Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The 14th Annual PA Randonneurs Fall Classic

** October 6 Update **
The course checkouts are finally complete.  Updated cue sheets for the 150 and 200 routes are available on the website.  You'll want to make sure you're using the October 7 update versions.

Course notes:

Both routes are the same until they reach the control in New London (around mile 56).  Here the 200k riders will head south into Maryland while the 150k riders will take a more direct route to a control in "the Buck."  This control is shared with the 200k route so riders may overlap on the approach to the control.  Riders are cautioned that the two routes do NOT follow the same roads leaving that control.  The routes do rejoin for the final miles into the finish at mile 118/88.

The 200k route uses the Enola Low Grade Trail for approximately 8 miles.  This portion of the trail has a very nice compacted stone dust surface that is suitable for even the skinniest of bike tires.  There is an information control as you enter the control.  You'll want to follow cue instructions carefully to make sure you're heading in the correct direction.  Leaving the trail is the tricky part since visual cues are difficult.  There are three spotting cues provided on the cue sheet ahead of the trail head where you'll want to exit.  It is technically possible to continue on the trail past that point, but you'll notice rapidly deteriorating surface conditions.  And unless you're extremely familiar with the trail and surrounding area, finding the little path you'd need to take to get back on course would take lots of luck.  This picture shows the rather nondescript nature of the exit trail head.


Careful review of the cue sheet and route before the brevet is strongly advised.  I don't expect you'll have to deal with foggy conditions in the photo.

Both courses are challenging, but very enjoyable.  The cue sheets will guide you well.

Registration remains open for both events through this Thursday, October 10 at midnight. 

Andrew Mead
event organizer
Eastern PA RBA



** Original Post **

The 2019 Edition of the PA Randonneurs Fall Classic 200k Brevet and 150k Populaire is next on our event calendar.  Details for the events are up on the PA Rando website as well as directions to the start-finish.  Registration remains open through midnight October 10.  This year's venue is Cafe Metzler in Atglen, PA.  We've finished quite a few brevets here over the years with great success.  The Fall Classic seemed to be a logical step.  We freshened up good brevet route and incorporated a short cut for the popluaire riders.  The routes are the same for the first 100k which should give everyone time to ride together.

Speaking of schedules and traditions, the 2020 calendar of events to RUSA and  loaded the dates into the PA Rando website.  You can find a convenient calendar-style version HERE.  The RUSA database will soon reflect this schedule along with an initial guess at the proposed route.  The dates are firm; the routes may change as we continue to develop new routes.

There are 16 events on the schedule, including our SR Series, a monthly brevet, the Fall Classic 200/150, and the Flèche.  We're going to try the Velodrome finish again and hope for dryer weather.

There is a populaire scheduled on March 8 (Sunday) for International Women's Day.  Dawn Pietch of Wisconsin Randonneurs is working to  draw a little attention to women in our sport; a commemorative patch is promised to all participants.  It is likely that one or two more populaires will be added to the calendar as the year progresses, but I hope to take advantage of RUSA's short-turnaround event addition policy and cherry pick some good weather dates.  In the meantime, I'm working on several new populaire routes to bolster our capability.

The biggest news for 2020 is that five different organizers will help turn the schedule into reality.  It promises to be a good year.

Andrew Mead
Eastern PA RBA


Sunday, September 8, 2019

Ride Report: Portland-Stillwater 200K

It was a beautiful day for a bike ride along the Delaware River and through the hills and dales of Northeast New Jersey. All 19 of the 19 riders that clipped in made it to the finish in good time for a 100% completion rate.  Preliminary results for the Portland-Stillwater 200K have been posted on the website.  Please review the results and let me know if they align with your memory.  The results will be submitted to RUSA later in the week and will become official once certified by the ACP.

Although sunny and mild, the weather wasn't entirely perfect, as there were some reports of swirling gusts and destabilizing crosswinds. Perhaps these were remnants of hurricane Dorian, or perhaps  they were the wake of Scotty Steingart who zoomed through the 202.8 km course in six hours and fifty-three minutes.

An interesting fact is that Chris Maglieri, who clipped in to ride the Portland-Stillwater today, also clipped in the last time this course was ridden. That was back in November 2013, when Chris rode this brevet as his first PA event. Back then, he joined fellow riders Tom Matragano and Peter Phillips to set the course record of 7:58. Chris actually broke his old record this go-around with a 7:36, which is a  pretty darn fast time too. 

Several newly minted (and newly re-minted) PBP anciens were in attendance. Riveting stories of glory and woe in France were shared over pizza and beer at Theresa's after the ride. Congratulations and well done to all.

George Retseck and Andrew Mead (on right)
think about riding PBP in 2023.

Steve Schoenfelder writes:  "Thanks for organizing a great ride!  The most memorable aspect was the absence of suffering.  The course was picturesque passing through shaded country roads and the weather was ideal, with bands of clouds keeping the temperatures in the pleasant range.

Andrew Mead not suffering.


Vadim Gritsus writes:  "Thank you for organizing yet another glorious brevet!  PA rocks!     

One of the Lackawanna Tunnels
Whatever the cause of the winds, the approach of Autumn was clearly visible on the trees along the course. In a little more than a month, Fall colors should be here in earnest. That will be just in time for you to enjoy the foliage riding your bike over a new, relocated Fall Classic course, this one starting and finishing at Café Metzler in Atglen, PA. Both a 150K populaire and 200K brevet distance will be offered, along with a post-ride food buffet and selection of re-hydration options. See you there!