body and trust that it will tell you what it needs when it needs it. (Other than food, you just have to keep scarfing things down regardless of how you're feeling.)

As I turned onto Goshen Rd. and hit that first steep hill, I discovered a slow leak in my front tire. While this could have been a non-issue if I had done the precautious thing and refilled the sealant in my wheel before the ride, I had to pull over and wrestle a tube in there in order to continue. With this resolved and having lost the small group I was riding with, I had a short stretch to myself to refocus and find my own rhythm. My reward? Hitting Sunset Hollow Rd. right as my spirits and legs were fully returned to all-in brevet mode. This was the most beautiful stretch of the route for me. Full canopy of lush leaves over the road, with no cars passing and a roadside stream keeping things cool and adding that ambient soundtrack.

The rest of the ride was spent leapfrogging a bit until I linked up with Owen K to close it out in the final third, with him dropping me in the final stretch of Kelly Dr., my legs and mind weary from the trail.

Attaching a picture of Joshua (if I remember correctly) along rolling country farmland. Wish I'd gotten a chance to snap a picture of cyclists riding up the hill right after Morgantown Coffee.

Great ride! Great crew! And what a treat to end with the warm reception at Sor Ynez with tasty food and icy bevs to bring us back to the living.

 

 Maria Thomson writes:

Had an awesome, sweaty day on Saturday. It was a hot one - but thanks to the route organizers for sending us through shady, sun-dappled roads during the hottest parts of the day. Where we lacked shade, the Bob Ross were clouds a welcome distraction. With every passing brevet, there are more and more friends on the ride and I'm ever appreciative of the good vibes and conversation that makes the hills and hours slide by.

 

 

Keystone Brevet Co Pre-Ride Course Notes

We’re really excited for the upcoming Keystone Brevet Co 200k Brevet on Saturday. This event begins and ends at 1800 North American Street and starts at 6:00AM, with rider meeting at 6:50AM and departure starting at 7AM. Please see Event Page for all of the pertinent information. This past week, Nick Manta prerode the course and updated the GPS File and Cue sheet to reflect road closures and updated road conditions. The latest cues are Version 3 and the RWGPS route was last updated 2024-06-12 22:55:15 EDT. Read on for Nick's ride report.

The pre-ride was completed on May 10th and it was a beautiful sunny day. The weather on Saturday looks to be equally as nice.  Due to a closure on MLK drive, the route now follows the Cecil B. Moore west across the city. Cecil B. Moore is a narrow two way street across philadelphia. You will pass Temple University and through the historic Strawberry Mansion neighborhood. The road will be very quiet at 7am on a Sunday but be aware of buses that often stop or pull over for oncoming traffic.  At this time of day the road is very quiet. From there, the updated route takes you along 33rd street and over the historic Strawberry Mansion Bridge and onto the familiar greenland drive and climb up to Chamounix. From there the route rejoins the original course at Wynfield Ave. Front there the route winds through the Philadelphia suburbs on some very beautiful roads. The only other major change to the route is along the Perkiomen trail. Riders who completed this route in the past will be happy to know that repairs to the Perkiomen trail allow us to avoid a short detour and a steep climb. Once you're past the short steep climb on the Perk is flat to the finish.

***Please make sure you have the most current versions of the cue sheet and ride with GPS file! The can be found here make sure you have cue sheet version 3***

Continuing along the route and making my way out of the city, I made a few notes on areas to use caution.

• At Mile 51.6 (R. Onto Bollinger Road) I advise caution when turning since you will be turning onto a gravel road.
• At Mile 70.5 (BL + QR on Kemp Road, Crossing Hanover Road). This is a busy road so please use caution. Additionally, be sure to make the right turn as continuing onward will bring you off course and climb an unnecessary hill.
• At mile 83.9 (L onto Zieglerville Road) the sign is blocked by a bush and not visible. It is the first left after the traffic circle: if you’ve passed Mr. Lees Gourmet you’ve gone too far.
• At mile 85.6, updated Info Controle 4: Look for blue sign for Info answer.

Overall it's a great route and the majority of the climbing happens in the earlier part of the ride. The finish on the Schuylkill River trail will be familiar to Philly riders and is an easy way to make your way back to the city.

Riders and friends are welcome to hang out at Sor Ynez afterwards for food and drinks. 

Here are some photos from Nicks preride!

The riding gets particularly scenic after Morgantown. 

We recommend a stop at Morgantown Coffee!

The course is fairly reasonable by PA standards for climbing but there is climbing right up untill you get on the Perkiomen trail. 

See you Saturday!

-Zack

No Jim Thorpe 600K Ride Report

The PA Randonneurs 2024 SR series concluded this past weekend with the completion of the No Jim Thorpe 600K. Twelve riders started out on a beautiful morning that evolved into a wonderful day to spend on the bike. Low humidity and a lite breeze kept the riders feeling good throughout the day. Day two proved to be just as nice with morning cloud cover giving way to sunny skies as the riders returned to the Chamounix Mansion. Along with one pre-rider, eleven riders finished in good time, for a completion rate of 92%. Preliminary results have been posted. Please review them and let me know if there are any discrepancies. Results will be submitted to RUSA after review and will become official once certified. 

Riders ready at the Start

A 600K is a daunting ride and completing one amongst the steep climbs of Easter PA makes it even more challenging. While the grand climb from last year’s edition, Mt. Penn, had to be removed due to trail maintenance in Jim Thorpe, this course still packed a punch. Everyone who saddled up for this ride should be pleased with their efforts.

First finisher, Ben Keenan

 

Photo: Ron Anderson

 

Congratulations to our eight PA Super Randonneurs for 2024

• Ron Anderson
• Pat Gaffney (7)
• Tracey Hinder
• Ben Keenan (3)
• Greg Lang (2)
• Brad Layman (4)
• Sophia Lofaso
• Paul Schack

Two of these riders, Tracey Hinder & Paul Schack, completed their first Super Randonneur series. Welcome to the club!

photo: Greg Jacobs

Thank you to all of the volunteers who helped make this ride possible. Without volunteers these rides would be next to impossible to put on. RBA Chris Nadovich and OG RBA Tom Rosenbauer for greeting and supporting riders at the Easton control. Nick Manta and Ryan Stanis for greeting, feeding, and sending riders back on their way at the overnight control. Iwan Barankay for welcoming riders on Friday night, attending to the finish control on Sunday afternoon and cleanup on Monday morning. And Soph, Nicole, & Tracey for helping with Monday morning cleanup

Alex's Pop Tart Cache,  Photo:Iwan Baran

Michael Evangelista writes:  

Sadly, I have no amazing stories to tell (unless walking down S Fireline Rd in my socks counts). But I do want to thank you and the volunteers for putting on another great PA Rando event, and -- even more importantly -- for ensuring there was cold seltzer at the finish. I'll definitely be back for a 200K to finish off my first PA SR Series!

Brad Layman writes:

Thank you to all the volunteers, especially those who put in many hours waiting for us to arrive.

Highlights included stopping next to a peaceful creek in the middle of nowhere to enjoy the pork buns and Italian cookies I brought from Philly, hanging out at the mansion, and the night riding on Saturday. I really enjoy the night riding on Day 1 of 600s. It has a more relaxed feel compared to the 400s since you know there's another day of riding left.

Thanks to everyone who helped make the SR Series happen this year. These are my favorite events on the calendar, and I hope to be back for another one next year. I love how the series pushes me to go farther while getting to share the experience with other randonneurs.

Greg Lang writes

[ED: Greg once again completed the series fixed and brakeless!]

About 200k into the ride I shredded my back tire while skidding down
South Fireline Road in Palmerton. It was a gnarly, white knuckling,
heavy skidding descent. The condition of the tire was a predicament
to say the least. I was not confident it would last for the remainder
of the ride even though I was prepared to ride it to the rim if needed
to finish. For that 75k, I had to find the correct skid patches by
sound and only could skid on half the tire as well as responsibly
backpedal in the right time frames. Luckily, with the help of
Pennsylvania Randonneurs they helped me find a bike shop about 75k
away where I was able to get a new tire. That was a good lesson to
always check for bike shops along the route in case you have a
mechanical problem.

Ben Keenan writes:

Thanks Pat, Nick, Ryan, Chris, Tom, Iwan and all others for organizing this event. It was a fitting end to another great SR series. The early June conditions made for pleasant riding even in the later stages when I tired and was rolling slow. Thanks to all the other riders in the series from the icy first ride in March until now. I really appreciated sharing the miles and hearing your stories. Hope to see everyone at a ride soon!

Greg Jacobs writes:

What a great experience for my first 600k and a great way to cap off a first, albeit not totally PA, SR series. There's no better way to explore than on a bicycle and this route had it all from urban to suburbs to rural and even some stretches in the woods on the various bike trails. A small group at the start meant a fair amount of solo riding but the stars aligned as I met up with Ron A for the last 100K of night riding on Saturday. His companionship and experience were invaluable in both this ride and the 400K in May. Day 2 had ups and downs. The day started well riding through Delco into the Brandywine Valley. The toughest part of the whole event was the climb up Apple Grove through to the controle in Christiana (miles 45-60) as the climbing increased as did the headwinds. From the top of Beaver Dam Rd. it was relatively smooth sailing back east into Philly. Thanks to Pat, Chris and the rest of the PA Rando volunteers (especially the overnight guys willing to carry bikes and dish out meals into the wee hours of Sunday morning). The entire club is a class act and I look forward to more rides in the future.

Ron Anderson writes:

PA Randonneurs "No Jim Thorpe" 600k: Wonderful. Awful. Oh so rewarding in the end. If you're a randonneur you know exactly what I mean. Sorry I don't have more photos to post. Busy riding.

I'm having trouble putting together a coherent summary of the weekend's ride, so I'm giving up and instead you're getting the random thoughts that stick with me from my 375 mile, 2 day tour of Eastern PA.
Day 1 was the Wonderful part. 247 miles in a hilly, challenging counter-clockwise loop from Philadelphia, northeast into NJ, then on to Lehighton and back south to Philly. I had a plan and executed well. Rode strongly, enjoyed the gorgeous route and weather. Listened to the Phillies v. Mets in London (Phils won 7-2!) Such a pleasure to see RBA Chris N. and RBA Emeritus Tom R. at the Easton control. Hooked up with my nighttime PAR riding buddy Greg J. to finish off the final 53 miles back to Chamounix Mansion in the dark. Arrived at 1:37am, feeling good about the day's effort and hopeful for a strong finish on Sunday.
Opened my eyes around 4:55am Sunday, 5 minutes before my alarm. Got myself together and had some breakfast. Day 2 was only(!) a 128 mile loop west toward Lancaster County, with no crazy climbing on the menu. Easy peasy, right?
WRONG!!! Despite the lovely cool morning, my legs would not follow the plan. I had nothing. Completely dead. My mood soon switched to match my energy level. My whole body was in limp mode. At mile 23, nearly 2½ hours into my day I stopped and checked Google Maps for the most direct route back to Chamounix. This was no fun at all. I had to dig in to the old bag of mental tricks to convince myself to keep going. My biggest motivator at that moment was the disappointment I knew I would have felt at not finishing my spring goal: a full PA SR series. So, onward I pushed.
The excruciatingly slow pace and dark mood continued all morning into the afternoon. I was working the mental gymnastics of speed vs. time vs. time limit. It wasn't a rosy picture.
At sometime before 3pm I rolled into the Turkey Hill convenience store in God-Knows-Where, PA needing to eat, resupply and regroup for the final 50 miles home. It was good to see Paul S., whom I'd been leapfrogging all day, there and in a similar state as me. We went about our business and chatted in a subdued tone. Then as we were getting ready to depart in rolled Tracey and Soph, followed shortly by Nicole. The whole Brooklyn Rando Crew was in the house! It was odd (to me) and wonderful how all our moods were immediately lifted. Each and every one of us were genuinely thrilled to be in the company of the group. This took me by surprise. If you ask me, I'll claim to be an introvert, and completely happy to ride solo at my own pace, even for a ride of this length. But the feeling of joy with some good company at this point in the ride was undeniable. We hung out a bit longer while everyone ate and filled waterbottles then rolled out more or less together for the final 50 miles.
The transformation in my mood and performance in that last leg really can't be understated. Suddenly I could roll along at 15mph again. My fears of running out of time evaporated. I was going to finish! We were all going to finish! I made the final slog up Greenland Dr. to Chamounix to stop the clock at 6:59pm. Finished with an hour and one minute to spare. Nicole A. would tell you she came in behind me to take Lantern Rouge honors (DFL!,) but we both checked in at 6:59pm.
A HUUUUUGE thanks to all the volunteers who made this ride happen: Patrick G., Chris N., Tom R., Nick M., Ryan S., Iwan B., and all the riders I shared the road with. You folks ROCK!!!

I'm very proud to have finished off my spring goal and bagged my very first PA Randonneurs

Super Randonneur series (despite having been an on and off member since 2007...) Cheers to everyone who finished this epic adventure!

With the SR series not in the books, PA Randonneurs returns to monthly our monthly R12 series this Saturday with the Keystone Brevet Co 200K. Hope to see you there!

No Jim Thorpe 600K Course Notes *** Updated

Update 1 ***

There have been several small tweaks in the course, including a change of control location in Easton. 

The latest route cuesheet is Version 6 and the GPS route was last updated on 2024-06-4 15:35:20 EDT. 

Many GPS units cannot handle turn-by-turn data for a full 600K in Pennsylvania. There are simply too many turns. The official route data is as given by the cues linked above on the route info website, but for convenience the RWGPS data is also available split into Day-One and Day-Two that may work better in some units. We strongly recommend that you verify operation of your GPS unit with our data before riding, and that you carry a paper cuesheet as a backup nav system. Also be sure you have the latest data as there may still be route changes after the pre-ride. 

Original Post ***

The Jim Thorpe 600K starts at 4AM Saturday 8 June 2024. Information about the event, and a link for online registration, appears on the event website. Make sure you have read and understood all of it. If you have any questions, contact the organizer.

As we feared, the D&L remains impassable below Jim Thorpe. The 600K has been rerouted. Consequently, the visit to the town of Jim Thorpe had to been cut from the route. 

 

Not as sadly the Maury Rd climb is also eliminated, although a climb of Lower Saucon and a few other sharp little bastards are now added. The changed route also includes a rough section of relatively unused D&L situated north of the river. This brief section of trail is very rough and may not be suitable for super-skinny, high pressure tires. If you are unsure, please walk rough sections.

 

Pat Gaffney completed a pre-ride of the new route during Memorial Day Weekend to verify the new routing.

The start location for this brevet has been moved into the Chamounix Mansion Building. We are now in the Mansion on the right, partway around the loop at the end of Chamounix Drive. We are not the Carriage House on the left. Parking has also moved. It is unsafe to park at Chamounix for long periods. If you can't ride your bike to the event and must take a car, please do not park at Chamounix. If you are unfamiliar with the area, the start/finish volunteer will direct you when you check in. Please allow sufficient time to park your car.

In our opinion, the safest place to park is the the Hilton/Homewood lot just off of city avenue. Here is a Google map link.  Price is $13/day. As far as we know, this fenced-in lot is secure and it's a very short, easy bike ride from this parking area to Chamounix.  There are free on-street parking alternatives a short distance away, including along W Ford Rd, that may be reasonably secure because of the residences and businesses nearby.

 

Four State 400K & Tscheschter Kaundi 200K Ride Reports

The 2024 Pennsylvania Super Randonneur Series continues! Check out the reports for both the Four State 400K and the Tscheschter Kaundi 200K below.

Riders approach a horse carriage in Lancaster County (photo by Mike Gadomski)

Four State 400K Ride Report

16 riders clipped in for the 400K on a cool morning with rain on the way later in the evening. Along with the two pre-riders, we had a total of 15 finishers and a finish rate of 83%.  Please take a look at the preliminary results and let me know if anything does not look right. The results will be submitted to RUSA after review and will become official once certified.

Riders wait patiently on the South Street Bridge as they prepare to depart the city for the countryside (photo by Ron Anderson)

The 400K is a stubbornly difficult event. There is no easy way to tackle it. Pushing past 300K requires riders to dig deep and go beyond their limits. Nobody finishes a 400K and then questions whether they gave it their all. Non-randonneurs look at our Strava accounts in disbelief and assume we have gone crazy. Every rider who attempted this event deserves a kudos.

Riders encountered early morning fog in the Brandywine Valley (photo by Soph Lofaso)

There were four riders who completed their first 400Ks: Tracey Hinder, Greg Jacobs, Paul Schack, and Kalten Walter. They wisely partnered up with experienced randos along the course. Chapeau to these four riders. And they all stated that they are ready to tackle the 600K next month (apparently they don't even need a case of randonesia to make this happen!). There are a total of 11 riders eligible for the PA SR Series Award upon completion of the 600K (SR Series = 200K, 300K, 400K, & 600K).

Soph Lofaso returned to the event this year after abandoning in 2023 and crushed it this time. They also led three of the new 400K riders through the course.

Ron Anderson had a great ride. While he is working on his PA SR Series, he also completed Crush the Commonwealth only two weeks before this event. He is having a tremendous season.

Tim Gilligan flew through the course with a mind-boggling finish time of 17:16, setting a new course record. This was actually Tim's first official 400K, but he and his teammates elected to ride 400K during the 2022 PA Flèche (they added on 40K to the typical 360K Flèche distance). Michael Evangelista was not far behind with an impressive finish time. Greg Lang turned in another solid performance on his fixed gear. Pat Gaffney had a great ride as he works on his 7th PA SR Series. Tristan Dahn completed his second 4S4, improving his time from last year by almost two hours.

Ben Keenan rode strong after riding his bike to the event, from Wilmington to Philadelphia, on Friday evening ("the best way to a brevet"). Alex Estes, fueled by 18 S'mores Pop-Tarts(!), came in under 20 hours. Forget fancy energy gels, he proves all you need are pastries and sheer willpower.

Bob Dye had some bad luck in Birdsboro after he realized he forgot his phone at the Turkey Hill control. He began to backtrack but lost his way. He eventually made it back to the Turkey Hill but by that time, he had ridden quite a few extra miles. He made the difficult decision to ride back along the SRT to Chamounix. Nicole Aptekar dealt with sleep exhaustion for several hours before making the decision to abandon in Coopersburg. Andy Gorman made the decision to abandon at the Wawa in Doylestown after riding through cold rain for several hours late in the night. Kudos to these three riders for putting in a valiant effort, having the guts to put safety first and make the difficult call to cut it short.

Greg Lang took a photo as he passed a horse carriage in Lancaster County

Thank you to everyone who volunteered to make this event happen. Joe Ray and Chris Nadovich were stationed at the penultimate control in Bloomsbury, helping to boost rider morale as they entered the final 100k in the dark. Ken Cappel handled the finish control for the first shift. Iwan Barankay helped at Chamounix on Friday and Saturday nights, and also provided invaluable support to the organizer during the planning stages of this event. Nick Manta completed a solid pre-ride and then handled the finish from 10pm until the last riders came in after 3am. Simona Dwass handled the finish from 4am on and also helped to clean up Chamounix. Ello Shertzer also helped greet riders at the finish. Ello suffered a bad crash at Crush the Commonwealth and her club-mates' spirits were instantly lifted upon seeing her there and on the road to recovery. Multiple riders helped with setting up and cleaning the Chamounix Carriage House. Thank you!

The Most Valuable Volunteer Award goes to Daniel Oh for roving the course late at night. The temperatures dropped and rain moved in after midnight, creating very difficult conditions for tired riders. Dan provided moral support and hot coffee for many tired riders. He also provided lifts back to the start for two of the riders. Dan mentioned that he is appreciative of the volunteers who have waited for him to finish brevets over the years and felt an urge to return the favor. He was essentially up all night driving between riders and Chamounix. Thank you, Dan.

Tscheschter Kaundi 200K Ride Report

A few hours after the 4S4 start, 13 riders set out on the Tscheschter Kaundi 200K and all finished well within the time limit for a finish rate of 100%. Congratulations to all riders.  This group got to enjoy the best of the day's weather as temperatures reached the mid-60s, the sun shined, and the rain held off until after the event concluded. They followed the same route as the Four State 400K for the first 20 miles to Swarthmore before taking a different track towards Lancaster County.

Augie Faller refueling with donuts at the Maple Arch Farm Market (photo by Mike Gadomski)

Several scenic roads were added to the Tscheschter Kaundi 200 for this edition. One of those roads took the route past the Maple Arch Farm Market. It made this organizer's day to hear that almost every TK rider stopped there for fresh cider donuts.

Sarah Johnson passes a farm in Tscheschter Kaundi (photo by Michael Reali)

Three riders completed their first brevets: Augie Faller, Mike Gadomski, and Molly Gleason. Chapeau and welcome to randonneuring!

Ten other riders added another 200K to their resumes: Nigel Greene, Sarah Johnson, Phil Luong, Bryan Niederberger, Jakub Piven, Michael Reali Jr, Maria Thomson, Gilbert Torres, Arrick Underhill, and Erik Wright. Chapeau!

Riders search their bags for postcards at the Christiana postal control (photo by Jakub Piven)

Thank you to volunteer Ken Cappel for checking riders in at the finish. Back at Chamounix, riders enjoyed pizza and snacks as they shared tales of their day in the saddle.

The only gravel section of the 4S4 route, Rosedale Road (photo by Ron Anderson)

Ron Anderson writes of the 400:

Thanks for all your work putting on the 4S400k. I really enjoyed my day out on the roads of Eastern PA, and Delaware, and Maryland, and New Jersey

Although I was no doubt one of the more "seasoned" riders among the crew yesterday, the Four State had the feel of a fresh, new challenge for me. I looked it up, and the last time I completed a brevet at this distance was all the way back in 2011. The routes out of Chamounix are all relatively new to me too.

I really enjoyed the early morning southern loop into DE and MD, watching the world wake up along the way. That was some beautiful territory. The trek through Amish country was delightful, as always. The New Jersey portion of the ride put me on classic PAR roads that are very familiar to me. The descent from Jugtown Mountain to Milford was a delightful carnival ride, even in the dark, possible because of good lighting and knowledge of the roads.

After riding a while together in the afternoon, I met up with Greg J. at the penultimate control in Bloomsbury right at dusk and we stuck together for the rest of the NJ trek and the run in to Philadelphia. It was great to have the company in the dark as the miles piled up and we both reached that point where we just wanted this to be over. We endured a couple chilly rain showers along the way, as the Rando Gods felt the need for an additional test of our spirit.

We chased a 22 hour finish over the last few hours but the accumulated fatigue and a couple short delays saw us miss our goal by just a few minutes. Still, a very good finish for me and a first 400k finish for Greg. (Congrats!!!)

Thanks again to all our ride volunteers, and see you in a few weeks at the 600k!

Postscript: When the RBA and the ride volunteers suggest that you might want to take a little nap before driving home, pay attention! I thought I was okay to drive leaving the carriage house, but I was not. Even when it became clear to me that I was flagging, I pressed on home to Trenton. Somehow I made it safely, but it was, quite bluntly, a really bonehead move. I should know better. Don't let this be you. 

The fawn that was eventually rescued from the road (photo by Michael Evangelista)

Michael Evangelista writes of the 400:

The most interesting thing that happened to me was at mile 213 on Carversville Rd headed into Doylestown. A tiny fawn wobbled out of the grass and lied down right in the the middle of the northbound lane just as I passed. I stopped and attempted to shoo it back into the woods. I clapped, stomped, yelled and it just stared at me. An Uber Eats driver stopped to try to help, but the most we could do was wave traffic around it. I'd read that it's normal for a fawn to lie down and wait for its mother to come back and that you should just leave them be, but this was a really bad place to do that. I didn't want to touch it, so I called the police and asked if they could send animal control. An officer arrived and went to move the deer. As soon as he touched it, it go up and ran away! Argh! I spent 14 minutes trying to make sure that little guy didn't get squashed! (but was glad he was OK and out of the road in the end).

Pat Gaffney writes of the 400:

Thanks to you, Nick, Chris, Joe, and all the other volunteers who put on the four state four hundred on Saturday.  A 400K is quite an undertaking and this course really challenges the riders.  I really liked the reworks from last year's version, the Maryland section in particular was much more pleasant.  The scenery was great and, for most of the day, the weather was close to perfect.  Thanks again, see you at the 600.

A rider prepares to mail their postcard at the Elkton Maryland postal control (photo by Soph Lofaso)

Ben Keenan writes of the 400:

Thanks Brad, Nick, Dan, Joe, Chris and all others for organizing this ride.  This was my second time on this route, and it was no less beautiful and no less challenging.  I’d forgotten the number of quiet back roads and long, winding descents.  Alas, the memory of the hills came back just as quickly!  I think the last thirty miles of this ride may be one of the hardest stretches of miles I’ve ridden.  Congratulations and thanks to all and hope to see everyone for the next ride.

Greg Jacobs writes of the 400:

Just want to say thanks for a great first 400km experience! It was a challenging yet manageable route with plenty of varied scenery. About 20 miles in we passed within a mile of my house. Had I known what was in store on Staats rd 14 hours later, I may have just detoured. Big thanks to Ron A for dragging me along for the last 150kms. Looking forward to attempting the 600km in June. 

Chris Nadovich writes of the 400 MVV Recipient:

It's awesome Daniel Oh volunteered. It's so critical to have good people who are mobile, covering the final third of the course on a long brevet. Riders crumble in the wee hours and it can save a lot of trouble if there's a volunteer nearby who can help. My point is that it's critical we have such volunteers. Hanging out at 2am greeting tired riders, and maybe driving them to/from Philly multiple times - THAT is serious volunteer work. When people ask to volunteer, I'm not sure they think of such "glamorous" duties. But Daniel Oh certainly understood the job.

Nigel Greene writes of the 200:

Just a quick note to say thanks! After more than a year without riding a 200k due to -- well -- you know -- life, the Tscheschter Kaundi 200K, was my re-entry to this great sport. All the things that a ride organizer can control, like the route and the cuesheet, were truly excellent. The scenery and road selection were just what a brevet should be: a visual feast of local scenery on bike friendly roads. As for the cue sheet, I had the unanticipated pleasure of listening to every cue through Ride with GPS as I navigated the course. Quite frankly, I was impressed. Not only was every cue spot on but someone took the time to add additional points of interest along the route which is an extra special treat and something I personally appreciate. I have followed, created, and revised enough cue sheets to know how just how much attention to detail it requires. Well done! As a full value finisher, thanks for a warm welcome and great food selection. That pizza and beer hit the spot. Finally, one more thanks to Ken for that lift to the regional rail after the event. My tired legs were grateful. After such a fine restart, the randonesia is already kicking in. 

Photo by Erik Wright

Erik Wright writes of the 200:

Thanks for putting on the event, and for everybody juggling the two brevets at once. It was a solid day on the bike. Rounded a left hand turn and saw the horses, the beautiful yellow flowers, the picturesque blue skies, the BARN, and could barely contain myself. Shortly after, around mile 47, I was riding alone and saw a horseback rider about 100m in front of me. It was just us in the road, no cars, but I wasn’t totally sure of the etiquette and didn’t want to spook the horse. I slowed as I approached, then dismounted about 30ft from them. The rider sort of laughed, and when I explained I just didn’t know what to do, we had a nice 15 minute chat in the road talking about horses. She used to be a cyclist and rode centuries with her local cycling club, so she was stoked to learn about randonneuring. I don’t think she’ll be signing up for a brevet any time soon, but maybe we’ll see Cheryl again on the next TK200! Thanks again for organizing the ride- I’ll catch you at the next one. 

Photo by Jakub Piven

Jakub Piven writes of the 200:

Thank you for putting together such an outstanding route. From leaving the city on moderately busy roads to the breathtaking rolling hills on the edge of Lancaster County, and finally the quiet return on the SRT, it was clear that the route was well-considered and planned for maximum enjoyment. I was especially grateful for Maple Arch Farm Market halfway through, where I inhaled a few donuts and was tempted by first-of-the-season strawberries. The endless clotheslines in Penn Dutch country were another unexpected and impressive sight. Looking forward to the next one.

A bicycle at Maple Arch Farm Market (photo by Michael Reali)

Maria Thomson writes of the 200:

 Thanks Brad for laying out a total pleasure of a route. This was my first ever brevet one year ago and I left that ride delirious from the scenery and the kindness of my fellow riders who showed me the ropes. This year my pal and teammate Molly Gleason joined me, and Tscheschter Kaundi is now also her first brevet. We're drinking the Kool-Aid/spreading the rando gospel. Huge thanks as well to Arrick, Mike, and Augie -- we found each other organically on the road but ended up sticking together for nearly the entire ride and they were terrific company. Other highlights of the ride included slamming cider donuts at the new stop, finding a field of miniature ponies, saluting a number of kiddos and carriages in Lancaster, and overall lucking out with a freakin beautiful day of sunshine in the middle of two steady weeks of cold and rain. 

Props to the 400kers out on Saturday (maybe one day)!

Molly Gleason takes a selfie with teammate Maria Thomson on the South Street Bridge

Mike Gadomski writes of the 200:

 The first main highlight was that the route was just a pure delight. Really tastefully crafted. It did help that the weather was perfect. 

The second main highlight was riding with the same people the whole time, despite not having met most of them before. Great crew.

Finally, I want to give a special shoutout to the one gravel segment. It’s fair to say that I had genuine moments of euphoria on this ride.

Join us again on June 8 for the grand finale of the SR Series, the Jim Thorpe 600K, and on June 15 for the Keystone Brevet Co. 200K. Both of these rides will start and finish in Philadelphia. Details and registration are on the PA Rando website.