Tuesday, April 8, 2014

PA200k


*** Update 1 (4/8) ***

"...the PA200K was my favorite route in PA so far. Not only challenging, but also scenic..." -- Juan Salazar commenting on the 2009 event.  This is the event with several big climbs including: Fox Gap, Lommasson's Glen, Staats, and new for this edition, Dogwood Lane on our way to Easton.  Along with all those climbs, there are of course some long, steep descents -- while it may be possible to reach 50 MPH on some of these descents, please don't go any faster than your Guardian Angel can keep up with.  Especially in light of the rough winter we've had, which has left behind many potholes and rutted pavement that has yet to be patched up.  There are several stretches of road where you'll need to pick your way around these hazards, so please keep a safe distance from the rider in front of you, especially early on when riders tend to be bunched together.

A volunteer pre-ride was completed by Patrick and Cecilie Gaffney.  Patrick reports: "...Cecilie and I had a great time yesterday, though the stiff head winds for about the first 60 miles were as formidable as any of the climbs.  Wind Gap really live up to its name! Overall we found the roads of the course to be in pretty good shape given the winter we had.  I would say that the worst stretch of roads were in the first 13 miles; lots of potholes and gravel.  Once you make the left on to Dogwood Ln there were noticeably less potholes.  The first 13 miles were not so bad that you couldn't pick your way through, but we were one bike going pretty cautiously. It may be more difficult for a pack of riders to get through as easily.  You may want to warn everybody to leave plenty of space for maneuvering. There was a lot of gravel on the right turn onto Cherry Valley Road as well as on some other turns. I liked the new routing ... While the climbing on Dogwood Lane seems to sneak up on you I thought it was a more pleasant way to the top of the ridge than the old routing up Lower Saucon Road.  There will certainly be less traffic which is always nice and it doesn't seem to be a steep a grade. ..."

The current cuesheet is draft 1, dated 3/26/14 (there were no edits from the voluteer preride).

The start/finish is at the Weisel Hostel in Quakertown, our "rando clubhouse".  There are dorm rooms available for $25/night on both Friday and Saturday nights -- if you are traveling far, this might be a cost effective option to consider to avoid a lot of driving right before and after the event.  A breakfast buffet of hot oatmeal and other breakfast items is available 1 hr before the start, in the hostel's great room.  This is also where the sign-in area is.  After the ride, there are 2 showers available in the upstairs bathroom.  Also included is a postride meal, where you can swap your war stories and share your goals for the 2014 season.

Please note that the hostel is located in a "rustic" area -- cell phone coverage is poor, if you need to reach me, be sure to try the hostel phone number (listed on your cuesheet and brevet card) if I don't answer my cell phone.  Also, the dirt driveway has a lot of potholes and rocks -- take caution.  You should park your car in the large parking area on the right of the long driveway between the road and hostel.  If it is wet, be sure to park on the gravel area, NOT the grassy areas -- it is easy to get your car stuck if you wander into a soft grassy area.  The few parking spots next to the hostel are reserved for event personnel and the hostel parents: John and GerriAnn.

*** Roster (as of 4/10) ***

1 Daniel Aaron -
2 Ronald Anderson -
3 Barbara Solis Anderson -
4 Charles J Arayata Registration with Friday Night Hostel Reservation
5 Dan Barbasch Registration with Friday Night Hostel Reservation
6 Ed Bernasky
7 Jeffery S Butt -
8 Blaine L Chamberlain -
9 Jonathan Clamp -
10 Ed Dodd -
11 William Fischer -
12 Cecilie Gaffney Volunteer
13 Patrick Gaffney Volunteer
14 Nigel Greene -
15 Guy Harris -
16 James P. Holman -
17 Donald Jagel -
18 Eric Keller -
19 Robin C Landis Registration with Friday Night Hostel Reservation
20 J Michael Lutz -
21 Craig Martek Registration with Friday Night Hostel Reservation
22 Christine Newman -
23 William Olsen -
24 Susan Rodetis -
25 Tom Rosenbauer -
26 Norman Smeal -
27 Bob Torres Registration with Friday Night Hostel Reservation

Please drop me a note by Thursday, if you want to join the roster.

Have a safe ride!

-Tom Rosenbauer
Eastern PA RBA

No comments:

Post a Comment